“Wabi-sabi helps us to see the beauty in imperfection…When we know this fundamental joy, we can reveal the most powerful and positive sides of ourselves.”

Born and Raised: Los Angeles, CA
Founded Line: 2006
Studio Location: LA
Number of Staff: 3
Favorite Designers: Comme des Garcons by Rei Kawakubo
& Stella McCartney

Back in Spring of ‘06, Jadie Kadletz launched her affordably chic line of eco-conscious basics and called it Perfectly Imperfect. The name connotes rustic simplicity and the beauty of imperfection, an Asian philosophy known as wabi-sabi. Formerly the Creative Director for multi-million dollar fashion brand Three Dots, Jadie now brings her version of simple beauty to life with a tight, devoted team, a hard-won chunk of capital, and infinite determination. Greenloop wanted to get a glimpse into the mind of one of our favorite designers and so we did just that…

Describe your work space…

I work out of my studio in downtown LA, located right above the Orpheum Theatre on Broadway. It’s a great open space with an amazing view of downtown, and has a good source of sunlight throughout the day. The space is roughly divided into four areas concentrating on cutting, production storage, office space and a kind of makeshift lobby.

What were the greatest hurtles to opening your own business?

I would have to say the financials. Starting a business is very expensive. There is great risk in losing everything if things go wrong. You have to maintain your solvency while you try to build a brand.

What was the “aha” moment in your life that led you to design sustainably?

About 5 or 6 years ago, I went to a fabric show in Paris. It is where I first discovered organic cotton. I immediately fell in love and became inspired. I had never seen organic fabric and I was so surprised at the level of quality. I had been working with traditional fabrics and didn’t realize how much of an impact they had on the environment.

Which eco-friendly materials do you currently use?

Mostly organic cotton, but I also use a blend with bamboo.

Are there any not-so-sustainable materials that make their way into the line?

With everything there is compromise. One of my fabrics contains spandex. I also use a nylon lace trim on my lingerie. It’s just about doing what you can and doing what makes sense.

What is the greatest marketing challenge as an eco-conscious company?

One of the greatest challenges is overcoming some of the stereotypes associated with organically based fashion… I think there is a sense that all organic clothes are earth-based tones, which is not true of course…I have really tried to maintain a very high standard for myself in my designs. I want to bring sustainable fashion to a wider audience that will embrace organic as a standard.

What is the most rewarding aspect of running your business?

Absolutely, the most rewarding aspect of running my own business is having complete creative freedom.

What do you do for fun?

I’m learning drums right now, which is challenging, but really fun. But spending precious time with friends and family makes the best times.

It’s inspiring to think that a woman who successfully produces and manages her own clothing line also has time to learn how to drum and hang out with her closest peoples. I guess being perfectly imperfect allows a little more wiggle room than the Type-A-rat-race-grind-till-you-die-style of running a business. Maybe we should all follow suit…until then, we can all at least all follow t-shirts and underwear.