Taking an idea into a full-fledged business is one of the world’s most arduous processes, requiring a unique blend of resources, knowledge and perseverance. From crafting a product and getting it manufactured, to forging connections and strong marketing ties, the path may seem too daunting for a young entrepreneur.
This process applies to the fashion world, which Los Angeles-based designer Jade Marlin called a "privilege industry" that is inherently expensive to bust through the glass ceiling. To lower the entry barriers, Marlin’s foundation implemented a "fashion academy" to give youth and aspiring adults alike the push in a successful direction, something several Santa Monica youth have already taken advantage of. The Jade Marlin Foundation’s latest Santa Monica connection is a new partnership with fashion professors at Santa Monica College (SMC), which is leading to an SMC "fashion summit" this coming November.
"To really be a designer, to get it out there, it costs $50-100,000 on marketing, manufacturing, it’s a lot," Marlin said of the industry of which he is a continual rising star. "So what I wanted to do is create a program to help [not just] all races, but definitely some of the low-income black and brown [kids], caucasians, [etc] … to let them [know], you can be a designer. I didn’t have a lot of money … but I just kept my faith, and I kept the journey."
Before the Jade Marlin Foundation, before Jade Marlin the designer, his journey was as Jade Marlin, the baseball player. Playing for the since-closed Temple Christian High School in Perris, he starred in left field, eventually playing in independent leagues with hopes of advancing in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league system. As he put it, however, "life takes its course," and an injury hampered his progression.
The outfielder had a backup plan in architecture, though, something he fell back on with a fashionably creative mindset.
"I was going through a depression with baseball … so I just started … drawing and sketching T-shirts," Marlin said. "And next thing you know, I was like, ‘oh, let me see if this will work.’ So I went to a local swap meet and started designing T-shirts, and it was pretty cool, people started liking it."
His design career advanced when a manufacturer took notice at the MAGIC Las Vegas fashion trade show, what Marlin called the "Grammys of fashion," and he began development on shirts, hats and hoodies, now staples of his fashion collections.
Along with those items, Marlin now develops jeans, suits, watches and shoes; as well as bathing suits as part of a special summer-themed collection. He says the theme behind his brand is "motivation," parallel to his Foundation role, and considers both hard work and creativity paramount to making it in the industry.
"The fashion industry is very fast, it’s fast-paced, and you [have] to be creative, constantly [develop] new products … that’s why it’s really hard for a lot of people to make it in the fashion industry … if you don’t have new products, new designs, new sketches, new fabrics that the consumer really is interested in … it’s just hard to get to the top," he said.
While it may be difficult to reach the summit, entry into the industry has gotten easier for local youth with his Foundation, with the fashion academy offering courses in fashion, design, merchandising and fashion photography. Youth and adult mentoring programs are also available, as well as a scholarship program that gives out four fashion-related scholarships each year.
A group of 200 students each year take either the online or Pasadena in-person courses, along with the Foundation’s direct give-back to the community through toy and school supply drives, with 2,000 toys given out this past December.
"I love my foundation, love giving back, I love seeing the kids happy … helping those children and giving back [with] the fashion academy," Marlin said.
Marlin noted that he loves Santa Monica specifically, perhaps even more than his current residence in Calabasas, as the city is where he started "getting the creative mind" for fashion.
"[I enjoy] the vibe, the beach, the pier, the creativity, the different photographers I’ve met … you still get that LA life, but [also] that beach life and [the] creative people that hang out in Santa Monica … I love the restaurants, the food, I just love the laid back [vibe]," he said.
The Santa Monica connection has grown with the SMC collaboration, with Marlin noting the school’s fashion program worked in alignment with his own educational goals.
"I feel like they have a really strong fashion program … that really [drew] my attention, and they’re really excited," Marlin said. "This is going to open up doors for me to do even more things inside of Santa Monica … I love [SMC’s] curriculum, they’re teaching the same type of curriculum that we have [at] our fashion academy, so I thought it would be a great fit."
To learn more information about Marlin’s collections, which can be found in retail stores like Walmart and Target, visit jademarlin.com. For more information about the Jade Marlin Foundation, visit jademarlinfoundation.org.
