Niche report by Chloe Hannah
Jessy & Jack
‘Jessy & Jack is a boutique line of baby, kids clothes and accessories that say no thank you to gender cliches. We believe dividing children’s worlds into “boy stuff” and “girl stuff” is silly, so we make clothes with themes that all kids can love. We love clean lines, vibrant colours, and joyful, friendly designs that make kids grin.’ - Courtney Hartmen
Brand overview Based in Seattle Washington, ‘Jessy and Jack’ was founded on July 11th 2014 by Mother of two Courtney Hartmen. Her idea to produce a unisex clothing line specifically for children grew from her primary experiences when shopping for her own young children resulting in difficulty choosing products that were appropriate, as many of the products available on the market were very gender specific and some sexualized to an extend. “The proliferation of mini-adults walking (or being wheeled around) the streets with adult graphics on their clothes that they can’t read, never mind understand, is something much debated. And yet it’s not just overt sexualisation that is the problem: what is more pernicious, because it is has become so accepted, is the distinct genderised clothing for the sexes. Pinks and purples with fairies and flowers for the girls, and “boy” colours – the ubiquitous blue, along with the dullest of greens and beiges – with monsters and dinosaurs for the boys.” - The Independent After her shopping experiences Hartmen wanted to eradicate gender norms and traditions therefore she began designing neutral childrenswear designs with the intention on making an impact on the lives of parents and children. Researching consisted of finding items that were not gender orientated henceforth the robot and elephant motif was printed on a tee shirt and was one of the first designs available for purchase from the website. The brands vision is to create a range of clothing that both boys and girls can wear consisting of neutral colour ways and motifs printed over the clothes that break the traditional themes and account for something new that impacts the lives of kids resulting in a more open and care free future generation. “We see so many designs that are super gendered, even things that shouldn’t be, like animals,” Hartman says. “I started that line to create cute stuff for kids that don’t necessarily read girl or boy.” - Mashable
S
- Strong message and concept behind the brand - Appealing to a niche customer - Articles and interviews from external sources have positive reviews overall. - Environmentally friendly and ethical ethos. (The fabrics used have been considered specifically for the consumer) - Products are made where the brand is based (made in the USA hand printed in Seattle)
O
- Expansion of the brand through similar retail stores/stock to retailers to increase brand awareness and sales - Growing demand for unisex clothing - Increasingly more open society - Teaming up with sister brand ‘Free to Be Kids’ could increase public awareness and sales
W
- Website doesn’t contain much information of the brands start up or the creator - Not a wide range of clothing to sell (25 products combined) - Products are available online only as there is no store and the brand isn’t stocked by any retail stores.
T
- Being noticed by retailers (the market appeals to a specific customer that retailers wouldn’t want to target and would target the market that produces the most sales) - Increasing competition by other companies are now starting to design unisex childrenswear and targeting the same customer - Difficulty breaking traditional views and the normalisation of sexualised chldrenswear
Branding
Jessy & Jack describes itself as a boutique line of baby and kids clothes. The prices sit in the high street bracket of the market ranging from $14.99 to $21.99. The brands unique selling point are the unisex garments which is also what it specializes in. Another USP is that all products are made from 100% natural fibres and are screen printed with eco friendly water based inks. This eco friendly aspect is important to the founder and adds to the brands image and what it stands for. The tone and voice of the brand is genuine, purposeful, impactful, and personal exuberance. The brand tone and voice is communicated through the brands literature by the honest descriptions of the products and reasons for creating the brand. The tone the company sets is a positive fresh new approach to childrenswear and this is reflected how the brand communicates itself in photo shoots. Both genders wearing the same clothing smiling and looking cheerful definitely defines what the brand stands for. The brand is niche in terms of brand identity as their logo is recognizable and reflects its image as the use of pastel colour ways throughout the garments, social media sites and website. The logo being hand drawn looks innocent and the subjects are both non specific to one gender witch explains the brand just by the logo design.
