I had the opportunity to interview, Emilie, the daughter in the mother daughter designer duo and masterminds behind Beija Flor Jeans. Here it is…..
Bella Moda: What made you decide to make a line of jeans and was fashion always your background?
Emilie: My grandmother bought an existing womens clothing store in 1979, the year I was born, I basically grew up in the back of the boutique. I would go to market with my mom and aunt, then began working in the store in high school. I minored in Fashion Merchandising at USC. My mom ran the store with her sister for over 25 years, tried a few other endeavors and then decided she wanted to see the business from the wholesale side of things and became a manufacturers rep for some sportswear collections. Being married to a Brazilian, my father, she always wanted to bring Brazilian products to the US market. While she was researching Brazilian products, I was living in DC working in politics. I remember one day my friend Katherine and I went jeans shopping and neither of us could find jeans that fit us, much less flattered our bodies. The next weekend my mom came to visit and brought me a pair of jeans from Brazil. They fit me. They fit Katherine. They fit my sister. It was like the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” movie, and we realized there was something special about Brazilian denim. Within a year we were interviewing jeans factories all over Brazil, coming up with our own flattering fit, and a few months later the Beija-Flor brand was born. As a child, my great aunt in Brazil, took me to the Santa Teresa hummingbird reserve in my father’s home state. The experience had a great effect on me and was an inspiration for the “beija-flor,” (Portuguese for hummingbird) brand. Since starting the brand, my mother and I have discovered that hummingbirds are found only in the Americas which has a special significance since my mother is from North America and my father from South America.
Bella: I love the fit, what is the process for making sure that the fit is not only true to size but also so very figure flattering?
Emilie: Since we started over 8 years ago, we’ve been tweaking our designs, but our core fit really came out of our own personal needs. My mom and I are different sizes and have different body types but we had similar “denim delimmas.” If it fit our waist it was too big in the legs and rear, and vice versa. We have three areas we focus on: DENIM. DESIGN. DELIVERY. The premium Brazilian denim is key to our products success, and we’re meticulous in choosing fabrics to make sure they will last, won’t stretch out, and will work well with our patterns. We work with a team of pattern makers in Brazil who help us combine our designs with our proven silhouettes. And we have a thorough sampling process where we continually test products before producing them for the consumer.
Bella: Where did it all start, did you come up with an idea and have someone make a prototype?
Emilie: Our first factory in Brazil helped us with our initial prototype. We basically went back and forth for about six months making lots of changes to get our perfect fit. Have you always been so earth conscious and how did you find the Repreve fabric to use for your Jennifer jeans?
My mom actually discovered the Repreve fiber in Brazil on one of her design trips two summers ago. And after further researching the fabric and content, I realized that Repreve was made by a NC based company called Unifi, and I called them immediately since we are based just down the road in South Carolina. Their marketing director gave me their whole story and I was so intrigued and was even more excited about the jeans made from recycled plastic bottles. They were also excited because we were the first premium jeans company in the US to adopt their fiber into our jeans. My mother and I were able to visit their plant in Yadkinville, NC and see the entire process from beginning to end. It was fascinating. We also learned so much about the recycling issue and how far behind the US is compared to the rest of the world. The fact that our Brazilian fabric manufacturer had already adopted their fiber was such a bonus. Are your other jeans also made with Repreve or just the Jennifer’s? The Audrey is also available in three colors that use Repreve. And we’re hoping to continue to use it new styles.
Bella: I see that you use production companies use sustainable practices, was it a long process finding the right fits(not to be ironic:)?
Emillie: Brazil is a rapidly growing country and because of this sustainability has become not just a goal, but a need for them. We interviewed a lot of factories, and ended up matching up with one that not only has adopted a lot of sustainable practices, but one that is socially conscious as well. Many other countries have horrible laundry practices whereas over the past 10 years the Brazilian government has been very good about regulating facilities. Our denim manufacturer is actually one of the largest water recyclers in the country of Brazil. I am just completely in awe of the idea of using cashew shells to make steam for production. I am so intrigued by this and the fact that you are so dedicated to being environmentally responsible, do you think that more companies are starting to practice this? It is sad that it has taken this long, but I am so hopeful that it will be the way of life soon!
Since 2001, our main denim manufacturer uses cashew nut shells to generate heat and steam to heat the boilers of two of its factories which saves materials and reduces emissions. In what year did you start the company? 2006 Where in Atlanta can your jeans be found for our local readers? Ginger Howard in Buckhead The HoneyBee – Smyrna Potpourri – Sandy Springs
Bella: I love the idea of “jeans parties” and how did you come up with that idea?
Emilie: I feel like a lot of people are now starting to sell products by hosting parties and it is actually a really great way to not only make money but great experience for those individuals who want to become self employed.
It was suggested to us by my cousin when we were first starting out. It was a great way for us to test the product, prove our concept, and meet lots of great people across the country. We still do jeans parties, but don’t have direct consultants.
Thank you, Emilie, for taking the time to chat with us! Cant wait to see what you have in store for the future!
Beija Flor Jeans online
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