Coats are Julia Burnbaum’s passion. You can say she has an inner burning for outerwear. And two years ago, this 27-year-old assistant buyer for Macy’s made her move to realize her dream and since then, her classic designs and commitment to the Earth have been garnering enthusiasm from environmentalists and the fashion-savvy alike.
When Burnbaum, the largely self-taught owner and designer of Juleselin coats, decided to make her move, she had some prototypes of her jacket designs made. She took the jackets to trunk shows and began taking orders.
“When I began designing, I knew where I wanted to start,” says Burnbaum. “I have a thing for jackets and I wanted to make a line of coats that could be dressed up or down to be both a cover-up and a fashion statement. And they had to be breathable, comfortable and moveable – I wanted to make jackets you could live in.”
Since then, she has been impressing retailers, consumers and environmental watchdog groups with her commitment to using as many eco-friendly elements as possible in addition to fair wage/fair-trade practices and a local (San Francisco) sweatshop-free manufacturer.
A Quest for Green Elements
For this, she needed to find the perfect material – and she did, in a soft, pliable organic cotton. Even when you find the ideal material, the supply isn’t always consistent, especially with environmentally friendly materials. Many of the vendors are new and there is now a tremendous demand for organic cotton, with many companies competing for a limited supply. “I am always looking for great product,” says Burnbaum. “There is more on the market all the time. I love the supplier I have now – it is great quality organic cotton with an incredibly soft feel.”
People are taking notice. In the coming months, Juleselin’s 2008 fall line will be featured in more than 25 stores throughout California, Colorado, Washington, Idaho and Wisconsin and on green shopping Web sites such as livinggreenmarketplace.com and shopecosugar.com.
Once her fabric supplier was secured, Burnbaum began searching for a manufacturer. “I was determined to find a local manufacturer for many reasons, primarily because I intended to be very hands-on,” says Burnbaum. “I found a San Francisco company with good working conditions, where the employees were treated and paid fairly.”
The Business of Fair-Trade
Launching a clothing line, in addition to a business, is difficult enough, and for a largely untrained newcomer, even more so. However, Burnbaum studied judiciously, sought out advice from business-savvy advisors and took things one step at a time. “From the beginning, it was my intention to use sustainable, eco-friendly fabrics and fair-wage/fair-trade practices, but it’s not always easy to do. This is a very competitive industry and it’s difficult to balance your standards with survival.”
Many may question the feasibility of this inflated business expense, especially for a newcomer. Certainly manufacturing can be done much cheaper in Asia, but for Burnbaum this point was non-negotiable. “Consumers are beginning to take notice,” she says. “People are starting to realize how prices translate in human and environmental terms.”
One of her vendors, Hannah DuVon of an environmental shopping Web site livinggreenmarketplace.com, readily agrees. DuVon discovered Juleselin coats at an eco-friendly tradeshow. “I love Julia’s coats,” says DuVon, co-founder. “When I first saw one, I thought, ‘this is something I’d find in Paris, would pay a ton of money for and love it.’”
Livinggreenmarketplace is not only an online outlet for eco-friendly products, but the founders are expert screeners of products touted as green. “We test everything ourselves before featuring it on our site,” says DuVon, who refers her Juleselin coat as “my favorite wardrobe item.” This is saying a lot, since the fashion-forward DuVon spent several years in Paris. “I get compliments every time I wear it and my co-founder wants one in every color.” DuVon says she has machine-washed her coat more than ten times. “I don’t think Julia would recommend it, but I’ve washed it repeatedly and it still looks fantastic.”
Environmental Materials Are Just the Beginning
Burnbaum worked very hard to figure out the many dynamics of green processing and the environmental impact of each detail. However, she is quick to point out that going green is not an easy or instantaneous process. “There are so many levels and you want to do your best, but sometimes it’s just not possible – yet.”
She notes that she hasn’t found an eco-friendly fabric lining for her coats, but she continues to search. And going green doesn’t end with the coats themselves, environmental commitment affects countless other business elements. “I now have recycled office furniture and am continuously searching for eco-friendly packing and shipping materials, including hang-tags, ribbons, tissue paper and poly bags. But some things you have to do in steps.”
Says DuVon, “It is complicated, but this is a company that is determined to tread lightly on the Earth and she’s using innovation, creativity and design to do it.”
To view the juleselin line, go to Juleselin Fall 08 or call 858.401.3999.
