Meet bkr founders Tal Winter + Kate Cutler

The creative-thinking duo behind bkr water bottles will be at the Nordstrom Beauty Trend Event

At this exact moment, there are 9,252,489 tons of plastic waste dumped in our oceans. More by the time you get to reading this—and 1500 more bottles tossed in every second. Even more ridiculous is that most bottled water is just plain old tap water with good PR spin.Considering that more than 100 million plastic water bottles are consumed globally every day (with only 1 in 5 of those bottles getting recycled…and up to 700 years to properly decompose anyway, ack!), it makes sense to rethink your drinking habits. Stat.Perfect timing: the creative-thinking duo behind those sexy bkr water bottles (pronounced like “beaker”) arrives at Nordstrom for a local meet-and-greet this weekend. Tal Winter and Kate Cutler will be setting up shop to chat about the industry’s best looking bottles and how to make an everyday difference (not that we have to look good while doing good, but it’s a nice bonus).The former lawyers-turned-water-bottle-gurus arrive at the Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show first thing tomorrow morning where the full VIP treatment—beauty consultations, gifts and samples—is on offer along with the know-how on hydrating your skin and why bkr is this season’s perfect beauty essential. And every season thereafter.For a sneak preview, we chatted with bkr’s founders, Tal Winter and Kate Cutler, who explained the symbiotic relationship between water bottles and Chloé handbags—and their affinity for Vancouver:What was the eureka moment in which you both realized you had an idea with legs? We realized we were onto something big when some of our first customers told us they were “in love,” “obsessed” and that they were drinking more water than ever. They told us their bkr changed everything and they were seeing results on their skin and in their wellbeing. We felt a widespread, immediate emotional attachment and we knew bkr was a game changer.What’s the best advice you’d give to young entrepreneurs with a dream? Our advice would be to trust your gut and if something isn’t working, pivot quickly. Mistakes will happen and are learning opportunities but never make the same one twice.What’s the secret to fusing fashion and water bottles? We made the exact thing we wanted but couldn’t find anywhere—a water bottle so cute that it would replace our addiction to toxic, wasteful and ugly disposable plastic water bottles. Why couldn’t a bottle be so subtle and chic that it would compliment the nudes and pastels of the season and be as loved as our Chloé suede bag or St. Laurent army jacket?How do you stay inspired and creative? We find inspiration everywhere. We’re always inspired by the runway and primarily watch the shows in Paris, Milan, New York and London. But we also draw inspiration from art, street chic and the world around us.What’s your first impression of Vancouver? Its beauty, rain or fit-conscious crowd? We love how beautiful Vancouver is and how warm the people are. Tal married a Vancouverite so the city is especially close to her heart!bkr at Nordstrom Pacific Centre, Mybkr.comSaturday, December 5thBeauty Trend event runs all day, call the Beauty Concierge for times/availabilityMeet + Greet with bkr founders on the 1st level: 10am – 12pmNordstrom, 799 Robson St., 604-699-2100, Nordstrom.ca