Kristen Doute’s James Mae Gets Green
LOS ANGELES — James Mae, the rock-inspired line started by “Vanderpump Rules” cast member Kristen Doute, is taking new steps toward sustainability.
Doute’s line for spring includes some pieces made of either recycled fabrics or fabrics made from recycled water bottles. The move comes with the company’s shift to relocate manufacturing for its T-shirts and sweatshirts from overseas to downtown Los Angeles, with the line likely to continue getting greener as time goes on its cofounders say.
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“Ideally, I think that is the goal to go completely sustainable,” said cofounder and creative partner Magen Mattox. “Right now, because we’re a brand new brand — we launched last June — we’re just trying to do it in the best way possible that we can manage.”
James Mae — named after Doute’s niece and nephew — launched as a direct-to-consumer brand with a foundation built on rock-inspired T-shirts. It’s now in talks with retailers. The company is likely to enter into wholesale around holiday, with the goal of distributing the brand through a combination of majors and boutiques.
The line includes tanks and T-shirts ranging from $36 to $45 and sweatshirts in the range of $55 to $65.
“Last year we just wanted to do e-commerce and see how we stood as a brand, and I think we have exceeded our own expectations,” Mattox said. “So now we’re looking to branch out in the wholesale game.”
The line is also maturing in tandem.
“When we first started out, it was very much specifically a graphic T-shirt line,” Doute said. “That’s where we started from and now we’ve already expanded into manufacturing our own basics and moving into sweatshirts. And for spring, we have a woven blanket. Little by little, we want to keep branching out.”
Part of that expansion, Doute said, is being fueled by a strategy that’s keen on soliciting and also using customer feedback for the company’s designs.
“We really call it a collaborative effort with our customers,” Doute said. “It’s almost like we have a collaboration with each person. Whether it’s a size run or the different styles. That’s why we started doing our own cut and sew and our basics is because we’re listening to everyone.”
Friday’s launch of the spring collection is also being tied to a harbor and beach clean-up event in Marina del Rey, Calif., on Saturday, which will also include participation from other “Vanderpump Rules” cast members.
The clean up will be followed Sunday with a pop-up at the Smorgasburg food festival in downtown Los Angeles where some James Mae merchandise, including pieces from the spring collection, will be sold.
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