Jemima Janney is a 23-year old London designer and the girlfriend of Ben Lovett, keyboardist for Mumford & Sons. She recently moved to NYC to head the design team of a big US label which she can’t disclose yet, but it’s sure to be huge and BLEND\ had the chance to interview her.

Her previous design work ranges from Rag & Bone, over Topshop, to Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner. Currently, she is working on designs for the up-and-coming alt-pop band HAIM.

Last weekend, Jemima was in Amsterdam to attend the Mumford & Sons concert in Ziggo Dome and BLEND\ met up with her for a chat. We had the exclusive opportunity to have a look at the dashing new jacket collection Jemima designed and which just came out the factory. The product shots are on their way and will follow in a next article.

Jemima’s website will be up-and-running in a few weeks time on www.jemimastudios.com, but her progress can be followed through her tumblr as well.

Interview by Daan Rombaut

BLEND\ Hi Jemima, so great you agreed to do this interview for BLEND/! As you would like to focus on the future rather than the past, let’s get that out the way first then. You’ve been interning at a few places in London; how do you feel about these internships?

JEMIMA\ This was quite a long time ago at the start of my career. I remember complaining at the time about not getting paid/not getting credit and having to run around all day getting coffee for free! I remember thinking it was really unfair, but retrospectively, I learned more at those internships than I have done in any other environment. I am incredibly grateful to those designers for letting me into their world to the extent that they did – the education I got was invaluable. 

B\ Who are your favourite designers?

J\ Ahhh, I hate this question! Too many! Today, it’d be Isabel Marant for her themes and Rag & Bone for their fabrics this season. But I could go on … and on. I’m always keen to champion new designers; I’m a big fan of Three Floor Fashion.

B\ In what way do you feel different from most other designers?

J\ I think that one of the reasons I am different as a designer is that I didn’t study fashion at university. My training was through the industry and my inspirations were everything around me. I think this has allowed me freedom as a designer as I never had to fit into any criterion or be marked on my work.

B\ What influences you for your designs?

J\ Everything around me. Mainly people and especially women. I am inspired by women to create clothing that will make them feel a certain way. That is my goal at the end of the day. Fashion is not necessary but it is important. It is this importance that inspires me.

B\ How would you like to come across as a designer?

J\ Fun, relevant, and successful.

B\ Could you tell me more about your process of designing?

J\ I always design to a character. My process starts with a man or a woman that I’ve written in my head. I design a collection to that person that’ll start with a theme and a sense of him or her. From there I go to colours and fabrics and finalise with silhouettes and details.

B\ Where do your textiles come from?

J\ Mainly Europe. Having spent most of my career in London, European fabrics have always been readily available to me. Plus, everything of mine is made in the UK at the moment. I love Japanese fabrics; I’d love to work more with these someday.

B\ What is your favourite aspect of designing?

J\ Those first few seconds when a new idea starts in your head – it’s so exciting! It keeps me awake at night sometimes.

B\ You say you like to stay away from trends. Why is that?

J\ I just don’t understand them. I don’t understand the concept of something being ‘in trend’ one week and not the next. I always want to design clothes that are timeless and will span generations to come.

B\ Why did you choose to design a jacket collection and not, say, jumpers?

J\ Oh I fully intend to get to jumpers … and trousers and stocking and shoes! I want to do it all – I just enjoy jackets as they can make an outfit entirely. Put on any jeans/dress/top – then putting a jacket on top can transform it. I also love the idea of fashion that you travel in/live your life in and my jackets are a key wardrobe piece for that.

B\ What’s your jacket collection all about?

J\ It’s about women! The fabrics are exciting, they are very high quality, they are light but warm. I see them as an everyday piece for women to do whatever it is they might be doing that day. I see them for hard-working women, who are professional but have an enigmatic side to them.

B\ Which fabric do you prefer for your own jackets?

J\ Weirdly, I’m a big fan of linen jackets. I know this may sound a little strange, but once you see one of my jackets in particular, I think you’ll understand!

B\ How do you come up with prints for your jackets?

J\ I source them from mills around Europe. What’s fun about my jacket prints is that I feel each one can be disjointed from the other. Because the collection is solely jackets, no two pieces have to be worn together and this allows me to have a whole range of exciting fabrics in my collection!

B\ You say you’ve been obsessed with men’s tailoring since working on Kenneth Brannagh’s new Tom Clancy film (starring Kevin Costner, Keira Knightly, and Chris Pine). You also have a menswear business now, specialising in smoking jackets. Will your jacket collection also include men’s jackets?

J\ Maybe one day, but for now they are two different businesses and I want to focus on my women’s in a commercial sense.

B\ You have designed pieces for HAIM. How did they decide to choose you to design for them?

J\ They really represent the type of girls who I want to see wearing my clothes. They’re sexy but subtle and FUN and very hard working. It just felt like a good match.

B\ You recently moved to New York. What are the differences in lifestyle and fashion between London and New York?

J\ I think that New York life is faster – and this lends itself to a more simple style but of a higher quality. New Yorkers might wear boots and jeans and T-shirts everyday, but they will be the best boots, jeans and T-shirts. I think people mix it up a little more in the UK – they may have more ‘outfits’, but they will be of lesser quality.

This is of course a generalisation! But it’s something that I’ve noticed.

B\ Was it a natural transition to start your own brand after designing for other brands?

J\ I still enjoy working for other brands but yes, ultimately it does feel natural and has always been what I wanted to do. I’m very interested in business as well as design and starting my own brand allows me to explore both simultaneously.

B\ Looking at your tumblr, I get a very California/endless summer feel. Does the Cali-‘lifestyle’ influence you?

J\ It’s not that California interests me; it’s fashion photography of girls that isn’t posed that interests me. I love seeing girls who make clothes look beautiful by simply being who they are in them.

B\ There is a picture of you in a jacket with your name on; would you only wear clothes you designed yourself?

J\ No, of course not! I like to wear my own pieces to be able to show others what my work is all about, but I definitely wouldn’t only wear my clothes. I have too much love for other designers! And I couldn’t live without my Levi’s jeans!

B\ You are about to work for a US label in NY – What will you do after this?

J\ Grow my fashion empire!

byjemima.tumblr.com
www.jemimastudios.com