Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anna Jean Kos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anna Jean, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Our mission is to create collections that are not only comfy, beautiful and inclusive but that are made ethically with respect to people and planet.

Treating people and the environment with respect is non-negotiable for me because of how and where I was brought up. I grew up in a small town in Aotearoa and have always been immersed in the natural environment. We spent most of our time outdoors in the native bush, at the beach and in the ocean. I believe that when you grow up outdoors like that, understanding and respecting the environment is ingrained. The idea of starting a fashion brand that wasn’t sustainably driven and operating ethically wouldn’t even cross my mind. My personal values are reflected in the brand and I think that’s why it has resonated so strongly with a lot of people. Greenwashing and effective marketing is everywhere these days but, in my opinion, being sustainable and treating your employees well shouldn’t be a reason to buy from a brand, it should be the bare minimum criteria for that brand to exist.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I design clothing and swimwear, produced ethically in small batches. My brand is based between Aotearoa (where I’m from) and Hawai’i, where I currently live. I work with mostly organic hemp, as well as organic linen and recycled nylon. Just recently, I released a small collection of swimwear made from vintage fabrics that had been lined with modern recycled fabrics. All the swimwear is sewn by myself, however I have a seamstress based in Kaimuki and a small team in Aotearoa who now help me with the clothing. The pieces are beachy but sophisticated loungewear, designed to be comfortable, beautiful and worn day in and day out.

When I started the brand, everything was sewn by me on a small plastic sewing machine and serger. I gradually grew my team to keep up with orders, and I’m really grateful to have people working alongside me who share my values in sustainable and ethical fashion.

I’m proud of the fact that I’ve built this brand from the ground up, while sticking to my values throughout the process. When I started AJK, I was working two jobs already. I now get to do this full time and get to connect with people through my product while working with interesting textiles. Hemp is still wildly underrated and this year I’m focusing on how I can bring it more into the mainstream world of fashion.

The brand began because of my obsession with sewing and making things by hand, an activity I found therapeutic and fulfilling. Over the past few years, I’ve become just as passionate about fashion and sewing as I am about good business as a realistic, tangible way to support people and the community. I want to encourage people to live a life they enjoy and make things they are proud of, within the reality of the world we’re currently living in. My business currently exists between Aotearoa and Hawai’i, so I owe it to both places to support the community and environment in tangible ways that mean something to me and to those who inhabit both places.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is the privilege to express yourself and having it resonate with others. I didn’t consider myself creative growing up, and I wasn’t incredibly outgoing or expressive. Designing clothes for people put me in a position where I was able to use my craft to connect with others in a way that was personal for both me and the client. What we wear and how it fits or feels can affect our whole mood. When I see my customers wearing their AJK pieces over and over again because it makes them feel good, I feel a huge sense of satisfaction that I don’t think I would get doing any other ‘job’. Since the beginning of AJK, I’ve offered free customizations to pieces for sizing and accessibility where needed. It takes it that step further that I know I wouldn’t be able to do for people if I didn’t know how to sew each design myself. I am doing what I do because I love creating something for people that they love.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Before I started sewing, I thought I was going to have a corporate career and got myself a degree in Economics and in Sociology. These two degrees often had contradictory ideas that shaped how I turned my creative passion into my business and livelihood. While economics was teaching me how to exploit resources and maximize profit, sociology was teaching me about the consequences of resource exploitation and over consumption. It made me very aware of how the society we currently live in operates and I realized that I would have to hold myself to very high standards in terms of operating practices if I was going to run a business of my own. As a brand that is still establishing itself and learning a lot of skills along the way, I’m constantly asking myself how I can grow, but in a way that aligns with my personal values in a world where we’re used to fast fashion and mass produced items at the cost of people and the environment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annajeankos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annajeankos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annajeankos
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/annajeankos/

Image Credits
Photos by Brenden Donahue, Reanna Chambers and Koa San Luis