New Zealand designer Lela Jacobs is committed to meaningful design and slow fashion principles
IMAGE VIA @LELAJACOBS/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“I daydream a lot and don’t force ideas, as it never really works out. Sometimes I think I’m just a vessel and things move through me into the world.”
As a New Zealand-based creative, Lela Jacobs has always been at the forefront of sustainable fashion. Described as a “hands-on designer”, Lela launched her eponymous label in 2006, after spending years watching her mother sew outfits from altered op shop pieces.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
Lela believes sustainable fashion is more than just limiting your carbon footprint. Gathering inspiration from nature, the label’s minimalistic, design-focused collection uses the principles of zero-waste pattern making and long-form local manufacturing. Below, she reflects on the brand’s journey so far.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
View this post on Instagram
My mother taught me to sew at a young age. Living rurally and having no money for nice clothes, I jumped into this heavily, making my clothes from altered op shop finds and foraged cloth. Also, Mum was making our clothes and all three of us girls were all matchy-matchy all the time ….. that was also a driving force.
I then went on to make my friend’s clothes, realising I could make some money by doing this and training at the same time. By ‘training’ I mean I was essentially paid to learn as I just took on whatever, not knowing what I was doing and learning as I went along. I’ve always loved puzzles and making clothes is just this in lots of ways.
I grew up around secondhand clothes with my mother opening two secondhand clothing shops in Christchurch when I was young. I also dressed windows for Hunters & Collectors in Wellington for many years. My only formal education was a six-month industrial machining course. Once I completed [that course], I won a business start-up grant from the Helen Clark Labour Government for $11,000.
This allowed me to purchase fabrics, pay rent and buy myself an industrial plain sewer and four-thread overlocker. This was about 20 years ago now and I still use the same plain sewer for sampling.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
View this post on Instagram
My friend introduced me to the owner of a store called Artikle (now The Service Depot) in Wellington. Ange [the owner of the store] was brave enough to give me a go and see what her customers thought. It was very nerve-wracking – I was 20, self-taught and winging it – but the people purchased! I went on to make more things and then moved into developing collections. It was before the days of social media so what made a brand was customer satisfaction and word of mouth.
The Lela Jacobs company itself is only officially 13 years old… I’m 42 now and cash flow is still an issue always. I’ve gotten used to it and really believe it’s just part of the seasonal practice of [being] an independent designer in the rag trade.
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?
View this post on Instagram
I was trying to find my voice. I realised it was broken and messy and I loved restriction in all areas of making. I’ve noticed that when I have access to everything and anything to make with, I freeze. I needed to make money to survive but somehow this was never the primary motivation. It was always about the cloth, the story… and the respect for the person who purchased what I made.
Now I’m still the same. When the brand started getting too big, I was very unhappy. I wasn’t making the way I wanted to anymore. It was about units, how to produce them and satisfying too many people’s needs. So, I decided to downsize to a happy place and stay there. I daydream a lot and don’t force ideas, as it never really works out. Sometimes I think I’m just a vessel and things move through me into the world.
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
View this post on Instagram
Stories from a fabric-focused forager.
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
I was brave. I didn’t realise I was brave but now I’m older I do… I organised renegade fashion shows and didn’t consider the fact that I was being judged. I can’t say I didn’t care about what people thought but I never really invested too much time into [it]. It was more about the celebration of efforts and a time to capture that.
I’m proud I never got caught up in trends… I never compromise on quality. All of the cloth [I use] is biodegradable. I’ve always had the deepest respect for nature and if what I’m looking to make is going to be too harmful [for the environment], it just can’t happen! I’m proud of this… I can go forward without hiding anything and feeling transparent.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
View this post on Instagram
Gosh, so many things and kind of nothing at the same time! I’ve always done it my way due to being primarily self-taught. There are a hundred ways of going about your business. But as a designer, you should be able to design your existence within your means.
I’m unclear about soo many things these days in regards to making correct decisions and just have to sit and wait sometimes. I wish I’d learnt how to sit and wait earlier in life!
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian/NZ fashion right now?
The care is returning to the cloth… we’re making less and more thoughtfully. The customer is more conscious [and things have slowed down and localised again. I could just be telling myself these things to help me through the dooming realities the environment shows me every day… a projection, maybe? A hope, for sure!
One thing is very clear …. New Zealand is an island at the bottom of the world; far away from a lot of things we were used to having easy access to pre-covid. Now we don’t [have easy access to these things] and we have to be flexible and patient. Luckily for me, I’m soo localised and love working within restrictions. This new way just fits me fine most of the time.
What about The Australian/NZ fashion industry needs to change?
View this post on Instagram
Stop the greenwashing and take this seriously: there is no such thing as a natural resource, just a wasted one! Know where your dollars are going, people. It’s your responsibility to distribute [your dollars] respectfully, as I think it’s pretty clear now what happens when they end up in the wrong pockets. Quit that polyester shit! Clean up the oceans or die!
Dream Australian/NZ collaborators?
I’ve had them! John O’Sullivan, Christopher Duncan, Shin Hyo Mu, Meighan Ellis, Catherine Griffiths, Abigail Brodric, Wilbur Hsu, Courtney Perham, DJ Lotion, David James, Sam Norton, Misma Anaru, Jun of Cohn… the list goes on and on and on. I love working with my friends. I don’t collaborate for social status. It’s all about the hang time and memories we can make together. More to come, I’m sure!!
Go-to dinner party playlist?
View this post on Instagram
I’m a vinyl listener and have recently been shopping with a company called Objects & Sounds. We have a lovely relationship now where they choose records for me. They’re generally pretty underground/independent local artists, so I get to hear things that would probably not come my way otherwise.
I also make seasonal mixes with DJ Lotion, so anything from here. There are quite a few of them now. Pig out here!
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
Ha… I collect old Ann D and Margiela from the times when Ann and Martin were still designing for their brands. [And] I wear mostly what I make. I’m a uniform lass and basically choose one look and have multiple of the same things until I’m ready to move on.
This usually lasts three months or so but seems to be getting longer as I get older. Also, I have a very active pointer dog so my personal clothes are usually not too dressy and more comfort-focused. Big silk pants, silk shirts and possum, merino and silk-blend jumpers are me at the moment.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
View this post on Instagram
The Keep store or my online store.
Anything else to add?
Yes! I’m going to tell you about the upcoming capsule that I’m very excited about. I was down at my beach after a swim with my dog picking up rubbish and I found this old budget bread bag that was just the coolest decayed textures. [It had] great fonts of ingredients and nutritional facts.
I blew it up and got it digitally printed onto silk georgette, silk de chine and silk organza. It’s cool and I haven’t done a digital in a long time, so very excited about this one. I’m thinking about launching it with a fashion show on the beach where I found it. This will also be my last collection [while I’m] living in Auckland, as I’m moving out of the city to the Bay of Islands in the far north.
To find out more about Lela Jacobs and her life, head here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
