Angelina Jolie Was Prepared To Lose Money When She Launched Her Sustainable Fashion Brand
Angelina Jolie has launched a sustainability-focused fashion business called Atelier Jolie. While plenty of celebrities have put their names on a line of clothing, Atelier Jolie is more than that. It seems to be all about bringing together designers, tailors, artisans, and customers, and reimagining how clothing can be worn and made with a focus on upcycling and lasting quality. On the Instagram post confirming their opening date of December 6, 2023, the company is described as a place where, "everyone is a creator — whether your vision is a bespoke garment, customizing a style from parts within our shop or simply breathing new life into an existing piece. This is a space for people to collaborate."
In what seems like a somewhat unexpected perspective from someone starting a new business, Jolie isn't expecting her company to be a big money maker for her in the short term, or perhaps even in the long run. "I'll probably lose money, maybe even for a while," Jolie explained to WSJ. Magazine. "If I can eventually put into practice some things that I think are improvements and I just break even, that's a huge victory."
Angelina Jolie wants to help people live more ethically
Angelina Jolie explained to Harper's Bazaar what sounds like her big-picture improvement goal with Atelier Jolie, "We are a collective that aims to show that an ethical and sustainable lifestyle isn't a lesser life with limitations." With that larger goal, Jolie is hoping to rework how the garment industry operates. Making clothing can be a process that's damaging to the health of the planet and the people who actually make the clothing, but Jolie is hoping to figure out how to help fix that.
"Can we avoid doing real damage — not only to the earth, but the garment workers?," she asked WSJ. Magazine. "Is it possible that I could go somewhere and enjoy making clothes, enjoy wearing clothes and not hurt anybody? And actually maybe treat people well?" Jolie admitted that she didn't have those answers, but trying to find them is an admirable goal.
How exactly all of that will play out at Atelier Jolie and what form that will take seems a bit up in the air at the moment, considering the recent launch date. Jolie seems well aware that her new business isn't a straightforward fashion line and that it might take a bit for people to figure out quite how Atelier Jolie works, and she's OK with that. "If it's easily explained, it's probably not going to be as fulfilling as it could be," Jolie told WSJ. Magazine, "In my life, I've never been understood right away."
Angelina Jolie helped create a capsule collection for her brand
Even though it sounds like Atelier Jolie will be a place for bespoke creation in many ways, it will also have some more traditional aspects. Angelina Jolie partnered with former Chloé director Gabriela Hearst to create Atelier Jolie's first collection, set to be released in January 2024. So if you want to dress like Jolie, you'll be able to soon. It will be a "ready-to-wear capsule collection celebrating modern femininity," according to the Atelier Jolie Instagram announcement of the collaboration. It sounds like it's going to be a collection of quiet luxury items with high-quality basics like a blazer and a camisole in neutral colors, per The Cut. Then there's also a not-so-basic item in the form of a long, black velvet cloak.
While we don't know the price point for the pieces yet, even if you don't buy anything at Atelier Jolie, it would be worth stopping by the shop when you're in New York. There will be a cafe serving coffee and other drinks run by Eat Offbeat, a food company featuring recipes by immigrants in New York City. Plus, the building itself at 57 Great Jones Street was once used as a residence and studio for artists Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.