When Jason Scott opened its doors in TriBeCa, it was refreshing. Finally, a great brand of loungewear, made with the softest fabrics and an edgy aesthetic. Jason Scott isn’t just a clothing store, it’s a place to congregate with friends, stop by for a drink in the cafe, take a yoga class in the back studio, or just see his friendly face. The collection is made for both men and women, and is also great for pregnancy and postnatal options. The space has a beautiful industrial vibe, and we are lucky Jason so generously allowed us to use it as our showroom for the new Black Iris collection. Typically, I feature female founders, but Jason’s kind, cool, demeanor, and chic, cozy collection is something I had to share!
How many years have you been in business in NYC?
In 2020 we are going into our 5th year in NYC.
How did you get your start and what was your initial inspiration?
I was living in LA working at William Morris, now WME, and I was always interested in tailoring and fabrics because I had to wear a suit every day. This lead me on a path to understand why certain fabrics fit one way and why others fit differently. It almost became a bit obsessive and I was spending all of my free time in stores trying different things on to see what I liked and didn’t like. I realized at that time there was nothing in the market that I loved, so I kind of said "fuck it," quit my job and set out to learn everything I could about fabric. Being a more casual person, I wanted to focus on knitwear and more everyday items rather than suiting. I got a job at a restaurant in LA to cover living expenses and I spent about 2 years learning everything I could about clothing, how to make it etc.. I had zero fashion background and when I started, I had no idea what I was doing. I honestly think this led to a lot of the success we have today because I was coming at it as a consumer and not a designer. That’s the short version, I left out all of the sleepless nights of worrying about how we will keep the lights on and if people will like the brand.
What do you feel differentiates you from others in your field?
I think our attention to detail and focus on our customers rather than the bottom line of the business. We will never sacrifice quality or craftsmanship to make a better margin. As a brand we know our strengths (our clothes are insanely soft) and what we do well and by focusing all of our energy on those aspects of the brand it allows us to make what I think is the best product in the category.
What do you feel gives you longevity in this big city with so many options?
Our space in TriBeCa gives a unique way to connect with people in the area. It’s so much more than just a retail space, it’s a place where people can bring their dogs to run around, grab a matcha or coffee, or even a beer or scotch. I think it’s this focus on building a community instead of just selling products that has helped us be so successful so far.
How do you positively impact your clientele?
We always try to go above and beyond for our people. If that means one of us going to the store at 10pm on a Saturday night to grab a pair of sweatpants and drop them off at a customer’s apartment right before their red eye to London so they could be comfortable for the flight (true story), so be it!
What is your favorite part of your job?
The best part is definitely seeing how happy people are when they wear something from our collection. Being able to give joy to someone is a really cool feeling. Whether someone comes up to me to tell me how much they love the brand or it’s a new customer telling us how they heard about the brand was from a friend who said they had to come check out the store. The organic growth we’ve had over the past year is very special to me. It says a lot when customers that don’t owe you anything go out of their way to help spread the word.
What is your favorite secret NYC spot?
Au Cheval - although it’s not so secret anymore. Aside from being the best burger in NYC, it’s a local Chicago spot which always makes me feel like home when I’m there (which is about once a week!).
How do you benefit mamas?
Our women's collection allows busy moms to be comfortable while they basically keep the world together. Our clothes are all pretty versatile - so mommies can drop their kids off at school, lead a business meeting, or hop on a flight - all in the same super comfortable, yet put together outfit.
What is the most memorable feedback a client has given you?
One of our customers is a store manager for one of our major competitors and I had no idea where he worked or who he was until one day he said, “I love your brand so much that I am ok paying full price for it when I get 75% off” (at the brand he worked for). That was a special moment because he worked for a global brand that we definitely aspire to be like.
Pay it forward and name your top colleagues in the same field or related field.
Molly Howard, Valerie Macaulay, Meredith Melling - the 3 women behind La Ligne. They’ve built an incredible brand and I have a lot of respect for what they are doing.
What is the best advice anyone's ever given you? Or what is your "mantra" / words to live by?
So many things come to mind — follow your gut, stay true to who you are, if you never give up you can’t fail, surround yourself with people that are better than you... the one that tends to stand out most though is, “if something doesn’t scare you it might not be worth doing.” What I mean by that is starting a company, moving to a new city, changing your job etc. are all things that can be scary, but sometimes those are the best things to go after. I took the biggest risk of my life starting this company and the people I’ve met and the things we have done as a brand are what shape me into who I am today. Sometimes if something scares you that’s the thing you should do. Unless it's snakes, always avoid snakes.