Interview With: Jane Foddy
Company Name: Jane and Marilyn
Location / Coverage: Online plus a studio in Richmond Surrey
What is Jane & Marilyn?
A new fashion label providing ‘grown up glamour’ for all occasions.
How did Jane & Marilyn get started and how long has the business been going?
My lifelong best friend Marilyn and I (Jane) started the business in February this year after years of frustration trying to find glamorous but appropriate clothes to wear for formal events. The Jane & Marilyn brand is named after us, but also refers to the partnership of Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe. The label takes its inspiration from the glamorous silhouettes of the 1950s so the brand is utterly appropriate!
We spent two years developing the brand — raising the finance, sourcing the cloths and production team, designing the first collection and working with the creative team and web designers to create the e-commerce site.
Who works at Jane & Marilyn?
Jane, Marilyn, Beccy and the production team.
Do you have a shop that people can come to?
We have a studio in Richmond, Surrey, and customers visit us there to view the collection, try samples on and discuss their needs.
Describe your studio and the experience a Mother of the Bride would have at Jane & Marilyn
It’s a light airy space in an old converted Victorian print works. Customers come in for an initial consultation so we can find out more about them, and their special event. We usually review the current collection together to gain a clearer idea of their preferences. Sometimes a mother of the bride will choose something from the ready to wear collection, but often they want something completely unique so they may choose to have their dress made in a different colour or cloth, or perhaps with a slight modification in the design or the pattern. We call this our ‘demi couture’ service.
We also have some customers who want a complete couture service where their dress will be made to measure and may be designed exclusively for them. In this case their first session will include us taking their measurements from which we will produce a toile (where the dress is made up in calico) and they will return to try on the toile. We check the fit and make any adjustments at that point. There may be a second fitting of the toile and once we’re happy that the fit is perfect we proceed to making the actual dress.
What type of outfits do Jane & Marilyn create for a Mother of the Bride?
We are all about the dress; it’s easy dressing but smart and versatile, so our collection focuses on dresses, many with sleeves and all falling below the knee. We are also producing some jackets for couture clients to work with the dresses.
We wanted to create a high quality product that not only looks, but feels fabulous. We use only the finest wool, cotton and silk, and we fully line all our dresses in pure silk. We’re also passionate about supporting UK business and aim to be as ‘made in Britain’ as we can. All our garments are made here and we source all our beautiful cloth here too; much of the cloth is also produced in the UK.
Our current collection includes bright jewel colours and flattering pastels.
Do you only make clothes for Mothers of the Bride?
No, our dresses are designed to be versatile so they’ll work for all kinds of events — work and play. We hope our customers will love their Jane & Marilyn designs so much they’ll want to wear them after their big day, again and again!
Who/what are your influences?
Obviously the 1950s — longer hemlines and a womanly curvy silhouette with a lot of emphasis on the waist, with a slim pencil or full circle skirt. Our aim is to bring back a little old style Hollywood glamour! When deciding on a design we simply ask ourselves ‘would Marilyn have worn this?’
Who designs and makes the clothing and how do you design each piece?
I (Jane) am the designer. We think about what kinds of clothes we would want to wear and where the gaps in our wardrobe are. For example, we will always include an amount of dresses with sleeves which will be available all year round as we have always found it hard in the past to find dresses with sleeves particularly for summer events.
Jane then interprets the designs in keeping with our 50s look, sketching them out so that the pattern cutters can create the patterns.
Can Jane & Marilyn create bespoke items?
Yes, a lot of our customers, particularly mothers of the bride want bespoke. They want something that no one else will have and we’re delighted when we develop a piece with them so they have a hand in the process.
Random question… Shopping in a store or online shopping?
Personally, online.
Do you have a favourite item that you have created (If you can choose!)?
Hard to choose but we do love the Peacock dress.
What’s your top tip for a Mother of the Bride choosing their wedding outfit?
Think elegant and sophisticated. This is not the time to channel cutting edge directional fashion; model yourself on the chic screen sirens like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn and you won’t go wrong. Always wear a hat too!
Where can I find out more about Jane & Marilyn?
From our website www.janeandmarilyn.co.uk, by e mailing us at friends@janeandmarilyn.co.uk or by calling us on 0208 334 0204.
