“Originally, I’m from Saskatchewan, but I’ve been practicing Optometry since ’78. I bought up this office on Kensington Road 16 years ago. I have another office in the Southwest, and one in Regina. I’ve got 5 associates and over 30 employees. I love this eclectic area.
I’ve been dressing like this since the day I was born.
I was born in rural Saskatchewan. My mom was a nurse, my dad was a hunter/trapper, and we were dirt poor. My father had all these furs that he would sell to Hudson Bay. I used to snip off little pieces and dress my dolls in them.
When I was ten years-old, we got a Sears Catalogue and on it’s cover was this fur coat with this beautiful fur collar. I wanted it so badly. You see, back then my father made us raise these calfs. I took such good care of mine. I worked so hard to make sure it was nice and fattened up. I bought the market report magazine and found out exactly the right time to sell it and pushed my father to take the calf to market. He told me that it was too soon, but I convinced him and we sold the calf for $100. I took the money and bought myself that coat. I got it and wore it for so long!
I’m like Cher. People ask me, “What’s the occasion?” and I say that every day is the occasion. But really, I dress for the kids. I think you should have fun because life is really short you know? Bring a laugh to people’s face. I have this new associate who gets all his fashion tips from a Men’s Health Magazine and I tell him, ‘You need to get your own style, you’re own personality.’
I’m on the Children’s Vision Committee for Alberta. A lot of the kids I saw back in ’78 have kids of their own now and I see them. They don’t want to go anywhere else because ‘Dr. Monea is so much fun!’
My designer, Michelle, has been making these outfits for me. We’ve been working together since 2005. She had a collection at this little place downtown, I walked in and just said, “I’ll take that, this, those, and these.” Now she designs things for me to wear every day like this outfit. But the hats are really special… I wear them to visit the ladies at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and they just love them. I wear the hats for them.
It’s not a runway modelling thing for me. You’ll see me in Safeway with my groceries dressed like this. I actually wear this shit. Ha, Ha, Ha!” Dr. Diana Monea, Eye Health Centre, Kensington Road