童心時代總會累積不少的布偶，有的是禮物，有的是自己買的；到了今天，最後伴在我枕邊的，是10年前的情人節禮物，是Jess Brown親手造的。
Amidst the age with a childlike heart, we always collect a lot of puppets, some are gifts, and some are self-bought. Days gone by, the only one that is still by my pillow is a Valentine’s Day gift 10 years ago, which was handmade by Jess Brown.
Jess Brown：「我第一個手造的布娃娃是20年多前為我女兒Stella造的，當時找來了3件cashmere羊毛衣、一些古董珍珠鈕、手帕、蕾絲來製作，用毛絨和手帕做裙子，小鈕子做眼睛。因為當時幾乎不可能找到以天然物料或手造的玩具，於是我和當木匠的丈夫決定自己動手，我造布娃娃，他造積木和娃娃的屋子等等。」
“The first doll I made for my daughter Stella in 20s years ago, was created using three cashmere sweaters, some antique mother pearl buttons, an antique handkerchief and antique french lace for a ribbon of trim. The cashmere and the handkerchief were sewn into a dress and the eyes were the little mother of pearl buttons. At the time, it was nearly impossible to find anything for babies and young children that was either handmade or made from a natural fibre. My husband, who is a carpenter, and I made a conscious decision to focus on creating handmade toys for her. I created dolls for her and he created building blocks, dollhouses, those sorts of things.” Jess Brown said.
「我想我的布娃娃用很特別和珍貴的布料來製成，並擁有一種古董感，我常從我所收集的古董布偶中汲取靈感，因為我很欣賞這些早期設計的簡單和耐用性。」記得10年前路過Petit Bazaar就被這手造布娃娃的溫度迷住了，10年後終於有幸和作者對話。
「我很喜歡手造的材料，例如：刺繡、天然手染、手針釘珠⋯⋯任何明顯展示工匠手藝的東西，尤其古董碎布就是最好的。」Jess堅信手工製作的東西都蘊含著不同的能量，從一針一線中流露出設計師或藝術家在過程中的思路，每件作品背後的意圖都斷定了將來被傳承的品質。
“I want the dolls’ clothes to have a basic antique sensibility but often created with very special and treasured fabrics. I drew inspiration from antique rag dolls I had collected. I appreciated the simplicity and durability of these early designs.” Recalling the memory of passing by Petit Bazaar 10 years ago, I was fascinated by the warmth of the handmade dolls by Jess Brown. How honored I am to talk to its creator after a decade.
“I love working with hand-created pieces of fabric, such as embroidered, hand-dyed, hand-blocked or hand-beaded — anything that can visibly show an artisan’s process. Antique scraps are best.” Jess has a really strong belief that there is a different kind of energy in anything handmade. You can feel the intention of the artist in each stitch or fabric choice — each design decision curated. She thinks the intention behind each piece is what elevates the design to heirloom quality.
「什麼都不著急，過程的每個部分都需要其時間。所以我的大部分物料都是來自舊貨店和跳蚤市場。同時我很幸運地，有時裝界的朋友把時裝廢料給我，於是我會把剪裁我的女裝系列後，剩下的碎布來造布娃娃，這些古董和全新的廢棄物料混合起來，對我來說簡直是完美！」Jess心知時裝界有太多浪費，每當一件衣服被剪裁，剩下來的就像無盡的碎片散落堆填區；而在她的世界裡，它們卻像黃金一樣寶貴。
“Nothing is rushed. Time is taken with every part of the process. Therefore, most of my sourcing is from thrift shops or flea markets. I also have been fortunate enough to have friends in the fashion industry who will send me their scraps. I use the scraps left after cutting my women’s collection as well. The blend of vintage and antique bits with new discarded scrap fabric is perfect for me.” Jess knows that there is so much waste in the world of fashion. Every time a garment gets cut out of yardage that leaves with what feels like endless scraps, but in her world, this is like gold.
70年代出生的Jess，是在Liberty的花布伴隨中長大，草原裙子不時團團轉，甚至連布娃娃也是用Liberty花布來造的，所以這系列懷舊的花布對她來說有著很深的情意結。「當我望著這些經典的印花，便感受到那種輕盈和精緻感，一種永恆的簡單美，所以我常用這些布料來造我的女裝系列和布娃娃。」
Jess was born in the 1970s, she was raised around Liberty prints. She had a constant rotation of prairie dresses and even a rag doll created out of Liberty. The nostalgia of this line of fabrics runs deep and is almost visceral. “When I look at the classic Liberty prints, I can feel this overwhelming sense of lightness paired with sophistication. A sort of perfect blending of timeless sensibility and simple beauty. Therefore, I have always used these fabrics in my work from women’s pieces to rag dolls.”
