Meet Jillian Shatken, Founder of SAYLOR
By: Kendall Becker
Inspiring and admirably humble, Jillian Shatken is a true self-made founder and champion for causes from sustainability to BIPOC advocacy – all while designing some of our favorite summer dresses. We chatted with Jillian about her journey of starting SAYLOR, running a female-founded apparel business during COVID (all while being a new mom mind you), and what it takes to be successful and find fulfillment in the fashion industry. Read on for her journey and need-to-know advice!
We adore Saylor, especially for breezy Spring/Summer pieces! Can you tell us a bit more about the brand for those who might not know?
Saylor is a NYC-based women's RTW brand that my business partner and I launched in 2014. We're focused on designs that celebrate and empower women. We've been able to establish an amazing retail presence; Saylor is carried at boutiques around the country as well as major retailers including Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Revolve. We value giving back and have partnered with amazing organizations including God's Love We Deliver, The Okra Project, The It Gets Better Project, Stop AAPI Hate, and more.
Sustainability is a pillar of your values – we love that! Can you share with us how your sustainability journey has evolved over the years?
Sustainability is at the forefront of the brand, and the majority of our current collection is made up of recycled designs. As Covid-19 lockdowns in India halted production of the Summer 2020 collection, we decided to work with our partners to repurpose these stalled designs and reworked them into the new season. We try to focus on eco-friendly textiles, such as eco vero viscose, organic cottons and are even experimenting with hemp sweaters for resort 2022. Other initiatives include offering 10% off your next purchase when you email a receipt of a recent clothing donation, repurposing scrap fabric into hair accessories, and using plantable note cards.
It sounds like Saylor is also built on women’s empowerment – tell us more about that!
We're a women founded and women run brand with a team of mostly women. We also recently partnered with an amazing organization called Black Girl Ventures, a non-profit with a mission to provide Black and Brown woman-identifying founders with access to community, capital, and capacity building in order to meet business milestones that lead to economic advancement through entrepreneurship.
For someone who’s just getting acquainted with the brand, what would you recommend as the perfect starter piece?
The Staunton Set! It looks polished but is actually a stretchy slub knit fabric, which can be dressed up or down depending on the setting or occasion.
The idea for Saylor was sparked in the LA fashion scene, can you share how the LA and NYC industries differ?
At the time in 2008, in the NY scene, I did not see a lot of women run, independent upstart brands. Thankfully, a lot has changed since then. Having traveled to LA to interview with a couple of female founders who were only a couple years ahead of me, it sparked the idea that I too could possibly have my own line. Everything felt a little less serious out there, and perhaps a bit more business driven. As much as someone dreams of being in Vogue or a member of the CFDA, to me the most important accomplishment was to establish a profitable business that would be my forever job.
What were you up to before starting your own brand?
I worked at Dolce Vita, designing their apparel line from 2008-2014, which is where I met my business partner Patty Moran. She is an industry veteran, having been the VP of Betsey Johnson. She helped inspire and encourage us to launch Saylor and there is no way we would be anywhere without her years of experience and incredibly positive energy.
We’re all about mitigating ‘Imposter Syndrome’; what’s a “pinch me” moment you’ve had in your career that you’re unapologetically proud of?
Most recently it has been keeping our business afloat throughout COVID. I had my first baby April 2020 at the peak of the pandemic in NY and was ready to give up and take time off to be a first time mom. Fortunately, I have such an incredible team that all pitched in with encouragement and willingness to wear more hats as we ran as leanly as possible. Despite the downturn, I am proud to say our sales team opened an incredible new business with the dress department of Nordstrom. Happy to feel like we are finally on the other side of the economic downturn.
We have a lot of readers who are just starting out in the fashion industry, what advice would you give someone in their shoes?
When I first started out I was very forthright about what I did not know. I leaned on my resources - especially my patternmaker, factories, and vendors - in order to teach me everything they knew. It's incredible how generous people are with their knowledge when they see you are genuinely curious and have respect for their expertise.
Do you remember what you wore to your first interview?
My first interview post-college was for J.Crew, and although I cannot recall my exact outfit, I recall vividly not having appropriate shoes for the interview. I think my interview was at 11, and at 10am the day of the interview I was waiting outside a store for it to open to buy some shoes that were not completely worn through and dirty that could be deemed “appropriate”.
What qualities do you think are important for forming a successful and fulfilling career in the fashion industry?
Hard work, persistence, creative problem-solving, creativity, and confidence. Also the ability to accept criticism and collaborate with others.
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