Hannah Jane, could you tell us who you are and how did you get involved with fashion?
My name is Hannah Jane owner and designer of Art of Hannah Jane a sustainable artwear company. I grew up in the United States, in North Dakota and began aspiring creativity at a very young age. Fashion has been a vital piece of personal expression my entire life. I started painting as young as 3 years old, and started sewing fashion designs when I was 8. Through my adulthood my brand, Art of Hannah Jane, began to flourish and evolve into something that 8 year old just beginning to sew would endlessly admire.
I create one of a kind, handcrafted and constructed designs that can otherwise be known as wearable canvases. I do not limit myself within my creations and thrive on my ultimate goal of creating something out of nothing. Through the use of fabrics from thrown away, unwanted, or thrifted items, Art of Hannah Jane designs embrace the importance of sustainability and respecting the environment.
How is working in fashion different today than from when you started out?
I officially started my brand, Art of Hannah Jane, in 2011 and when taking a look at my time in the industry, significant growth and change has occurred.
In regards to my own brand, through care and dedication I have had the ability to define my own personal mission. Time has allowed my craft to become more intricate and after ten years of growth, I finally feel like I am paving my way in the industry. Looking at where I started to now, that time has allowed me to develop what I want Art of Hannah Jane to represent. Considering the fashion industry can be so fast pace, I have continued to define my mission of designing garments that last due to their significance to consumers rather than living such a short lifecycle due to trends.
When it comes to the industry itself, I have had the ability to watch trends change over the years moving from fast fashion items into consumers finding appeal in the perfect collected vintage item. Fashion, especially in the last two years, has highlighted and embraced previous eras of time. I personally feel like fast fashion has lost its appeal and consumers are more interested in items that come in limited quantity or represent something significant. The fashion industry has grown to represent self definition, and I feel is being used to signify a larger unspoken meaning than something you just wear. Fashion is a walking billboard, and has signified movements over the years as well as brought people together with relatable factors.
What do you want to achieve through fashion?
Art of Hannah Jane curates a vision and mission of creating one of a kind artwear that embraces sustainability. My goal is to create designs that obtain enough importance to last a lifetime. My hope is that my brand can continue to grow and evolve in the industry without creating a negative environmental footprint. Art of Hannah Jane designs represent and carry high fashions emotional attributes but with slow fashion values giving my consumers designs they can connect to on an emotional level in which they intend to keep forever.
Are there particular issues within the fashion industry that concern you? If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
When it comes to the fashion industry, there are issues concerning overproduction, negative work environments, and environmental impact due to production and consumption. The fashion industry is one of the leading producers of waste majorly polluting our world, and if I could change anything it would be finding ways to minimize this impact. As a sustainable brand, I work to create garments that have the ability to live a long life, as well as do my part in teaching consumers and producers more about sustainability and why it matters. It is so important to take care of the world we live in, and being mindful about fashion in this context plays a key role in finding ways to minimize our fashion footprint.
In your daily routine, what resources do you like to learn new things about art, fashion?
In my daily routine, I love to learn new ways to implement sustainability into my brand Art of Hannah Jane. There is so much to learn when it comes to being an eco conscious brand, and so I seek knowledge in many arenas. I like to discover classes surrounding fashion and recently took a course on Apparel and textile economics, learning about the process of production, distribution, and consumption in the fashion industry.
I like to pay attention to sustainable fashion accounts on instagram, as well as listen to audiobooks surrounding the industry. I love studying designers from the 1900s discovering how they paved the path to success and curated high end, long lasting brands. This fashion industry can sometimes feel hard to navigate. It can feel vulnerable pushing a dream within such a fast pace industry and so it is important to be confident and knowledgeable in your plan and seeking information is key.
What's the most important thing you want your potential clients to know about you?
Something important I would want my potential clients to know about me is that I put my all into everything I do. I am extremely detail oriented and think about every piece of the puzzle in creation. The dedication, care, and compassion I emit into my designs typically allows them to end with 40+ hours of work and evolve to represent significant emotions such as courage or strength. Every creation is a connection to my heart and is designed to make you to feel powerful when you wear them. I love what I do and feel like my true self when I am creating my designs. I can only hope to create impact and importance with fashion.
If you could say one thing to someone younger who looks up to you, what would you say?
If I could say one thing to someone younger who looks up to me, it would be to endlessly believe in yourself. Whatever it is you want to do with your life, do it boldly. There is only one you and your ability is singly yours. That is something special and something to take a chance on. Always remember your dream is possible and all it takes is time, dedication, and care for your goal. Fear in ability is something we put on ourselves and your ability deserves to shine!
What's been the biggest highlight in your career so far?
The biggest highlight of my career was showcasing my third collection in New York Fashion week at National Geographic Encounter in Times Square. Many of my designs feature animals, and having the ability to showcase a collection in an arena known for nature and animals was the perfect platform. Watching my designs featuring my hand crafted and constructed denim lions, zebras, and owls, walk the runway felt so empowering, and allowed me to grow as a designer.
The launch of My most recent collection, the GHJARDEN collection, has also been an extreme highlight in my career. I curated an entire vision interpreted in film featuring sustainability not only with fashion but also the props and set. This launch is something I am extremely proud of, and feel truly embodies what high fashion can look like in a sustainable way.
What does life look like for you now and where do you see yourself in the future?
Recently I launched the GHJARDEN collection, a collection I have been producing since 2019. Currently my life has involved ample focus on pushing this collection. The Art of Hannah Jane GHJARDEN collection was created to display the ideals of the garden and embrace sustainability. The collection represents growing something out of nothing, taking recycled fabrics and unwanted garments and metaphorically growing them into something beautiful. Displaying denim flowers and greenery, the collection is one of a kind sustainably sewn, designed and grown.
In the future I hope to continue to evolve and grow my brand Art of Hannah Jane. I intend to not only become more educated in sustainability but also find more ways to share my designs around the world. I hope to make significant growth with the evolution of my designs and take profound steps with my personal mission of being a sustainable brand in the fashion industry.
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