Identical twin sisters, Naomi and Natalie Kinnamon (25) have been by each other’s side through it all! As you may assume they are alike in many ways but the thing that set these sister’s apart is type 1 diabetes (T1D). Naomi was diagnosis with T1D on November 8, 2010, celebrating her 14th diaversary this past week. Throughout Naomi’s teen years she struggled to find ways to conceal and carry her insulin pump which inspired her to take on a new challenge and create the clothing brand, KINNAMON, for individuals like herself, kinnamonclothing.com.

Naomi notes, “For years, I was either not buying or wearing certain clothes because there were no pockets to put my pump in, or I was having to alter clothes to accommodate my pump. After researching and realizing there was hardly anything out there clothing-wise that accommodated this specific need, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to design something very specific to my needs, and quickly recognized the potential benefits for other T1Ds just like me.”

From an early age, the Kinnamon sister’s had a bug for fashion and design passed down from their grandmother, mother and aunts. Naomi and Natalie began their education at Mercer County Community College where they discovered their true passions and goals in life. Naomi pursued fashion, later transferring to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia, where she developed “Type 1 of a Kind,” her senior collection of evening wear designed to accommodate type 1 diabetics. Natalie studied graphic design and advertising furthering her education at Virginia Tech. After college the two decided to team up and create KINNAMON, Naomi creating designs and Natalie managing their e-commerce website.

Naomi and Natalie not only built a brand for the T1D community but for all women. All KINNAMON clothing includes large pockets accommodating to everyone’s needs, from cell phones to insulin pumps this brand fits it all! We are proud to celebrate these New Jersey natives this Diabetes Awareness Month, and their work throughout the T1D community. Be sure to follow Naomi and Natalie on their social media @kinnamon.official for new designs and future work.