Mission Statement

We Are jn²

A condensed acronym for the phrase, “je ne sais quoi,” jn² brings to reality what cannot be easily expressed otherwise. Skillfully designed by Rena Shaw, and guided by creative director Semper Ramos-Taylor, jn²taps into the unknown beauty of the everyday to make the usual… Unusual. Shrugging away from the expected, jn²questions convention and delves into the world of creativity and limitless possibilities, as well as serves as an outlet for fantasies, dreams, and the imagination. jn^2’sdebut Spring 2015 collection breathes life into a charming childhood pastime, like paper dolls, by evoking their playful form through the use of manipulation and skilled craftsmanship. Hand-painted burlap shaped with wire, each “doll outfit” is inspired by French designer Pierre Cardin’s use of vivid color and playful silhouettes, but through our own creative lens. The loopy details along with whimsical and dramatic pops of color make each handcrafted piece evokes a sense of delight for our customer.

Semper Ramos-Taylor

Goals for 2-Year Span

Over the next 2 years we’d like to accomplish these tasks as a designer, a brand, and as a store (gallery):

Designer

Create to share with others and serve as an outlet for creativity
Create out of personal satisfaction rather than for profit
Generate buzz through social media
Have celebrities borrow pieces to generate buzz
Get featured in pop up galleries at small boutiques
Ultimate goal – Collaborate with other designers

Brand

Finalize logos
Establish definite consumer base
Promote product through all outlets of promotion
Gain notoriety
Ultimate goal – Become a well known name in wearable art

Store (Gallery)

Get featured in well-known galleries or museums in Los Angeles like CAFAM.
Get featured in pop up galleries at small boutiques
Get featured in galleries all over the U.S
Get featured in galleries or museums all over the world
Ultimate goal – Collaborate with other designers and produce limited collection runs

Semper Ramos-Taylor

Innovative Sales Strategy

Location, Location, Location

We broke with tradition and opted to feature our garments in a gallery rather than a retail setting. In total we have two locations, a design studio and a gallery:

The studio is permanent and also serves as our headquarters. It is located at 1284 W Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles, CA in the upcoming neighborhood of Echo Park. We chose this site due to its central location, cost per square inch, and nearby resources.

1284 W Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles, CA

The gallery locations are temporary and solely serve to feature our collections. We would like to show our debut collection at the Craft & Fold Art Museum, which is located at 5814 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA. We chose this location because we feel that it’s the best fit for our unconventional aesthetic.

Craft & Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, CA

Lets Talk Money

Now that we have a product, we need to sell it! While on display in the gallery, our collections will be labeled “price upon request.” This gives the interested buyer the illusion of exclusivity and also allows us to substantially mark up our prices. We will have an extremely limited run, so once the item is gone, its gone. Our marketing will be done through social media and word of mouth because we want local customers interested in our products. Once we expand our market, we will seek more effective ways to promote our product.

Semper Ramos-Taylor

Customer Demographic

Who Is Our Customer?

The potential customers for jn² are women between the ages of 30 and 50—our customer appreciates one of a kind clothing that doubles as a piece of artwork. Our clothing is visually stimulating and meant to be displayed or reserved for special occasions like an onstage performance, awards ceremony, or public appearance. Due to the unpredictable state of the fabric and dye, minimal wear is highly recommended. Our customers value artwork regardless of its end use.

Our customers represent a demographic group of well-educated, and successful women; they are single, married, or divorced, and may or may not have children. Their household earnings vary between $90,000 and $210,000 yearly. Our customers seek out exclusivity and have piece of mind when they purchase from our one of a kind collection. They lead effective lifestyles. They are somewhat status oriented within their community but don’t fixate on it. They like to be associated with exclusive products and are willing to pay top price. Our current customer base lives in Los Angeles, particularly on the West Side. In the future we would like to broaden our clientele, first domestically then internationally.

Rena Shaw, Semper Ramos-Taylor

Our Competition

Similar Competitive Brands & Designers

Comme des Garcons
Pierre Cardin
Miu Miu
Sretsis
Moschino

We don’t necessarily see jn² being sold through all of these fashion houses, but we could see them using our pieces to open a show or as a part of promotion. As in, we could adapt what designs they were planning to show into a painted burlap dress that would be used to generate interest at the start of their runway show.

Another idea is to partner with a well known designer and create a limited edition ready to wear version of our collection. For example, a t-shirt or skirt with one of our designs printed on the front; the concept is similar to the ever popular tuxedo printed t-shirt.

Rena Shaw

Itemized Costs

Judging from our supplies, you’d have no idea that these materials would be used to create a fashion line. Heres a breakdown on the cost of our production for 5 different looks thus far:

Raw Burlap: 10 yrds- 22.50, 5 yrds- 10.00, 6 yrds 15.00. Total = $47.50
Behr 8 oz Paints (8 cans) + Flat Brush: $17.98
Black Wire + 8 Cans Painter’s Touch 2x Rustoleum House Paint: $37.05
Joann’s Repair Needles (2 sets): $3.23
Paint Samples 8 oz (8 cans) + Stove Pipe Wire: $25.07
Drop Cloth + Plastic Drop Cloth: $10.45
Various Items (i.e. Sharpies, foam brushes, paint rollers): $27.34
White House Paint: $16.00
Roller Covers and Frames: $8.72
Additional Spray Paint + Painter’s Tape: $17.00
Additional Painter’s tape: $3.23
Velcro: $6.00

Materials Total: $219.57

Production Cost (per piece): $43.91. Keep in mind we’re working for ourselves so patterning, utility, labor… Arn’t factored into our costs.

“Price upon request”: $1000 for dresses, and jumpers. $500 for separates. Yes this a 23x markup but we’re positioning ourselves as an exclusive brand.

Semper Ramos-Taylor

Spring 2015 Lookbook

Click on the link below to see our Spring 2015 look book. It’s titled “old” because this is what we presented to the industry critics last week and Semper has since been working on the edits they suggested. While you look at this please keep in mind it’s meant to be read as a book so you will notice many blank pages in the PDF version.

* The updated or “new” version will be available to you all next week.

jn2 Look Book (old)

Semper Ramos-Taylor

Gallery Layouts

This past weekend Semper finished all the layouts for jn². As you can see we went with a gallery layout instead of a physical store since our concept is based on wearable art and incorporates unconventional materials. We wanted the space to be clean so the focus of your attention is meant to be on the garments and not the atmosphere. This idea is similar to what one would see at a museum, gallery, or exhibit.

Inside Gallery

Street View of Gallery

Floor Layout

Rena Shaw

Collection Update: 5.17.14

Rena has been feverishly working to complete the garments in time for our photo shoot which is this evening! Even though minor work still needs to be done they’re photo shoot worthy. Luckily for us, any visible flaws can be corrected in Photoshop (phew).