Product The brand is a niche company that have just started business officially in 2014. Due to this being the beginning of their business the range available is limited to t-shirts, pullovers, bibs, onesies and hoodies concluding to 25 items conjoined. The products are manufactured in Seattle USA where the brand is based. Cotton, cotton terry and jersey are the fabrics used and water based inks that are screen printed over the fabric base. The pricing ranges from the lowest being $14.99 to the highest being $21.99 depending on the selected item. These prices are affordable high street prices that are specifically aimed at their target customer defined as mums that want quality, eco friendly products with an affordable price tag so the market is wide and unrestrictive. “Jessy & Jack's mission is to breathe new life into your little ones' wardrobes by designing refreshing new motifs that go beyond traditional themes and bring smiles to all kids' faces.� - Jessy & Jack
Sales
As the company is online only and products are purchased through their website, the brand does not stock to any retailers as of yet but branching out and distributing products to retailers could be an opportunity to expand in future. The brand is based and manufactured in the USA but ships worldwide.
Wholesale & Distribution
The brands sales strategy is to sell their products themselves through their website alone for now although when expanding occurs they could employ a sales agent. House of Fraser stocks a unisex baby range. With this store being online as well as a physical store the chance is there to contact this retailer. Jessy & Jack are aiming for their products to be sold from their website globally as the garments can be sent internationally through shipping. Markets the brand could approach other than just in the USA are the UK and Japan markets. This is because these both have a steady economy and are constantly increasing in economic growth. These areas are included in the main spenders in the childrenswear market.
US Trade Shows Approaching tradeshows that are appropriate for the brand hosted in the USA as well as potentially good market country such as the UK is an opportunity for growth. LA Kids Market and Playtime New York are trade shows closer to the brand. Showing in a trade show or just conversing with other designers and retailers could be an opportunity for Jessy & Jack to get new ideas and network which could develop into business partners and business offers.
The Playtime is an international children’s & maternity trade show. It is the premium children’s fashion show and a must for every professional and retailer of the industry. National and international brand exhibitors show the latest collections and trends for the coming season. In addition to clothing and accessories, gifts and decorative items are displayed in a framework that is aligned specifically to this industry. Manufacturers meet potential clients and customers and national buyers and can build relationships and sell their collections. LA Kids Market in Los Angeles is one of the leading trade fairs for children’s fashion on the west coast of the United States. On her not only the latest trends and fashion designs for kids can be found, but also maternity wear, gifts and lifestyle products. Visitors have the opportunity to gain an overview of the range of fashion houses and brands from around the world.
UK Trade Shows
Bubble London is a premium children’s trade show, visited by buyers and members of the press. Held at the Business Design Centre, Islington, each event plays host to a unique, edited line-up of kid’s fashion, accessories, gifts and homeware brands. INDX Kidswear is a unique trade show for independent retailers, curated by experts in the field. Formally known as Independent Kids, INDX Kidswear has become the ‘first stop’ for independent kidswear retailers in the UK and Ireland. INDX Kidswear covers the complete childrenswear offer from babywear, through girls and boyswear to more specialist areas such as christening, occasionwear, accessories and gifts. INDX Kidswear is a buyer’s show, aimed to provide a personal and professional experience within a relaxed and stress free buying environment.
PR The brand has received nothing but good press so far from magazines including Mashable and The independent. Blogs and webpages such as belgianandahalf.com and indialynrose.com have interviewed Hartmen and questions the brands purpose and reasons for creation. The best magazines the brand could feature in are magazines such as Kidswear-magazine and Junior. Junior magazine would be best suited to Jessy & Jack due to its lo-fi approach to kidswear fashion and being a lifestyle magazine. In terms of media, trade shows are a great opportunity for the brand to get recognized and mix with potential partners and retailers.
