Story & Lesson Highlights with Janelle Ariona of Cleveland

We recently had the chance to connect with Janelle Ariona and have shared our conversation below.

Janelle, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
As a small business owner, there are many obstacles that come across your path while trying to figure out your brand. I feel that while on this journey, its important to value the small wins and small achievements because it’s proof that what you’re putting so much work into is paying off. This August I was a vendor at my first large event and was given the opportunity to sell my sustainable fashion at MGK Day in Downtown Cleveland. This was a huge step for me as I haven’t done many events for my business and it allowed me to talk with people and really put my art out there. I gave myself a goal for selling and even though I didn’t quite reach that goal, I was still so proud of the fact that I was able to make any sales at all! I talked with so many people about sustainability and my design process. I am very proud that I was able to put my brand out there and connect with my community!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Janelle Ariona and I am a growing fashion designer and stylist from Cleveland, Ohio! I am the CEO and lead designer of J. Ariona the Label. J. Ariona is a sustainable fashion brand that prides itself on creating unique, one of a kind fashion from secondhand clothing and waste materials! I have been sewing for about 10 years now and my main focus is sustainability and slow fashion. Fast fashion is one of the many practices that contribute to the down spiral of our planet Earth and my talents allow me to work towards reversing that the best I can. My design mediums include upcycling, cut and sew, crochet, and screen printing. Upcycling was my first fashion love, as I was obsessed with YouTube DIYs as a young teen and figuring out new ways to transform the clothes I no longer wore. This concept really shaped my view on fashion design and opened my mind to the infinite ways to make clothing! Another huge part of my fashion journey is learning to crochet from my mother at the age of 10 or 11. My love for crocheting grew into my now passion for crocheting plastic grocery bags. Using waste materials like plastic bags and turning them into wearable art is a technique and skill that I am proud to obtain. I hope to change the fashion industry in any way I can using these sustainable practices!

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was younger, I was painfully shy. Every friend I ever had, came to me first and they were often much more outspoken than I was. I never knew the reason I avoided contact with others. It could’ve stemmed from my spending so much time in the hospital as a child or the simple fact that I was a lot smaller than everyone else. In any case, I wouldn’t read aloud in class, I only talked with my friends, and I avoided store clerks and strangers at all costs haha! I believed that I didn’t need to talk to anyone because everyone around me could or would do it for me. Which honestly worked for quite some time but I later realized I would have to sharpen these skills myself if I wanted to make it in my profession. Today, talking to people and putting myself out there is still something that I actively work towards in order to be successful as a fashion designer. The fashion industry is all about showing and convincing people why your work is different or special; in order to do this, you must be confident in your work and be able to articulate that to the world!

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I would have to say that one of my biggest fears would be change.. Which is probably like one of the worst things for someone to be afraid of especially as someone who is a bit of a control freak. Change is something that is inevitable in life. It’s something that is unavoidable since it’s everywhere. I would consider myself a very ambitious woman with ginormous dreams. Thinking of the changes that these dreams can bring is a bit scary. But being as transparent as possible, it is a fear that I have to work through every day. A goal of mine is to allow myself to be in more uncomfortable situations where my brain and body will learn to adjust and grow!

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The fashion industry has unfortunately ALWAYS pushed certain beauty standards or ways in which things should be done. It is an industry that is almost completely based on how things look and I think that over the last few years, this narrative is finally changing! As a designer, people expect you to have gone to fashion school to learn the proper ways of sewing and creating but this is no longer a necessary path. I have been sewing and learning for over 10 years about fashion design but never attended an institute for it. Designers and creatives can produce incredible pieces as a self taught artists or simply by learning from others. I was lucky enough to have stumbled across my fashion design mentor when I was 18 and she has taught me so many different things about sewing, techniques, and how to run a business. Though I do have my degree in Business Administration and Marketing, fashion design is something that I learned elsewhere. And that is something I am proud of!

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I 100% believe that fashion design is what I was born to do! It wasn’t something I searched for, it came to me. That simple fact is how I know it was meant to be. Looking back on my childhood and my teenage years, fashion and clothing has always been important to me. I honestly think one day God said “Alright it’s time to pickup that sewing machine and start creating!!” I am very grateful for the blessings that are these talents! I’m excited to see how my skills will evolve overtime!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jariona.com/

Image Credits
Views by Hym