Meet Katie Brown:

This is a short story on Katie Brown and how she started her own sustainable clothing business.

By: Gillian George

 

As she gets up from sitting by her fireplace in the living room and goes downstairs, Katie Brown’s house swiftly transforms from her home to her workspace. Katie Brown is a Eugene local, and she is passionate about sustainable clothing. Although she runs the business from her home, the grand opening of her store will be in December of 2017 located near UO campus. Katie’s brand KBLA (Katie Brown LA) is comprised of clothing made to a higher standard, keeping both in mind for the customer and the environment.

 

Before having her own clothing company, Katie was a businesswoman. Starting in 2002, and using $15,000 of inheritance from her mom, Katie began a journey in the food business. With the help of a friend, she used the first year to create a business plan and opened their first restaurant with 68 cents in the bank. Within two months the restaurant was booming, and she was approached by 5th Street Market to open more locations. Once the fifth location had come into picture Katie decided she wanted to continue to run a business surrounding what she felt more passionate about.

 

It was during the fifth location Katie said, “When the building was being sold I was sitting outside trying to figure out what I wanted to do next. I then saw a woman in a boatneck shirt going into the ballet school and that was my moment of epiphany.” Katie wanted a clothing brand she loved and felt good about wearing. She spent the entire first year researching and writing her business plan, during which she became aware of the negative effects of fast fashion such as landfill pollution. Katie’s clothing is “made in LA by a local fabric company by the name Pacific Coast Knitting [that] focuses on making clothes of higher quality fabric.” The clothing is made to last longer in the hopes of not being thrown away as frequently and decreasing the amount going to into the garbage. This shift of going from a high volume of cheap clothing to lower amounts of higher quality clothing is the mission that Katie actively tries to make a reality.

 

Katie envisions her company growing into multiple locations and helping consumers purchase environmentally-friendly clothing. She wants her clothing to one day benefit not only women, but the entire family. Katie’s son described watching his mom’s journey as “inspiring, it has taught me that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it.” Katie wishes for people to be able to focus on less superficial things such as family and slowing down in life. “The idea that this can come from a fashion company is a revelation in it of itself.”