Jill on Designing Clothes

1 - Tell me 3 things about yourself aside from being a clothes-designer.

i have a super awesome 3 year old boy, Rollin, who is named after my super awesome grandfather. this makes me so proud.
i married a boy (also super awesome) who was the lead singer in a band that i really liked (still do!). this also makes me so proud.
i love white wine and pizza.

2 – How would you describe the clothes that you design and make?

the clothing that i make is artistic and utilitarian. i make clothing to express yourself in, but that will also carry you throughout your day.

3 – How long have you been on this path of designing clothing? Where and how did it begin?

i think that i always knew that i wanted to do something artistic with my life. i dropped out of the english program at u of w, and decided on a total whim to go to school for some kind of art. suddenly i was enrolled in fashion school in vancouver... starting in 5 months. i did not sew at this point. this was 8 years ago, and i've rarely gone a day without sitting at my sewing machine since then.

4 – Do you spend a lot of time thinking of what you’ll create next? Or how does the process of making a new piece happen? 

 

as with most parts of the creative process, things happen and come together when i least expect them to. sometimes a collection is a month's worth of sketching and editing. and sometimes an entire collection, styling, photoshoots, and promotion will just *come* to me at the most unexpected times. i think that this is one of the greatest signs that i'm doing what i'm supposed to be doing... i've never once run out of inspiration, and every time i try to leave the door open to maaaaybe skip a season of making clothes... i have one of those moments of insane creative clarity, and then i'm just psyched to make it happen.

5 – Do you have an ultimate goal for your work? Or are you there already?

i really really just want to be happy, and be able to keep the people around me happy. i think that i've already learned how to manage the work that i do, and the way that i work, to make sure that this happens; but i want to make sure that i keep trying to find that tricky balance. i'm totally aware that one day, life may change, and making clothing may only be a hobby, instead of a job/career... i just really want to stay tuned into this. on the flip side, maybe one day my clothes-making will make me really rich (ha). i'm open to that too.

6 – Tell me about some of the earliest influences on your art. (and)
7 – Who is a recent influence for your work?

i have always been the most inspired by different people, and the lives that they lead. i love looking at a woman's life, and everything that an average day looks like for her... and then trying to do that woman (and that day) some kind of justice. i want to try to make her feel strong and capable in what SHE does. i want to make women feel like they look amazing and artistic and beautiful, while they pound the pavement to make their lives awesome and happy.


8- Tell me about a great moment you’ve had working with clothes recently.

every time that i see someone wearing one of my pieces, just doing their thing, is the best moment of making clothing. it just absolutely kills me, and usually makes me want to cry because i'm so proud. I’ts astounding to me to see my clothing outside of my (very) messy studio, and really being brought to life.


9 – What do you love most about this vocation?

i love two things the most about what i do, and neither of them would exist without the other: i love the fact that i get to do "arts and crafts" most days, and express myself with creativity. and i love the fact that others can translate this creativity into something that they feel expresses themselves.

10 – What do you find difficult about being a clothes designer?

sometimes i find it really difficult to motivate myself to follow the "timelines" of fashion.

11 – What are some of your thoughts on the fashion industry?

truthfully, i don't really consider myself to be a fashion designer. fashion is such an idea, such a subjective notion... this feels weird to me, and creates the anxiety of "keeping up with the joneses" (or whoever). i don't really know a ton about the fashion industry. i read vogue. i like a good fashion show. but i'm generally "behind" a few seasons in what i like (which could also mean that i'm "ahead"...?). i just make clothes that i like, and i hope that other people like some of them too.

12 – What do you find beautiful (in general)?

I LOVE IT THAT YOU ASKED ME THIS! here's my favorite quote of all time: "he who seeks beauty, will find it". i want a life that is filled with beauty and happiness, and so i find it in most places, and most people. i have been told recently that i am "aggressively positive". life is mostly so good, and there is so much beauty... just look for it!

13– Being a self-employed artist, how do you take breaks from it?

 

i don't take a lot of breaks from making clothing, especially now that my studio is in my home. in my constant efforts of trying to be kind to myself, i will tentatively offer myself opportunities to take some time off. it never happens. i always end up back at my sewing machine, whether it's for work or for enjoyment. sometimes for way too many hours in a day... it can be exhausting, but it's also just what i love to do.


14 – Who has been the biggest support on this path of making clothes?

i would definitely have to say my husband, chris. he up and moved with me to vancouver when we hadn't even been married for a year, and put me through school-- both financially and emotionally. he is the only carpenter that knows the difference between a tulip skirt and a dirndl skirt. he pushes and he encourages, but he also knows how to tell me that he's proud of me. he talks about my clothing line, tony chestnut, like it's a big deal.

15 – Do you go to the mall? And if so, do you buy stuff there?

i totally go to the mall, and i (sometimes) totally buy stuff there. i think that it is a fine skill to be able to purchase something from the mall, and then pair it with a beautiful and unique handmade piece in a way that really works. my sister is so good at that.

16 – Say something about Forever 21.

i friggin love a pair of jeans that i got there for $12


17 – What are your thoughts on the accessibility of good quality, beautiful clothing?

obviously, in a perfect world, i would like to see all clothing being well-made and responsibly made. this would, in-turn, make clothing so much more beautiful and expressive. i love the idea of buying only hand-made clothing, but if you're talking about the good stuff, then often this is a budget breaker. i love it when people have to make it work financially to buy a tony chestnut item... it makes me feel so happy, and i love seeing it worn with a pair of $12 jeans... the cheap jeans are sometimes the reason we can afford the expensive hand-felted vest.

18 – How important are the clothes you wear to your identity?

the actual clothes that i wear are not always super important to my identity, but the way that i put clothing together is fairly pertinent. i love focusing on contrasts, because that's life. i love wearing an outfit that some moms wouldn't think of to wear, and holding my son on my hip.

19 - What have you learned about yourself from being a clothing designer?
 
i've learned that i throw myself, very passionately, into my craft. but i've also learned that my craft isn't my identity. if one day i don't make clothing, that's ok.

20 - At the end of your life, how might choosing a career in clothing design might have made a difference for you?

it's crazy how many amazing people that i've met, and made clothing for. people are so inspiring, and being creative is so important. i've managed to find a way to completely integrate both of those things. i make art for specific people with specific stories. two birds; one stone. cool, hey?