2011年的秋季對Jess來說尤其夢幻，因為她受意大利高級時裝品牌Bottega Veneta邀請，製作大型布娃娃，在時裝周期間，放在世界各地指定的BV店櫥窗展示。
「和Bottega Veneta的合作，既興奮又充滿挑戰，在整個過程我不停地掐自己，因為這實在是難以相信的光榮！現在回想起來，我希望我能多一點細味當中，因為正正同一時間，我的品牌也有很多事情在發生，那時我就任由這些時刻太快地流過去了。」
The autumn of 2011 was an extremely dreamy one for Jess because she was invited by the Italian high-end fashion brand Bottega Veneta to make giant dolls which were displayed in designated BV shops around the world during Fashion Week.
“The work with Bottega Veneta was such a thrill and a challenge. Throughout the process, I was pinching myself. It was an unbelievable honor. Looking back at now I only wish I had savored it a bit more. There was a lot happening with my brand at that exact moment. I sort of letting the moment pass a bit too quickly.”
品牌被受注目，Jess卻發現自己陷入時尚界的輪迴，一切都讓人感到不耐煩、太快而且經常是一次性的。買家常追問：「接下來的是什麼？」、「之前有否見過那款式？」，她嘗試努力抵抗行業的要求，卻反而令水平下降。「Well⋯⋯我認為時尚界正在被迫作出改變，我知道作為一個購物者，我對那些在一季內接連發佈多個系列，然後減價促銷的品牌非常抗拒。整個時尚行業已經迫不及待，而我不覺得那些能源還能運作多久。我認為作為設計師，我現在的職責是更深思熟慮和負責任地生產『更少』。」
Jess拋開了年度預算表，不再需要擁有額外人手的大型工作室，更不要承受和大公司合作的壓力。「Jess Brown Design踏入第15年，我知道我欠品牌和自己一些深入反思的時間。現在回到只有『我』，感覺對了，我知道現在發佈設計系列的速度慢了，但我就是容許自己有創作所需的空間，什麼都不著急。」
「擁抱我們不再總是需要尋求推陳出新的『 What’s Next？』概念，我確信時尚不僅是實用的，而且FASHION IS ART（時裝也是藝術）。在我心目中，時尚作為一種藝術表達的方式，是可以非常令人興奮和創新的，只要我們細心和有意識地處理整個過程，兩者都有空間的。」
「我對自己、工作和品牌的承諾就是活在當下，正念的時刻就是我的嚮導。」
The brand has been in the spotlight, but Jess found herself caught in the cycle of the fashion world. Everything felt impatient, too fast and often disposable. She was constantly being asked by buyers, “what’s next” or “didn’t we see that dress before”. She sunk pretty low as she tried hard to resist the industry’s demands.
“Well…I think fashion is being forced to make a change. I know as a shopper, I am getting pretty turned off to brands that are releasing collection after collection within one season, then throwing it all on sale. The fashion industry as a whole is impatient and I don’t think that energy works any longer. I think as a designer, my role right now is to produce responsibly and thoughtfully and a lot less.”
Jess no longer needs spreadsheets with year-out projections and a large studio with a team of extra sewing hands even holding the stress of working with large-scale companies. “The Jess Brown Design business is 15 years in at this point, and I just knew I owed it to the brand and myself to take time in deep reflection. It’s now just me. It’s back to just me. It feels right. I know that I release rag doll collections slower now ….but I’m allowing myself the space I need to create. Nothing rushed.”
“Embracing the concept that we don’t always need to be searching for ‘What’s Next?”. That being said, I do believe that fashion is not just utilitarian, but it is also art. There is a strong place in my heart for fashion as an artistic expression that can be very exciting and innovative. There is room for both as long as we approach the process thoughtfully and with intention.”
“My commitment to myself, my work, my brand is to just be present. Mindful moments will be my guide.”
現在Jess的工作室位於索諾瑪縣佩塔盧馬市中心的歷史區，她很開心只提供預約來瀏覽她的作品系列。
「慢下來，用心工作，創造持久的美，這就是我的工作。」
Jess’s studio is located in the historic district of downtown Petaluma in Sonoma County. She is thrilled about being able to offer an appointment-only visit to the studio to see the collections.
“Slow down. Work with intention. Create beauty that lasts. This is the work.”
