Today’s post is special – an interview with emerging designer Jade McFadden! Jade has been designing since 2018 and has expanded her brand from womenswear to to menswear, home, beauty, and more. Join us as I pick her brain about business, inspiration, and the industry in the face of a pandemic!
1. Where are you from, and where are you currently based?
I am from Texarkana, Texas and currently based in Texarkana, but our brand is global!
Stig: That’s awesome! How do you make your reach global? Is it through social media, through global retailers, or something else? Super interesting topic and I’d like to hear more!
Jade McFadden: Thank you so much! It’s mostly through social media and partnerships with global (domestic and international) retailers.
2. What was your earliest fashion inspiration? How has that changed, if at all, over time?
My mother (who is now deceased) was actually my first fashion inspiration and later, my dad (who is also deceased), was an inspiration as well.
My sense of style and fashion, in general, is still the same: very clean, yet edgy & intriguing!
The aesthetic of the Jade McFadden brand is “vintage-inspiration, mod-liberation “.
Stig: I’m sorry to hear that. Family is so precious and their impressions on us last a lifetime. Do you have any specific memories of your mom or dad and how they impacted you?
JM: I like to tell myself that they may not be here physically, but they are here with my spiritually. I have so many many memories! Even though I was a kid when my mother passed away, in July of 1998, the same month as my birthday, I remember her being so kind, classy, smart, and stylish! My father passed away in January of 2015, the same month as my brother’s birthday. My father was a go-getter, hardworking, smart, athletic, yet dapper!
My parents instilled in me faith in God and resiliency. And I’m forever grateful.
Stig: I love that – and your inspiration! What about vintage hooks you in?
JM: Vintage pieces are timeless, and when you combine vintage with a little modern, it gives the whole look a little more “razzle dazzle” [laughs].
3. Tell us about your brand! What do you love about it? How do you see your ideal customer?
The Jade McFadden brand is a unique fashion & lifestyle brand. We design and sell high-quality clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry, accessories, home décor, and various lifestyle products for women, men, and kids at reasonable prices! We call it “affordable luxury”. We’ve expanded our brand by adding a personal care category which includes clean, natural, organic, vegan-friendly, cruelty-free beauty and grooming products for women and men!
Our customer or overall brand aesthetic is clean & classy, yet mysterious and edgy. There are a lot of statement pieces in our collection, solid colors, and very unique designs.
4. Do you see fashion as escapist or realist (escaping reality or confronting it)?
[Pauses] … I’d have to say both! You use fashion to make a statement, especially with current events in the world.
5. How has COVID affected the fashion industry? Have you noticed a change in demand, a change in design?
Yes, COVID-19 has most definitely affected the fashion industry! More people are shopping online, which is great for those of us whose business is mostly online (e-commerce). The pandemic has also affected the shipping and many businesses have closed, which is very sad and unfortunate.
As far as a change in design, I think more and more designers and companies are producing sustainable fashion, which is awesome!
6. What’s the thing you most love about your job? What are the challenges?
I don’t consider this a job. I consider this my career. I turned my dreams into reality!
The challenges are bringing my new concepts & ideas to life, by finding the right factories to build a partnership with, for instance. With the recent expansion of our brand, it took many months to find the right manufacturers for the new beauty & grooming products, I had to sketch the design for packaging, research the ingredients, go through a trial period, because my business partner and I do not launch products like these without testing them first. It’s costly, but it is worth it!
7. What’s one little thing that brings you joy every day?
God waking me up every day, so that I can do what I love! I am forever grateful!
8. We’ve seen a lot of big designers changing course this year, reframing their environmental and social impact. What kind of moral and ethical responsibilities does fashion have in the post-2020 world?
I’ll continue researching, learning, designing, and building this brand. It’s still really important to think about what’s happening in the world, especially the environment, but also stay true yourself and your brand. Both can be done!
9. I stole this question from the NPR podcast “Make Me Smart” because it’s just that good: What is something you thought you knew, but later found out you were wrong about?
When I first started this brand, I did not start it with the “I know everything ” mentality, because I knew I did not and I still to this day do not know everything. This is a learning process! I am constantly researching and learning new things!
I’ve learned that some of my biggest (strongest) supporters have been strangers. Literally, there are people who are rooting for this brand who haven’t even met me yet… different businesses, different people around the world, different ages, different ethnicities, different nationalities, and different religions! It is truly awesome!
You can visit Jade’s website here!
Images courtesy of Jade McFadden.
