A logo is a really important aspect of a company. It’s one of the first identifiers a customer looks at especially if they’re brand conscious. This week Semper has been working on jn2′s branding and came up with these four different logo designs. We’re going with logo #2.
Logo #1
Logo #2
Logo #3
Logo #4
xoxo –
jn2
Since burlap is such an unforgiving fabric to work with the fabric needs to get prepped before it gets cut. Rena takes us through her process (see below).
Assorted burlaps for our 5 different looks
And we’re rollin’
Tools of the trade
Freshly layered
Ready to be cut
xoxo –
jn2
We’re in the first steps of construction. Below are some pictures of the process thus far.
Materials have been purchased
Outline has been traced (yarrr!)
Pattern tracing has started
xoxo –
jn2
Interview with Belinda Kazanci, owner Of BEL KAZAN a Los Angeles based women’s clothing company.
Belinda Kazanci, owner of BEL KAZAN
I met Belinda in the Fall of 2012, shortly after I started my first quarter at CSULA. I was a brand new Angelino and wanted to get as much experience as I could so I quick to respond to her “intern wanted” ad. Through her company, I got a feel for the industry and I’ve also been fortunate enough to have other opportunities arise because of her. More recently, I was given the assignment of interviewing a designer as part of my senior project so I immediately thought of her. I hadn’t seen her in over a year so it was also an excuse to catch up. We met on a warm Tuesday afternoon over iced mochas in Echo park…
Q: What got you interested in becoming a fashion designer?
A: “I grew up in Istanbul and have been around textiles my whole life. Plus with Echocell, I had a lot of costumes on stage so I created a brand after my friends kept saying how good my styling was.”
Q: Where did you go to school and what did you major in? Are you currently using that major now?
A: “Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, class of 2000. I majored in City Regional Planning with a minor in music. I learned how to design, and sketch but one of the most important skills I learned was technical writing. You know, like how to write a formal e-mail or proposal to someone.”
Q: What essential things did you learn outside of school?
A: “I took fashion seminar courses at FBI, Fashion Business Inc. It’s a non-profit seminar in Los Angeles and they help you with things like how to find sales rep, and how to get ready for market. They teach you about the fashion business and provide you with a lot of helpful resources. I’m a current member of the organization and also its really good for networking.”
Q: What is your greatest challenge as a designer? When you first started, and now?
A: “It’s hard to juggle everything, time management can be challenging. That and production flow.”
Q: What advice would you give yourself when you first started?
A: “Take time and formulate a business plan and what your brand is going to be about. It’s really necessary to do market research. My brand has evolved over the past ten years. In all that time I could’ve done the business planning in two years instead of ten, ok maybe not two but definitely in less time. Stuff happens also along the way and it’s damage control. How well you can handle the situation, especially when things are out of your control.”
Q: What is your proudest moment as a fashion designer?
A: “When I shipped 5,000 units to Nordstrom’s and they reordered. They didn’t reorder that much again but they’re still one of my customers. Also when Jessica Alba was seen wearing one of my dresses.”
Jessica Alba in BEL KAZAN
Q: Do you design for yourself or for your customer?
A: “Definitely for the customer but I also incorporate my own sense of style. My customer is in their late twenties to early sixties. Right now I carry leggings, tunics, shirts, pants, tops, dresses, and accessories. My price ranges from about $52 to $185 retail.”
Q: How much time do you dedicate to designing? What else do you find yourself doing a lot of as a fashion designer?
A: “About 20%-30%, the rest is managing.”
Q: How did you create buzz/following/interest in your designs?
A: “Grassroots, trade shows, PR companies, and social media. I also have a lot of sales reps across the country; they’re in Chicago, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. Also create a good product and you’ll have a following. That and good customer service, like if a shipment is delayed I’ll offer my customer a discount or cover their shipping because its always better to take a small loss than have a cancelled order.”
Q: How many people are part of your team and what are their responsibilities to your designs/brand?
A: 35 in total: 7 in the United States and that includes my assistant and sales reps. The rest are in Bali and that includes my production manager, sample manager, pattern maker, quality controllers, cutters, fabric controller, runner, accountant, and temporary sewers for embellishments. I also have other people who are involved like my book keeper, vendor, accountant, customs broker, sample maker, and business consultant.”
Q: How did you go about finding sources for manufacturing, pattern making, etc?
A: “In Bali at first it was a friend who recommended me to someone but after that I just asked around and built connections. In the U.S. it was through FBI where I found a lot of vendors and also through friends I networked.”
Q: Is your company profitable or do you find the need to do supplemental work to support yourself?
A: “Yes I’m profitable and I can make a living off it. I also want to slowly build my company. When you have investors you have less say in your company.”
Q: How do you set your brand apart from your competitors?
A: “We have original prints and fabric. Our clothing is also made in Bali and we give back to the community. I’d say some of our competitors are Ella Moss, Rachel Roy, Splendid, Tart and Indah.”
Q: What advice would you give someone thinking about becoming a fashion designer? Skills, education, etc.
A: “Intern and volunteer! Understand your customer base, their likes, activities and lifestyle. Take small logical steps in building a company, track your spending, and give people a reason to buy your product, so be unique.”
BEL KAZAN Fall/WInter 2013
To give you all a better idea of what our garments are going to look like, Rena has sketched out these five separate looks. Our garments will be made of burlap with hand painted details.
Rena has also started the sloper, a custom fitted basic pattern, and will be designing for women’s size 10.
jn² | not easily expressed
jn² is short for the french phrase “je ne sais quoi,” which translates to “I don’t know what.” We used the first letters to create the acronym jnsq which we further shortened to jn². We believe that it expresses the special quality that our designs bring to the fashion world… Something that cannot be easily expressed.
The designs of our Spring 2015 collection are inspired by paper dolls, and Pierre Cardin who was popular for his avant-garde designs during the 60’s. Our palette consist of bright solids and hues, and the silhouettes of our garments focus on shapes like the teardrop which is ladylike, soft, and expressive like a “doll.”
We are creating a look meant for the runway rather than ready to wear. Our clothing is walking art and we hope to incorporate a sense fashion and theatre into our garments.
We’re very excited for the collection and will be posting our progress along the way.
xoxo –
jn2
jn2 | not easily expressed
Fashion Designer: Rena Shaw
Merchandiser: Semper Ramos-Taylor
_____________________________________________
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shawgrila/jnxsquared/
E-mail: jn2.losangeles@gmail.com
jn2 | losangeles 