When we last spoke with Jennifer Thomas, president and designer of Jet Clothing, in June 2011, we discussed the challenges of garment production in Portland and featured her store as one that has not only made in-house production possible, but profitable. Thomas emphasized the satisfaction she gets from providing jobs in her native Oregon while also being able to cater directly to her consumer base. Mere months later, we find Thomas again with news that is exciting for both the fashion-forward ladies who love her comfortable, versatile apparel and for small business owners looking for optimistic signs in what are still trying times. The Hangar, the name appropriately given to the space where Jet’s production assistants handle all parts of the garment making process, has once again progressed. Originating in a small area within the retail store, the Hangar now occupies 2,000 square feet of space right down the street from the Jet boutique. For Jet, which just celebrated its second anniversary on August 22, what better way could there be to emerge from the “terrible twos” than by adding “another mile of jet runway?”
The expansion happened as a result of the perfect mix of hard work, timing, and one of those seemingly magical signs from the universe. Thomas started seeking a new home for her production facility after the arrangement in Jet’s boutique space became too crowded to provide the physical room and mental focus necessary in order to be productive. In what can only be described as a craigslist fairytale, Thomas learned about the availability of the new space only after pursuing a different listing in St. Johns. After telling the landlord that this location was too far away to meet her needs, he mentioned that a spot in a building a few blocks from her store might be opening up in early summer. The building, which also houses studios belonging to a woodworker and photographer respectively, was ideal for Thomas; the Hangar relocation became official in July. #upgrade
The actual space is part workshop, part office space, with white, clean sewing stations contrasting with the well-worn wooden floor. Each of the sewing machines belongs to one of the five production assistants working exclusively at the Hangar. The Jet family employs ten people, including retail associates who work in the store and the sewers whose precision and attention to detail create the lovely garments seen up the street.
As a result of the expansion, Thomas has already seen growth beyond even what she imagined possible. “We make easily double what we were contracting out before,” she says. “The demand is there and we can meet that with our supply.” The Hangar’s proximity to Jet’s retail space gives Thomas and her team the intimate opportunity to relate to the consumer one-on-one. “We are able to respond to our customers from a practical design standpoint,” she explains. “If I see consistently three or four dresses coming back that need to be hemmed, then that means that that piece probably needs to be shorter.”
This high turnover has also somewhat surprisingly contributed to Jet’s dedication to sustainable production practices. “One amazing consequence, which I can’t say I planned but that I’ve noticed, is that we don’t have a lot of waste,” Thomas explains. “We are making exactly what our demand is because we are right here.”
Not content to merely cruise, Thomas and her team are poised for continued expansion and exciting business development. “Providing jobs is huge,” she says. “As a long-term goal, we think about how we want our business to go. Do we want it to be a place that employs people, do we want it to be there for amazing design, do we want to sell it eventually? My answer to all those questions is ‘yes.’"
Thomas believes that the key to executing these goals lies not only in making plans, but also in ensuring that those guidelines are fluid enough to change based on the needs and desires of the consumer base. “We are definitely a team that has a plan, but we also want to make sure we keep our eyes open and respond intuitively to what the world needs us to do,” she says. “So, yes, our plan is to do more wholesale and to expand the line. We just needed this component (the Hangar) to get there. You can’t sell product you don’t have.”
For now, Jet’s focused on the fall fashion line. “We are currently working on fall, and we have some items in the store already,” Thomas says. “Some new dresses, new tunics and new leggings are on the way.” Thomas also hinted at a grand opening/two-year anniversary mega-celebration happening at the Hangar in October. Rumor has it that a runway show might be involved, naturally.
Follow Jet on Twitter and Facebook for more details on this event as they arrive.
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