Meet | Jac & Lisa of Jac+Jack

J+J has been in the fashion business for almost two decades which is a fantastic achievement - what was the inspiration behind the brand's inception in 2004?

The inspiration behind the brand was pretty straightforward - designing and making modern elevated basics that we wanted to wear. At the time, there weren’t many, if any, minimal brands. It was all about maximalism. It’s hard to imagine and now the market is full of brands with this ethos. We wanted to create a bridging label between imports and local designer brands that offered a more everyday philosophy with a big focus on knitwear and jersey that was stylish, modern and wearable. We really wanted to make the most luxe and beautiful basics that were quality driven.

The world has changed dramatically since 2004. What is different to Jac+Jack now compared to those early days?

2004 was a completely different time and we feel lucky we have spanned a few eras now. There was a naivety in the world and that was exciting and made things feel very possible. The market wasn’t as crowded with brands either and it just felt like it all moved slower. That said, with the development of the internet and digital, things have become instant and that’s also great. It’s just always a balance of finding your way to do things and not being overwhelmed by all the possibilities now. You have to run your own race.

Sustainability has become a key focus within our industry, what is the Jac+Jack ethos when it comes to protecting our planet and how do you feel this will evolve?

We have developed in our business a practice that we call responsible design. We care about planet and people as our main focus and, simply put, this means making better choices. We have eradicated almost all synthetic fibre from our collections, almost all Lycra and as of next season, huge percentages of our collection are either organic or sustainable fibres. We also are very much about longevity and trying to increase the life cycle of a piece. Minimising excess stock and renewing things rather than just discarding them. It’s a huge focus and we have a partner that works with us that makes sense of it all and helps us navigate, she helps us set a roadmap as it’s a ever-evolving project that will go on for years.

One thing at a time and a lot of learning.

The summer collection is a combination of true Jac+Jack codes and seasonal touches, how did this collections take shape?

We like to develop each collection with a foundation of Jac+ Jack essentials that evolve. We like to always ensure - even if it’s essential - it’s modern and we review and edit each season with this in mind. It’s easy to just get stuck on repeat, so we work hard on our sourcing, getting the shapes just right and refining the fits and make. The layer on top of that is always a touch of more inspirational and innovative fashion-edge pieces. It’s a considered capsule that works well in relation to the base collection. They enhance and inform each other. We work in the same way for each collection.

What are your favourite pieces? How are we wearing them and where?

Lisa is very much a pant person, so tonight she wore our new George pant in Leather with a knitted cotton scope tank in Toto which is the most vibrant marmalade sunflower colour with a past season black oversized blazer. That’s very much her look, pants, shirt and or blazer or trench.

I’m a bit more dress and skirt, although I love a knit and have a habit of always tying on around my waist or neck, almost every day. I wore our bold stripe long skirt with matching cropped shirt and an old old cashmere sweater around my waist. We were both at our store in the Strand Arcade Sydney for an instore event.

We love to visit Sydney, tell us about your favourite...

Long lunch venue / Weekend Escape / Mid-week cocktail / Morning coffee spot / Lazy Sunday ritual…

Long lunch, we love Nomad in Surry Hills and Margaret in Double Bay.

Weekend escape has to be the Southern Highlands, beyond green and just so so beautiful.

Midweek cocktail is Jane in Surry Hills.

Morning coffee spot. Artificer again in Surry Hills, only coffee and the vibe is good.

Sunday ritual, usually a walk to Kings Cross or Woollahra to buy the paper and visit stores along the way, buy some supplies at Victor Churchill and return home via Humble for some excellent baked goods, back home to spread out and read the paper from cover to cover and not venture out again.