Meet Jenna James of House of Hiatus in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna James.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jenna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Jenna and I have been friends for many years, and in 2016 I had just got out of Grad School, and Jenna’s work at a nonprofit for homeless women in Downtown had just come to an end.

One night we went a Father John Misty show, and a guy walked into the venue wearing a djellaba robe (classic North African loose-fitting robe) and we immediately commented on how cool it was that this guy was so confident and happy to wear a garment like that out and it hit us that perhaps we were missing out on a sort of new wave of genderless, liberating outer-wear!

The next morning Jenna called me and reminded me of the gentleman in the robe, and we basically designed our first robe that very afternoon. We both are avid thrifters and have some special items we’ve collected throughout the years that we based various details off of. We also knew we wanted to make very simple garments that spoke of an enduring lifestyle, one that hopefully breaks free from trends or limiting shapes.

The next step was choosing a fabric that would be versatile and timeless, that’s why we were immediately drawn to cottons and linens and the history that these two fabrics have. As Californians, we are hyper-aware of our duty to preserve the environment, so it is our priority to not add to wastefulness and with that goes fast fashion and overproduction.

We try to keep our collections small and thoughtful and we are committed to building a brand that has a low impact on our fragile earth.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Because Jenna and I have both a background in fashion, we sort of knew the basics to producing a line and had a community of other designers and artist to look up to and who had valuable tips to getting the machine in motion. That said we knew we wanted to learn firsthand how to do it all from A to Z, be in control of our product from inception, so we kept the team small and did a lot of sweating running around LA to oversee the whole process.

Thus far the hardest obstacle has been finding that sweet spot between the online side of our business and the wholesale we do with hospitality (resorts and hotels carry our robes in room!). And following that is juggling the creative side of the business and then promoting the brand.

We love what we do very much and take great pleasure in creating this line but this artistic and romantic side of the process is often trampled by the constant need to advertise our product. It is not something that comes naturally to either of us so often we need to buckle down and plan for social media campaigns and put out timely content that keeps our little business relevant and desirable.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about House of Hiatus – what should we know?
House of Hiatus is California-based design house featuring non-gendered robes, caftans, and accessories. We are designing well-made goods with long-term utility in mind.

Hiatus garments are not typical terry bathrobes. We have developed classic silhouettes, made of versatile natural fabrics that effortlessly transition from privacy to streetwear.

When Jenna and I were first imagining Hiatus, we wanted to create an inclusive model of non-gendered silhouettes that would outlive us and become part of someone’s journey in life: no age, gender or style difference should limit the opportunity to own something that is unique, timeless and comfortable.

The very word Hiatus describes our hope: an interval, a lapse, an aperture… perhaps a break from all this fast fashion and constant waste. We hope Hiatus will help people take a moment to enjoy life and open up to the possibility of slowing down and taking some time off.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Our art and design community has been very supportive and encouraging since the beginning; it’s very stimulating to know that we are making something that is in sync with the work of our peers, whether that be music, self-care, design or art.

In this spirit we always ask our handsome friends to pose in Hiatus because they are actually our muses, our community inspires us, and we believe that transpires in the pictures taken. So thank you, Hayley & Omar, Janelle, Cornelia & Josh for lending us your beautiful faces!

We often collaborate with our friend Yael Nov. She captures our work on camera and translates Hiatus’s mood with an effortlessly fresh eye. Recently we also had the pleasure to shoot with Daniel Prakopcyk, who wonderfully documented our latest House of Hiatus 2.0 collection.

We are always counting on the help and creativity of our gregarious pattern and sample maker Alberto Sanchez, who brings our ideas to life and often freestyles our wild requests!

And because we so often ask their opinion and bounce ideas off our love partners Grant and Kyle (who balance Jenna and my feminine view with a healthy amount of testosterone), a BIG thank you to them, both is way overdue.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.houseofhiatus.com
• Email: info@houseofhiatus.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/houseofhiatus

Image Credit:
Daniel Prakopcyk

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