New Zealand slow fashion label JPalm melds punk style with luxe tailoring
“I mainly just want to make people feel luxe, adventurous, and bold while wearing JPalm. Clothing and adornment truly have the capacity to change us and that is so powerful.”
Rooted in punk culture inflected with elements of workwear, sportswear and tailoring, New Zealand/Aotearoa label JPalm offers pieces that are adventurous and bold yet versatile and designed for longevity. The eponymous brand is the brainchild of Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington-based designer Julia Palm, who grew up surrounded by fashion as the daughter of (now former) Palm Boutique owner, Jane Palm.
Though it was Julia’s foray into the punk scene that inspired her style and led her to experiment with DIY designs. After studying fashion, she cut her teeth in the scene working and interning in New York before returning home to launch her own label.
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What began as a custom, made-to-order project – with each piece painstakingly hand-crafted by Julia – has grown into a project-based label with seven stockists throughout New Zealand (and hopefully one in Australia, soon). And while the brand has expanded, Julia’s uncompromising ethos means JPalm still champions slow fashion, limited runs and a hands-on approach.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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I am Julia from JPalm – the founder and creative director – but it’s a one-person business, so I do a bit of everything. My interest in fashion started as a teenage dirtbag rooted in punk culture, personally exploring textiles and adornment – think patches, screenprinting, bleaching, hand stitching [and] studs. I didn’t finish high school and instead jumped to Auckland University of Technology to do a fashion certificate.
By the end of my fashion education, I was in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, where I started doing an exhibition and retail pop-up experience that highlighted the intersections between art, fashion, music, and jewellery. I considered these an active snapshot of a creative community, and have done them regularly ever since.
I also worked on and off for my mum, Jane Palm, who owned Palm Boutique – she retired about five years ago. This is where I gained lots of experience in buying and selling, and saw how the local fashion industry operated.
In 2017 I moved to NYC and worked as a fashion stylist assistant, a production manager in luxury men’s suiting, and interned for Eckhaus Latta and their NYFW 2017 show. This was a pivotal experience in what I did (and didn’t) want to do.
After leaving the USA and going to Sweden (my fatherland) – I almost started my Master’s at The Swedish School of Textiles, but instead decided to move back to Aotearoa/New Zealand and officially start my own brand. I just wanted to keep making and to see where my journey would end up. There also weren’t many opportunities in Aotearoa/New Zealand, so I decided I needed to make my own.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
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Once I returned to Aotearoa/New Zealand, I just started making. I had a few custom orders for the bleach denim jackets I am well known for, and those orders paid for the next ones, and so on, and so on. For the first two and a half years of doing JPalm, I cut and sewed every single garment. This was hard, emotionally and physically, and consumed a lot of hours which came with lots of sacrifices.
I also developed RSI in my hands, wrists, and forearms, which I still suffer from today. As I’m not from a wealthy background, there wasn’t anyone to float my business or invest, so I truly just relied on my hard work and doing every single part of the process myself. I didn’t pay myself for the first three years and had multiple part-time and contract jobs to keep following my creative vision.
I was fortunate enough to have industry mentors see what I was trying to achieve [and] who held my hand while scaling up my processes. This led to outsourcing manufacturing, cutting, grading, and markers – and I am now working on my fourth wholesale collection.
All JPalm garments are cut and sewn in New Zealand, which is not an easy feat, but I am so committed to nurturing the local industry. I still do all of the design, sourcing, pattern making, sampling, sales, and dispatch myself. I also have the support of seven amazing stockists throughout Aotearoa, who continue to give me lots of support and feedback.
What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the brand now?
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JPalm started very small making one-off styles in a designer/maker framework. It was an art form for me to express personal histories and storytelling. Exploring textile finishes and growing my skill set. Now JPalm has evolved as a way for me to build community, be creatively engaged, and help build opportunities for others. I think inclusivity and diversity are really important – who am I to say someone can’t wear a style (based on size, shape, gender, etc) and that’s something I want to communicate as much as I can.
Art and design are so subjective and personal, but I mainly just want to make people feel luxe, adventurous, and bold while wearing JPalm. Clothing and adornment truly have the capacity to change us and that is so powerful.
Where did the name come from?
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JPalm is my name, Julia Palm. I was always advised against naming a brand after your own name as it would make it less saleable in the future. But the fashion project JPalm is such a deeply personal journey, it isn’t a commodity. JPalm was already my nickname and just seemed to stick. I think I also see JPalm as a project that can grow, change and flex throughout my life.
How would you describe Jpalm to someone who’s never seen it before?
Contemporary slow fashion with storytelling and making at its centre. Dark, luxe, and specialty fabrics with nods to workwear, sportswear and tailoring.
What are you most proud of in your work on your brand?
