Jamie and the Jones: Local Design Duo on the Rise!

It all started at Starbucks, where O’More College of Design freshmen Jamie Frazier and Hannah Jones first went for coffee. The fashion design students talked for hours, bonding over their interest in creating handmade clothing. The next year, they teamed up to create a clothing collection for the O’More fashion show, and Jamie and the Jones was born.

“From then on, it was kind of understood that we were going to be working together,” Frazier says.

They went on to earn high honors their junior and senior years, and since graduating in 2009, Frazier, 25, and Jones, 24, have continued to gain recognition for their beautifully detailed yet wearable clothing line.

This year started with a bang as they left behind “at-home sewing” and moved into a studio in the new Belmont location of Local Honey. Shortly thereafter, the duo was asked to be part of Nashville’s very first Fashion Week. Naturally, they rose to the occasion, kicking off the spring event with a 15-look collection that included handpainted and marbled fabric created with local textile designer Teresa Hays. In April, they won the Belcourt Theatre’s nD Festival Emerging Designer Competition, which earned them a stipend to create a collection to be presented alongside nationally renowned designers at the nD Festival Fashion Show on October 2nd.

Sure, when it comes to Jamie and the Jones, their story thus far may involve a bit of chance. After all, upon graduation, the girls were ready to go their separate ways to get some real world experience, but when their plans didn’t pan out, they found themselves together again in Nashville. A week after they decided to officially go into business, Local Honey owner Shea Steele called to offer them studio space.

But don’t let Frazier and Jones fool you with their laid-back demeanors and their “we were just in the right place at the right time” talk. In addition to being talented, the girls have built a reputation of being extremely hard workers, and they’re not afraid to go after what they want. Back in college, they both interned for Nashville style guru — and Her contributor — Libby Callaway at the same time, even though Callaway had only wanted one intern. “We said, ‘You either get both of us or none of us,’” Jones recalls, laughing.

Clearly, they succeeded in making their case, and when the six-month internship was done, Callaway published a glowing recommendation about Frazier and Jones in her City Paper column. “Professionally,” she wrote, “I trust their instincts and admire their taste level, and I have no doubt that someday I’ll be saying I knew them when ...”

Indeed, the future looks bright for Jamie and the Jones. In addition to working on their collection for the nD Festival, they’ve been focusing on partnering with other local artists and designers — like they did with Hays — to enhance their work. They plan to expand their inventory to include many different sizes, and someday, they’d like to open a storefront, as well as what they refer to as their own Jamie and the Jones factory. “We’ve met so many people in the industry, and all of their work and business has been shipped overseas, which makes them out of jobs,” Jones says. “That’s really disheartening, and we’d like to be able to provide for them.”

The girls, however, say they’ll always work alongside their employees, primarily because it’s difficult for them to imagine a world in which they’re not creating. And despite their recent successes, the attention is hardly going to their heads. They were giddy when they talked about seeing their names in print — in addition to Her and other local publications, they’ve been featured in Nylon and on Elle.com. While they’re thrilled with the doors that have opened in the past year, they’re quick to reply that they’ve got a long way to go.

“Yes, we’re excited, but we haven’t ‘made it’ yet,” Frazier says. “We’ve met some great people, and we’ve been doing some great things, but this is not sustainable as of right now.” They admit that they still struggle to pay their rent each month, and they’ve both had their fair share of day jobs. Oh, and by the way, they buy their own clothes at Goodwill or make do with hand-me-downs from Jones’ mother’s closet, which is a style choice as much as a financial necessity.

Still, bottom line, we’re with Callaway on this one. These two women are destined for great things.

Check out Jamie and the Jones on their very own rack at Local Honey and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and jamieandthejones.blogspot.com.

A fundraiser for the Belcourt Theatre, the nD Festival celebrates the convergence of independent film, fashion and music in Nashville. The second annual festival kicks off on September 28th and includes five days of events throughout the city, such as boutique crawls and parties. The festival concludes with the Oct. 2nd fashion show, which, in addition to featuring Jamie and the Jones, will also showcase fashions from Bodkin and Steven Alan. Fashions will be highlighted in films made by Kristin Barlowe, James Clauer and David McClister with post-production work donated by Film Workers. For ticket prices and a schedule of events, visit belcourt.org.

Photo by Jude Ferrera