Kurow-based clothing designer and manufacturer Jess Beachen is anticipating a busy year ahead.

Jess opened her store, In Good Company, in November, and sells her clothing label Jessica Flora, along with a collection of some of her other favourite things.

“I tried to keep it unique, so it’s not just available everywhere, and it's stuff that I’ve slowly sourced over the years for myself, and I know that it’s something that would be good and reflects the brand,” she said.

Jess started her business in Christchurch in June 2021, building her client-base mostly through social media. In January last year she made the move to Kurow to be with her partner Matt Irving.

Initially, Jessica Flora clothing was predominantly linen, and made to order. As the business has grown, the natural progression has been to open a physical store, which allows her to showcase her designs, have some in stock, and customers can try before they buy.

“People have loved it,” she said.

“It’s been really cool to meet everyone as well, and them try stuff on . . . really good for the brand, because you sort of learn what people do and don’t like. So it’s been really good to like, improve on the brand, I reckon.”

Jess has an ongoing commitment to use only natural fibres, and has branched out from linen into silk, hemp and colourful hand-block printed Indian cottons. 

PHOTO: Dana Johnston Imagery

Her fabric offcuts are used to maintain her beloved worm farm, which in turn creates vermicast for her garden. As the label grows, so does the worm farm.

The fashion industry typically has a terrible track record when it comes to environmental issues, and Jess has always been conscious of wanting to operate her label as gently on the planet as possible.

She has stock in Oamaru clothing boutique Hyde, and was still making her mind up about whether to “tackle” the wholesale market, and have her clothing in other retail stores.

She was reluctant to enter the cycle of having retailers choose samples and place orders sometimes more than a year in advance.

“I have made a conscious choice not to do that. Just because i don’t want to be stuck in that wheel, that system. We are looking at getting ourselves a bit further ahead than we currently are, but nothing like they do - that’s crazy.

“It will be a lot of pre-production for ranges going forward . . . We’ve obviously got a bit of stock here with the shop, but haven’t really tested that model fully yet - like it will be a slow progression as the ranges come out. 

“It’s a matter of building it up, before we sort of go down that route.” 

By the end of the year, Jess was hoping to be fully set up with ready to wear stock, and her new Celebrations - made to order - range, up and running.

“That’s sort of where we’re heading.” 

In Good Company stocks natural skincare brand Biologi, which Jess is a long-time lover of, along with an array of products ranging from locally-made cushions, to woollen blankets direct from a friend’s North Canterbury farm, to leather dog collars and mushroom powders.

“I’ve tried to choose everything that sort of reflects the brand’s ethos as well. So I feel like there’s a nice niche of brands sitting alongside it . . . It’s been nice to sort of add lots of stuff that I really rate myself.”