It’s almost 1 p.m. and Julia Grieve is in her car, halfway across the country, and headed for a meeting with the owner of a rag house, a company that sells used textiles by the pound. Grieve, the charming and bubbly founder of Preloved, a re-worked vintage textile clothing label, seems slightly stressed as she drives, but offers some of her time as it becomes clear that free time is quite a scarcity for her. Grieve assures me she is able to multi-task.
Now in her late 30s, Grieve has striking blue eyes, blonde hair, and you can feel the joy in her voice as she speaks. Measuring in at five-foot eight inches, Grieve began her modeling career at the age of fourteen and continued to work for over a decade, learning the ins and out of the industry and while auditioning for major European fashion houses.
“The best thing I learned from the fashion industry [while modeling] is attention to detail and the knack for a perfect fit,” explains Grieve. “I know how a good garment should fit and should hang.” Grieve also feels that being a model has taught her the basics of how to run and promote a business. “Being a model is very entrepreneurial. It teaches you how to sell and promote yourself.”
But what really makes Grieve’s clothing unique, aside from their perfect fit and striking designs, is the fact that each piece is made from vintage textiles. “I love vintage clothing,” says Grieve. “I always have. I find that the quality level that’s in vintage products just isn’t found in clothing today.”
When Grieve was younger, she would often go to her grandmother’s house, pick out a few great vintage pieces, and go to a seamstress to get them altered. Her Preloved line similarly takes vintage clothing and changes buttons, hemlines, and the general shape of the garment for a more modern approach.
Although Peter Friesen is the head designer for the Preloved label, Grieve multitasks and helps out with the design aspect as well. “We work as a team,” explains Grieve. “Peter is definitely the creative genius, but I do product development and keep track of what sells well.”
Preloved is composed of three lines: Preloved a line made with a combination of vintage (think t-shirts, sweatshirts, and bed sheets) and new fabrics, Handcut by Preloved, made with 100% reclaimed fabrics, and BLoved, made from all new fabrics. For years, their most inexpensive pieces were reworked T-shirts for $50. Now, they're offering cheaper items to encourage walk-ins to start buying.
There is much more to Grieve’s label than meets the eye. Preloved is focused on not only giving style-conscious men and women their fashion fix, but also giving back to the environment. Preloved is the largest manufacturer of reclaimed fabrics in Canada. “We produce well over 1,000 pieces a week,” says Grieve. “For our fall collection, we will use about 50,000 vintage sweaters that would pretty much be sitting in landfill if it weren’t for us.”
For their fall 2007 line, BLoved will switch over to jersey fabrics made entirely from bamboo. Grieve asserts that the bamboo fabrics are very breathable and also have some antibacterial qualities to them. “We also designed the Civello Salon uniforms in Toronto, which are made with bamboo fabrics.” Although Preloved was built on its uncompromising commitment to style and design, Grieve is extremely proud of their contribution to the environment and wants to spend more time investigating other sustainable fabrics.
It is important to Grieve to utilize every square inch of reclaimed textiles, which is why she is always coming up with new ways to use the scraps left over from their clothing line. Preloved offers a "Prefund" customer program, which provides shoppers who spend over $300 with a Preloved shopping bag made of vintage bed sheets as well as other perks. Preloved gives a large portion of their leftover fabric to schools for art projects as well as to local artists, and works with a company that takes the extra sweater scraps and turns them into sponges. Grieve’s company also contributes to other environmental and social causes including Windfall Design, Gilda’s Club, Fashion Cares, and food banks across the nation.
Preloved can be found in many widely popular department stores including Holt Renfrew in Canada and Selfridges in England as well as in many trendy boutiques, however that only accounts for 20% of their business. This is largely because Grieve’s main focus is on her own three retail boutiques in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. But Grieve feels that there is still a lot of room for Preloved to grow in the wholesale sector, although up until now, all of their wholesale has been reactionary. “People call us, we don’t seek it out,” says Grieve. Though she admits it would be quite an achievement to sell her goods in some American department stores. “Saks or Bloomingdales,” says Grieve. “I think that would be phenomenal.”
Although many celebrities including Kate Hudson, Hilary Duff, Minnie Driver, Shania Twain, and Daria Werbowy have been spotted wearing Preloved, Grieve explains that she does not seek them out. Her clothing has also been seen everywhere from music videos for The Tragically Hip and I Mother Earth, to commercials for Coca-Cola and Molson Canadian. “They totally stumble upon it,” says Grieve. “We have never sent stuff to celebrities, but their stylists will often shop in our stores.” However, Preloved was included in the official gift bags distributed to both talent and media during the Toronto International Film Festival alongside other brands such as Jeanne Lottie, Heys, and Purdy’s Chocolates.
Grieve has recently made a name for herself not just in the fashion arena, but in the television and print world as well. Grieve has made weekly appearances as a fashion expert on The Dini Petty Show and Canadian Living, has had guest appearances on The Camilla Scott Show, Canadian House and Home, and Modern Manners, and is currently the host of the nationally syndicated makeover show Diva on a Dime. She has also worked as a fashion editor for Impact Magazine and as a commentator for the fashion review section of the Post.
With so many responsibilities on her plate, it is a wonder that Grieve has any time to be a wife as well as a mother. But Grieve explains that her life is a balancing act. “There was one point where I was simultaneously shooting Diva on a Dime, opening a new store in Vancouver, and making changes to an existing clothing line,” says Grieve. “My kids are so young; I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old, but I have an incredibly supportive husband; I have my parents and my sisters living close to me. I am very fortunate. We all work together, but it’s tough!”
I wonder out loud where the future lies for Preloved. Grieve tells me that they plan to open more retail outlets, expand the wholesale area, and would like to continue to grow the clothing lines and the focus of their existing lines. Grieve and Friesen are also planning to start a home collection as well as a clothing line for children that will be called Me Me by Preloved. Grieve arrives at her destination, ready for her meeting at the rag house. She politely says her goodbyes to me and I promise to keep in touch.
Preloved will be celebrating its 12th birthday on May 10, 2007 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. at 613 Queen Street West. Come celebrate with Preloved with music by Dj Barbi, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. Get 30% off all new spring merchandise and a free gift from Preloved! Call 416-504-8704 for more information.
More Eco-Friendly Fashion
On & On, a handmade clothing line designed by Montreal-native Annie Langlois, offers recycled ready-to-wear pieces. On & On offers clothing and accessories that combine elegance and style with social concerns and has been a big hit since their 2002 launch during Montreal Fashion Week. On & On is available at Rien à Cacher (rue St-Denis, Montreal), and at their studio boutique (6600 rue St-Urbain, Studio 501, Montreal).
Jeanilicious is another Canadian company that takes denim, sweaters, and bed sheets and flips them into fabulous skirts and jackets for women and children. Their showroom is located at 3521 Bathurst Street on the second floor. To contact Ellise Gasner to set up an appointment, send an email to gasnerbunch@sympatico.ca.
Barney’s New York has jumped on the green train and incorporated many new environmentally responsible items into their repetoire. Some of their new labels include Loomstate for Barneys Green (a certified organic cotton, environmentally responsible clothing line), REN (skincare products without synthetic fragrance, petrochemicals, sulfate detergents, animal ingredients, or parabens) and CARE by Stella McCartney (certified organic skincare products in recycled and recyclable packaging).
Under the Canopy offers gorgeous organic fashions at very reasonable prices. They promote ecological responsibility through their chic line of organic and sustainable pieces for men, women, babies as well as spa items and home items (think sheets, duvets, and towels).