Future Business Strategy Year 1 | Developing the brands products is crucial to expansion and publicity of the business. Within one year further production and distribution can be done to increase sales and awareness. Teaming up with sister brand 'Free To Be Kids' could be an opportunity to collaborate or come together purposely to expand the range of clothing available and drive customers to each others websites. Year 3 | The brand should have design ranges such as SS and AW by this time and possibly be attending trade shows and analysing the competition as well as interacting with retailers and discussing the lines future in stockists. The brand should be starting to approach new retailers that are also starting up and make plans for future business. It should also have employed people to work for them and have links in the kidswear industry. Year 5 | By developing the business for this amount of time the brand should be in partnership with a retailer or several retailers that stock the clothing. The brand should be established enough to begin to approach other markets in target counties such as the UK market where custom and trade shows are held. Trade shows should be attended regularly by a team of PR representatives. The business could be considering opening up its own shop in the near future if funds can support them and sales targets have been met. Conclusion | Overall I feel like Jessy & Jack are missing the opportunity to advertise further on social media and develop themselves as a brand expanding public awareness using this platform. Also attending trade and networking events is crucial to expanding the brand. Researching Jessy & Jack proved difficult as information on the website and Instagram was spare but interviews proved informative and the idea of being involved in more could be an opening for public awareness.
References Kidswear-magazine.com, 2016. Kid’s Wear. [online] Available from: http://www.kidswear-magazine.com [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016]. sarl, P., 2016. Playtime New York. [online] Playtimenewyork.com. Available from: http://www.playtimenewyork.com [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016]. The Independent, 2011. Unisex fashion: Hey boy, hey girl. [online] Available from: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/ features/unisex-fashion-hey-boy-hey-girl-2304808.html [Accessed 31 Jan. 2016]. Tradefairdates.com, 2016. Children's Fashion Trade Shows – Appointments from January 2016 | worldwide. [online] Available from: http://www.tradefairdates.com/Childrens-Fashion-Trade-ShowsY191-S1.html [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016]. Kickstarter, 2014. Update 7: Manufacturing is Underway! · Modern Baby and Toddler Clothes Without Gender Cliches. [online] Available from: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/58204585/modern-babyand-toddler-clothes-without-gender-cli/posts/953200 [Accessed 31 Jan. 2016]. Kickstarter, 2015. Modern Baby and Toddler Clothes Without Gender Cliches. [online] Available from: https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/58204585/modern-baby-and-toddler-clothes-without-gendercli [Accessed 31 Jan. 2016]. Wilbur, H., 2015. The gender-neutral kids clothing you've been searching for. [online] Mashable. Available from: http://mashable. com/2015/10/03/gender-neutral-kids-clothes/#.J3zR45Yzaq3 [Accessed 31 Jan. 2016]. Giveaway!, J., 2014. Belgian and a Half: Jessy and Jack- Interview and Giveaway!. [online] Belgianandahalf.com. Available from: http:// www.belgianandahalf.com/2014/10/jessy-and-jack-interview-andgiveaway.html [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016].
Californiamarketcenter.com, 2016. LA KIDS MARKET. [online] Available from: http://www.californiamarketcenter.com/lakidsmarket/ index.php [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016]. Free to Be Kids, 2016. Free To Be Kids: Kids Fashion With A Soul. [online] Available from: http://www.freetobekids.com/ [Accessed 31 Jan. 2016]. IndiaLynRose, 2014. Jessy & Jack Interview. [online] Available from: http://www.indialynrose.com/jessy-jack-interview/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016]. Indxshow.co.uk, 2016. INDX Kidswear Show. [online] Available from: http://www.indxshow.co.uk/kidswear [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016]. Jessyandjack.com, 2016. Jessy & Jack: Clothes Without Cliches for Happy Little Humans. [online] Available from: http://www.jessyandjack. com/ [Accessed 31 Jan. 2016]. Junior, 2016. Fashion. [online] Available from: http://www. juniormagazine.co.uk/fashion/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016]. Bubblelondon.com, 2016. See the latest updates from Bubble and Speak, the Bubble London blog. [online] Available from: http://www. bubblelondon.com/Blog.aspx [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016].