The Woman Who Is Redefining Sustainable Fashion
When asked where she gets her inspiration from, Amanda O’Brien replies, “Jean Franklin is inspired by my parents, my family, my connection to the past, and the desire to wear some well-made pieces for a long time.” When out shopping for clothes, Amanda grew frustrated with a few things – the lack of sustainable brands, unfair working conditions and low wages, a male-dominated fashion industry and limited options in terms of sizing and styles made for all shapes. She took matters into her own hands and a current marketing guru turned fashion designer was born.
Jean Franklin stands for empowerment, femininity, sustainability, authenticity and much much more. Who is Amanda’s target customer? She is the woman marching for her rights, the woman who enjoys the flee market, the woman who works that corporate job and wants to be comfortable transitioning from day to night in the same look… Jean Franklin is a modern take on late 60s/early 70s vintage style.
O’Brien grew up in Wasco, CA, a small town in the country outside of Bakersfield, CA. She then moved to Los Angeles for college, where she now resides. She draws inspiration from her life in Los Angeles (Highland Park, to be specific) and translates it directly into her designs.
When ordering a piece from Jean Franklin, customers will notice that it may take two-three weeks to arrive. No cause for alarm or frustration – Jean Franklin only makes the sizes and styles once the customer places the order (otherwise known as made-to-order). This cuts down on wasted fabric and materials, and is also more cost-friendly for Jean Franklin’s customers.
Amanda emphasizes the importance of fair wages. Everyone at Jean Franklin is paid fairly. “There are unfortunately still so many awful clothing production situations – with poor working conditions and extremely low wages. It is even still going on here, in the United States,” says O’Brien. “All of our pieces at Jean Franklin are made with love and follow ethical practices.”
Amanda works with unused (deadstock) fabrics only. This cuts down on the water and energy usage linked to new clothing production. She typically gets this fabric before it is carted off to landfills by other fashion brands. “Using deadstock fabrics and materials is very important to me, not only from the environmental aspect, but it also allows our customers to get unique pieces. We never mass-produce,” says O’Brien.
Amanda notes that there are many wonderful brands out there, but they unfortunately over produce their pieces (most of which go unsold and go to waste). The fashion industry causes more waste and damage on the environment than people realize, and Amanda hopes to raise awareness of this issue through Jean Franklin.
“My hope for the fashion industry is that consumers start to demand more from the brands they shop from. We need to tell brands that we care about how our clothes are made and choose to not shop from brands who aren’t transparent about how their clothing is made. Unfortunately many people just don’t know about these issues or think that wage and working condition problems only exist in other countries like India and China. The U.S. Department of Labor issued findings in November 2016 that Los Angeles garment factories had an 85% rate of violation of federal wage and hour laws. That’s just wages, not to mention lack of safe working conditions.”
Amanda still holds a full-time day job, all while balancing the duties of running a fashion brand. Amanda hopes to transition to Jean Franklin full-time. “My days are pretty packed full, but what helps keep me balanced is having a daily routine, keeping specific lists for work and personal to-do’s and making sure I have time scheduled regularly for exercise. I also limit how much I’m on social media. I’ve also found that working with colleagues who bring expertise I don’t have to the table strengthens my business overall.”
What’s next for the brand? Aligning with the right stylists, personalities, advocates and charities to help spread the word and make the world a better place. “Authenticity is one of Jean Franklin’s values, and I would love to align myself with some powerful women such as Emma Watson, Olivia Wilde, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Michelle Williams, to name a few. They do a wonderful job at advocating for women, and the environment, and I would be honored to create pieces for them,” says O’Brien. “I have the ability to design one-of-a-kind pieces and can work with other stylists to create looks for their clients. We work together from the initial sketches, to the fabric selections and sketches.”
Jean Franklin also sells beautiful vintage pieces and home goods. Vintage shopping is one of the smartest and most sustainable ways to shop because the clothing already exists. “We buy only the best vintage pieces in great to excellent condition and clean every piece before it goes up for sale. I love mixing vintage and thrift store finds into my own wardrobe and pair them with new designers to create my own personal style. Shopping vintage is also a great way to shop on a budget.”
The brand constantly evolving, and Jean Franklin has many exciting new pieces set to be released over the course of the next year.
Connect with Jean Franklin:
https://www.facebook.com/jeanfranklinshop/
https://instagram.com/jeanfranklinshop/
Photo Credits:
Michelle Terris (Amanda O’Brien Headshot and Delia JumpSuit)
https://www.michelleterrisphotography.com
Kevin Warnecke (Striped Blanket)
