Meet the Makers: Marianna Sachse from Jackalo

How would you describe Jackalo?

Jackalo is a line of long-lasting, sustainable playclothes for active kids. We aim to cause as little harm to people and the planet as possible.

What was your journey to setting up Jackalo?

My active, older son inspired the brand. When he was about four years old, he started quickly wearing through his pants (whether I spent a lot or a little.) As a maker and third generation home sewist, I was always happy to repair them. But most parents either don’t have the time or skill (or both!) to repair clothes. So I decided to find a way, to make clothes, pants in particular, that last longer for our active kids. I took the plunge when we moved to the Netherlands from the United States. I saw an opportunity to make a change in my career, to dig into the idea and figure out how to make it work. I’m not trained as a fashion designer, so I spent the first year learning about the industry and clothing design. I focused a lot on what needed to change in the industry and how to do things differently.

WHAT IS YOUR MAIN THOUGHT OR INSPIRATION WHEN YOU’RE DESIGNING?

I’m always focused on comfort, mobility, and how kids grow for all of the clothes I design. I want kids to be able to run, climb trees, wade through streams and still look good at the dinner table. As I dig into the details of each garment, I focus on design elements that will allow the garment to grow with a child and stand up to active play.

Why is it important to you that your collections are unisex?

Just as toys have no gender, clothes have no gender. Kids should wear whatever they please — skirts, pants, purple, blue, who cares? I want all kids to feel welcomed and comfortable in our clothes

Who or what is your top design inspiration?

I take a lot of inspiration from vintage clothes and work wear. I love looks that have a timeless appeal.

IS SUSTAINABILITY IMPORTANT TO JACKALO?

Sustainability is critical to everything we do at Jackalo. I’ve got two kids, and there are few things that freak me out more than the possibility of wide-scale climate disaster in their lifetimes, or even their kids'.

So I’m incredibly committed to making change. With every decision I make, I think about how to choose a more sustainable option, or how to go about things completely differently. After a year of searching for the right supplier, I found a fabric mill that really aligns with my values and the values of the company. Their fabric is all IVN Best and GOTS organic and Fair For Life certified cotton. These are some of the most stringent environmental and human rights certifications. We then manufacture our clothes at a small family factory in Portugal and our accessories at a social-service workshop in the Netherlands. We save as much of our scrap fabric as possible to be used in accessories, and recycle everything else. When kids outgrow our clothes, we buy them back regardless of condition. We then clean, repair (if needed), and resell the garments, and upcycle what can’t be resold.

WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS A ROLE MODEL FOR YOU, AND WHY?

I love the work of Aja Barber and her critiques of the fashion space. She’s a phenomenal leader, and I love learning from her. Designers Gina Stovall, Eileen Fisher and Natalie Chanin are my sustainable fashion business role models. These women have found ways to run businesses that minimize environmental harm and provide safe, good quality jobs.

What’s on your post-lockdown wishlist?

My post lock-down wishlist is super simple: I just want to see family. We are really far away from them, and while we’ve all had a little more time and flexibility to FaceTime (the 6 hour time difference is tough when normal work and school schedules are in place!) I’m really looking forward to just seeing the people we love.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR Jackalo IN THE FUTURE?

I’m really excited to grow our pre-loved collection. With our TradeUp program now fully in place, I’m working to do regular 'drops''of pre-loved clothes. Some of these may involve custom embellishments.

Along with this, I’m exploring new ideas for upcycled products to add to our accessories collection. I’m just a fan of seeing how little we can leave behind!