An Interview with Arman from Fresh Laundry
We spoke with Arman, Operations Manager at Fresh Laundry about the inspiration and the history behind the collection.
1. First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself?
Well I am the son of the owner of Fresh Laundry. My dad is in Immigrant who moved to America in the early 90's from Armenia when he was only 18 years old. A few years after being in America, he decided with his family to open a business which he was passionate about... fashion. He loved all things relating to fashion and wanted to somehow break into the industry. As an immigrant he didn't really know the correct routes to take in order to develop his own brand so he started out as an apparel contractor, taking big cuts from different local companies and brands to produce for them. Later on as he got into the groove of the industry, he met people who propelled him to the next level and gave him the insight and knowledge to successfully build his own line and sell it internationally.
2. Tell us about Fresh Laundry, what was your inspiration for starting the business?
My father started his business out of love for the fashion world. My dad is somewhat of a "dapper man" and he wanted to use his taste and love of clothing to create a womens apparel brand. Furthermore, after the economic downfall in 2008 and the outsourcing of millions of manufacturing jobs overseas, he wanted to create a brand that was made in America and employed local residents.
3. What is your favourite part about Fresh Laundry?
The culture. We are a small family business with all hands on deck. We help one another and really pitch in with everything we have to make Fresh Laundry what it is. My mom especially is our go to when we have new styles that we want to incorporate. She takes the new styles and wears them as if she purchased it from the store. This way she tells us any complaints and we adjust it accordingly.
4. What is the Fresh Laundry mantra?
You can wash it and wear it a thousand times! In this day and age of "fast fashion" where garments are treated like tissue paper, we really emphasise on our quality. We want to make sure the fabrics and craftsmanship we use are high end but we also do not want to break the bank like designer labels.
5. When people are wearing your clothing, how do you want them to feel?
Free and relaxed! Our clothing is especially perfect in warmer climates and in beach communities. When someone wears Fresh Laundry, they should be comfortable and breezy.
6. Who is a typical Fresh Laundry customer? What kind of lifestyle do they lead?
The Fresh Laundry customer is a woman aged 25 and older who lives in a warmer climate and appreciates quality clothing.
7. What is the most important thing about your linen, what makes it so special?
It is custom made! The fabric mill we use has designed this linen exclusively for us about 10 years ago. We put in a lot of time and effort to make sure the linen we get is grown and nurtured properly to get the feel and cut we desired for our customers. Our linen is extremely high end and meticulous with its process of being woven and crafted.
8. Where do you see the brand in ten years time, what do you hope to achieve?
Fresh Laundry is on its way to being an icon in every closet for areas with warm climate. Just like Levis made its way into every working man's closet at one point, we hope Fresh Laundry is in every woman's wardrobe. We hope to grow our business more and more and by doing so we will employ more people and spread the message of quality clothing made in America. We are the resistance to "fast fashion" and we hope our movement gains some more traction going forward.
