All in the Family With M.i.h. Jeans
Once denim gets in your blood, it’s hard not to pass it to the next generation.
That’s what happened with Jessica Lawrence, director of brand and design for M.i.h Jeans, the self-titled, “London girls’ denim brand.”
For Lawrence, it was the blending of business and creativity that sparked a greater interest in joining the industry her mother, Jill, had already been a part of as a consultant for denim mills. That and the appeal of breaking into an industry that’s largely been a boys’ club.
Lawrence joined M.i.h as she found a kindred blueblood in the company’s founder Chloe Lonsdale, daughter of “Blue Jean King” and London’s Jean Machine founder Tony Lonsdale, and goddaughter of the original owner of Made in Heaven (M.i.h) jeans.
Having their hands on vintage archives and well-rooted inspiration from both of their parents, Lonsdale and Lawrence have fueled a brand with 70s style and a non-conformist feel. That kind of heritage can only come from a denim brand that’s been all in the family.
Carved in Blue spoke with Lawrence to get a look at how a life rooted in denim shaped both her and her career.
Carved in Blue: What was your first impression of the denim business when you were younger?
Jessica: I thought it looked pretty corporate. It was the 90s and denim was booming; Mum consulted for denim mills, so the textile side of the business was all about global expansion into new locations. When I started working more closely with her, I saw what creatives and developers can bring to business-minded textile companies, keeping the heritage and spirit of denim alive. It was also pretty full of guys. I’ve always been incredibly proud of Mum for being such a passionate and successful voice within a male-dominated industry.
Carved in Blue: Did you always want to go into the denim business? Did your Mum support it?
Jessica: I came to denim through quite a circuitous route, and completely thanks to my Mum. I didn’t study fashion at university but I started helping out in Mum’s studio, researching and developing trends for her denim clients, and picked up all my knowledge through exposure to her and the denim mills she consulted for. I feel really fortunate to have quite a technical grounding in denim as a textile, as well as a fashion fabric, as designing jeans requires so much technical awareness of the fabric – the shade, the construction, how it will wash, how it will perform.
Carved in Blue: Do you want your children to follow in your footsteps?
Jessica: That would be lovely, but I can’t imagine it. I’d love my little boy to be passionate about something that exposes him to the world in the way that denim has allowed me to travel, learn about different places and consider a more sustainable future.
Carved in Blue: When did you realize you are a blueblood?
Jessica: When I met Chloe, the founder of M.i.h Jeans and realized that she’d re-started a business created by her dad, and we had that shared life and history of denim in common.
Carved in Blue: What is the best advice you received from your Mum?
Jessica: My Mum gives me advice about the denims that I choose for M.i.h Jeans collections all the time. I know she’s really proud of me, and knowing that is better than any advice she could give.
Carved in Blue: What do you think the future of denim industry will look like?
Jessica: I really hope that denim, fashion and textiles look different in 20 years’ time! I hope that the ethical and environmental efforts that the industry is making have changed it beyond recognition, and it’s normal to work with recycled fibers and responsible washing techniques.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Jessica: Jeans forever.