Sew Stylish >> Spot Dick and Jayne Style, Part 1
Dick and Jayne is a bustling apparel brand located in a stylish loft right in the heart of LA’s theatre district. Sigrid works with her mother Jayne, the company’s namesake and creative force. Buzzflikr dropped in for a quick chat:
Name, title and ranking, please:
Sigrin Torres-Aulenta. I’m the company’s well-rounded generalist 
Randon tidbit:
I perfected my Spanish accent and learned bilingual slang as a foreign student in Spain. My 2yr old daughter, Dylan, used to come to work before she started school…..a big perk working in a family business!
How long has Dick n Jayne been a fashion brand?
D&J is 12 yrs old and I joined the company about 10 yrs ago. Has it been that long?!!
Describe the company’s brand profile and target market?
After 9-11 we really changed the line and were determined to go in an new direction. You have to follow the styling you love. The line became more contemporary. Targeting stylish baby boomers from age 40-60, we deliver well-made clothes that are hip, current and contemporary. Our customer knows she’s not a teenager and doesn’t raid her daughter’s closet but she’s very aware of style. Our proportion, detailing and silhouettes are all tweaked from current trends. Real woman love Dick and Jayne. “I love the unique sensibility. My mom has a distinctive look that’s trend right and I always feel comfortable and sophisticated in her clothes.” Women of any age can merchandise and select _mix it up - this collection to suit their styles and tastes.
Which celeb embodies the Dick n Jayne style?
Katherine Hepburn meets Audrey Hepburn with a funky edge. We often name styles in our line after these two lovely ladies. As a Gen Xer, how do you influence the brand’s overall strategy and product mix? I weigh in on product design, help Jayne track trends, stay abreast of the market, we collaborate all day. She’s the one with technical expertise and industry knowledge. I’m the sounding board. When we both agree, we know it’s going to be good. What do you love/hate about a family-operated business? We love to start the day with a friendly hug or kiss. Trust is a huge part of our office culture. We care about this business as our own. But there are those times everyone wants to get away from their family. But fortunately there’s a lot of love here and we can say that!
Tell us how you sustain the buzzzzz about your company?
My role is to communicate with editors, trying to build the name, get our key items in print. I’ve been responsible for creating images, postcards, lookbooks to send out. Learning photoshop and illustrator at Fashion Business Inc. has been really invaluable. That saves us a bundle.
How did you land all those magazine covers and “what’s hot” pages?
I was taught how to contact editors by a publicist. She took the mystery out of it. I look in magazines, decide what editors to target and send them our lookbooks, make the follow up calls and stay on top of it. Editors are busy so tenacity is key.
