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With Paula Sojo, confidence doesn’t arrive late or linger in the shadows. It leads, bold and unapologetic, the first thing you see. At 23, the Toronto creator and co-founder of Osto.me Fashion treats an ostomy cover like a satin clutch or a perfect pair of hoops . . . definitely not as a disguise but as a styling choice. She transformed a medical pouch into a canvas of quiet luxury, soft against skin, then built a label with its own collections, distinct voice and a fanbase eager for function that flirts with fashion.
The collections are built with intention. Cotton for daily life. Satin for quiet polish. Lace for intimacy and lingerie sets. Disco for the nights that ask for sparkle. Each line speaks to a mood and a milestone. Some days call for soft and light. Some days call for shimmer. All days call for comfort. Sojo and her team considered every touchpoint. Cotton is thin, malleable and sweat-wicking. Disco fronts gleam in sequins, while the side that kisses the body is satin, cool and gentle. Reviewers told her they forgot they were wearing sequins. That is the assignment.
The Osto.me Fashion story doesn’t begin on a runway or in a studio. It begins in a hospital room, where Paula Sojo was learning to navigate a body reshaped by Crohn’s disease, multiple surgeries and at 19 years old, the reality of life with an ostomy bag. Packages arrived from a family friend who had sewn her a handful of ostomy covers. They were meant as comfort, a reminder that she wasn’t facing this new reality alone. But when Paula held those small, handmade pieces of fabric, she saw possibility. She bought a sewing machine, taught herself the craft stitch by stitch, and began to experiment. What started as private trial and error soon became something bigger. She shared a photo online and the response landed like a standing ovation. People wanted choice. They wanted covers that matched swimwear, slip dresses, slouchy denim, the whole closet. Sojo kept sewing, kept posting, then built a brand with her younger brother, Daniel, as co-founder. He runs numbers and production. She designs and directs. In Colombia, her grandfather oversees a workshop of seamstresses who cut and stitch with precision. Twenty-five hands later they perfected a design that floated against the body, light as air and invisible beneath fabric.
Sojo gravitates to looks that are sharp, timeless and subtly polished. Think Aritzia’s sleek minimalism, Reformation’s cool romance and Banana Republic’s soft tailoring. She tracks colour the way chefs track peak-season fruit. Back in January she declared butter yellow and it sold out as their swimwear bestseller. The next satin release stays in that luminous lane, leaning into pastels that flatter summer skin and layer seamlessly into autumn wardrobes.
She also walks the talk. A few months after launch, she took the runway at International Fashion Encounter in Toronto through a Crohn’s and Colitis Canada collaboration. Seven models, covers out, heads high. The room hushed into curiosity, then applause. Many guests had never seen an ostomy in real life so they left with a new frame. An ostomy can be worn with elegance! An ostomy can be couture!
Polished style is an important tool in her wellness kit. Her skincare routine continues even on low-energy days. A matched set becomes the outfit of choice when she wants to feel invincible. When she wants to feel electric, she layers lace over lace until her reflection gives her a thrill. She treats her beauty ritual as therapy, sealed with a swipe of lipstick. The ritual sets a tone, giving shape to her day. And yes, she rarely leaves home without a purse big enough for a snack plate. Cheese, artisan crackers, those fancy market pickles, strawberries, and a chocolate bite. This is a woman who curates even her munchies. Food is fuel, and Paula selects it with the same intention she gives fabric and cut. She makes her care feel luxurious, because why shouldn’t it be?
Reactions from strangers tell her how well the ostomy covers do their job. Without one, she notices the glances, the lingering questions. With one, people look and keep moving. Some think it’s a fanny pack. Others assume it’s a detail of her swim set. Either way, Paula gets to control her visibility. She decides when to blend and when to declare. That control is its own form of confidence. That is power.
Design decisions follow the same rhythm. Their lace line, nearly sold out, was born as a private confidence booster and an intimacy piece. Customers adored it. From there came the seed for a winter release aimed at couture-level drama. She describes it as red-carpet energy, a cover that can sit quietly under a gown or star outright with trousers and silk. Think couture texture, gala energy and prom-friendly.
Sojo’s advice to anyone hesitating to show an ostomy in public lands with a wink. Nobody cares as much as you think. But she knows how powerful representation can be and confidence is magnetic. So, if a cover makes you feel like yourself, wear it. If you want to match your bikini, do it. If you want to keep it discreet under a sweater, that’s style too. It’s your life and your rules. Fashion, after all, has always been about choice.
Before her surgery, she watched a single video of someone living with an ostomy. It made her feel less isolated. Years later, her own posts do the same for thousands. She sees the wider wave too: creators who glam up prosthetic eyes, blind fashion girls who dress by light and shadow, models who wear devices with intention. The industry is shifting.
She believes editors and casting teams can accelerate that shift with two moves. First, integrate models with ostomies into regular campaigns, not only medical or awareness shoots. Second, decide when to spotlight and when to fold it in. Give the cover a close-up if education is the goal. Elsewhere let it exist as part of the outfit, no commentary needed. Both strategies expand what the public eye learns to see as stylish.
If you’re picturing Sojo at her desk, you’re seeing mood boards in neutrals and butter. Spools of satin. A ruler. A camera. A purse within reach. Maybe a snack plate. She’s sketching a new silhouette, texting her brother on production timelines, editing photos from the latest shoot. She’s doing what good designers do. She’s solving a problem and telling a story in the same breath.
Osto.me Fashion has arrived with the quiet authority of something the industry had been waiting for. Of course, an ostomy cover can be breathable, sleek, sparkly, coy. Of course, it can blend or brag. Of course, it can meet a body where it is and give it a little thrill. Fashion shifts when one person decides to get dressed on their own terms, then invites everyone else to try it too. Sojo did that. The rest of us can follow her lead, slip on something that feels like our truest selves and step into the day ready to be seen.
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