Jamie Hayes, Gerry, Meaning, Trusted Clothes, and Production Mode
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/09/23
I am a writer and executive administrator for Trusted Clothes, which is an ethical and sustainable fashion organization. The following is a series devoted in honor of the work done in collaboration with the Schroeckers and the Trusted Clothes team. Part 6 below, and 1 here, 2 here, 3 here and 4 here, and 5 here.
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Also, I am going to have a pop-up shop at the theWit Hotel in Chicago in the month of August, and a fashion show on August 25th, showing both Production Mode and Department of Curiosities, at their rooftop space.
I’m launching the next Production Mode line in the Fall. I am involved with the League of Women Designers in Chicago. A lot of entrepreneurs designing and working in Chicago, who are thinking about the ethics of how things are produced in their lines.
You mentioned a shared value with Gerry. I suspect this for other collaborations as well. That leaves me to think, “What meaning or personal fulfillment does this work bring for you?”
So much personal fulfillment—that’s really key to me! I have worked in the fashion industry since 1999, but I actually left the field for a few years because I was missing that personal fulfillment. I had to do some soul searching. While I loved the process of design, designing and making clothing and expressing myself though style, I really needed to check in with myself and face what was going on in the industry.
First of all, the ethics–people and the earth need to be respected, and we need to curb our own consumption levels. Also, I needed to question some of the main tenets of the industry. It is common to make the consumer feel bad about themselves and then to think that they can solve body issues, self-image issues, through purchasing things, especially clothing, to make themselves feel better or to distract themselves from the ills in their lives.
I had to dig deeper and think, “What’s the social meaning of fashion? How can style be used in a positive way to build self-esteem, to help a person express their identity and culture – to find out who they are?”
My work post-graduate school has been guided by these questions and issues. That’s been key to me finding personal fulfillment in my work.
For me, fabric, color, textures, line and pattern bring me great joy. I hope to my clients as well. There’s joy in art and design. All of those things keep me going and bring me great personal satisfaction. I feel lucky to do something that I love that is in line with my values. Sadly, I think that’s a rare thing in our culture right now. I wish it weren’t the case, but I feel lucky to be situated here.
With regard to organizations/companies, and so on, like Trusted Clothes and Production Mode, what’s the importance of them to you?
It is to show an alternative to the mainstream. That it is possible to create and purchase ethically-made, well-designed clothing. Also, to get people in the industry to question how things are made, hopefully, to create a sea change.
I look forward to a future where there are no more ethical clothing or aggregator sites like Trusted Clothing. Ethical, sustainable manufacture should be the norm. Until it is, though, we definitely need to keep spreading the word and asking for change in the larger community.
Thank you for your time, Jamie.
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