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I am really proud of the beautiful community built up around JPalm, there are honestly so many cute and fun babes who champion me to keep doing the work I’m doing. I also love the act of making and starting a project from scratch with just paper and cloth.
I think a lot about versatility and shape when designing, dreaming of the perfect outfit during every step of the process. I’m really proud of the operational systems I have created within JPalm too – it is so admin-heavy and it’s a lot to take care of haha.
I have also been running pop-up shops and open studios since 2016, and this has now sort of accumulated into its own brand: Slug. Slug supports lots of makers as a collective and we all get built up together – with some brands being more established and others who are just starting out. The pop-up shop/exhibition spaces foster lots of fun creative relationships and I love that.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
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I wish I knew more about cash flow and how to structure a business from the get-go. There are lots of gaps from fashion school to industry and what it takes to actually sustain a fashion brand. Also that most people will have an opinion and give you unsolicited advice – but at the end of the day you know what feels right and how to reach your goals, so trust your gut. Sometimes I have to repeat that to myself, as I’m a recovering people-pleaser.
Who do you think is most exciting in the Australian/NZ fashion scene right now?
There are so many amazing designers and makers in Australia and New Zealand, but here is a small list of people I admire: Emma Jing, Vague Jewellery, Jimmy D, Shannen Young Jewellery, Taylor Groves, Heather Brennan Evans, Jing Hé, Cold Wave, Itchy Knits, Of Body Perfumes, Paige Jansen, By Skinny Jewellery & Isis, James Bush, Rory William Docherty, Alix Higgins, Bichon Pockets, Kourh.
What about the Australian/NZ fashion scene needs to change?
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When I was still at fashion school, a lot of the brands I saw in the industry were really gatekeep-y. I think that is gradually changing as a younger generation comes through and is kind of fed up with the boomer/Gen X vibe. People are making their own opportunities and just making what they want in a genuine way, without these preconceived limits or outdated modes of operating.
I also see a lot of brands in Aotearoa / New Zealand time and time again only using really young, white, straight-size models, and I think that sucks there isn’t more representation. I wish there was more inclusivity and diversity prioritised, it’s something I constantly think about and know I want to improve on. I also see a lot of greenwashing when it truly isn’t that sustainable but more about jumping on a trend. Not to say there aren’t a bunch of amazing NZ brands really paving the way for more green practices within fashion (and that it’s desperately needed), I just see a lot of performative behaviour out there.
I also think there needs to be better training for industry jobs, as there is such a large gap from fashion school to industry. I wish there was government support for apprenticeships like there is in other trades.
Dream Australian/NZ collaborators?
I already have some vague outlines for the release of my next project collection, which I hope has some collaborations in tow. I have done a few collaborations over the past four years. Most memorably a video project with Neihana Gordon-Stables, a screen print with artist Robbie Handcock, and a fashion film with videographer Ted Whitaker featuring a score with local musicians.
I think there are so many fun and unexpected outcomes when you mash together multiple practices. I admire the work of artists (and friends) Christopher Ulutupu and Elisabeth Pointon here in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington and they often do really interesting collaborations.
Go to dinner party playlist?
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Of course, I am going to have to lean on my most played: Boy Harsher, Crone, Womb, TR/ST, Zola Jesus, Eartheater, Coucou Chloe, Fever Ray, Bjork, Tempers, HTRK, Deux, Planningtorock, Chelsea Wolfe, Cocteau Twins, Anohni, ShitKid, Smerz, Kim Petras, Tirzah, Robyn, Shygirl and Sophie.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
I obviously predominantly wear JPalm – on current rotation are the Ottilia Dress and Malin Bomber. I wear Vague Jewellery every single day and am always layered with their recycled silver and lab diamonds. I also wear a lot of Jimmy D, Zambesi and Nom*D and have done so for the past decade as they make timeless and interesting designs. I am also obsessed with [the] Danish brand Heliot Emil and have a handbag and a few rain jackets – I admire their commitment to a monochromatic aesthetic.
I wear a tiny bit of vintage – like an amazing black 100 per cent wool trench coat. I do have some key pieces in my wardrobe I save for special occasions too, a Simone Rocha dress, a sweater from the Eckhaus Latta collab with Brendan Fowler’s Election Reform and my pair of platform sneakers by Eytys.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
You can shop JPalm online, or make an appointment to shop in the workroom, and every year I run a pop-up shop called Slug. I also have seven stockists throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand and hope to have a few more for the next season. My first Australian stockist will hopefully happen this year too (fingers crossed).
Anything else to add?
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I think in this really uncertain and tumultuous time with climate change, COVID, the cost of living crisis and lots of hardship, it’s important to lean on each other, work together and shout your support from the rooftop. Seeing other small businesses close down, downsize and cry out for help right now is really sad.
Shop the JPalm range here.
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