FALL RIVER — Last year, Fall River native Jeremy Lavoie got his big break as a fashion designer. Now, he builds on that success and brings it back to his hometown as much as he can.
“It’s so overwhelming, but it’s also such a good feeling,” he said.
In 2021, Lavoie worked with his brother, Jonathan Lavoie, and another partner, Stephan Solway, to launch JL Creative Studios to sell clothing he has designed.
In the months that followed, his brand quickly gained traction, with requests for his signature custom duffel jackets and vests from NBA players and music artists.
And he began working as a personal stylist for the likes of professional basketball player Ta’Quan Zimmerman and celebrity racer Brandon Medford. He got into that business by making connections with people who bought custom jackets from him.
“Now, it has become a society,” he said.
“It all started with an artist”:Fall River native Jeremy Lavoie launches fashion brand
Now, Lavoie is being noticed by bigger companies, like Carhartt, Fashion Nova and Ethika, who work with him and supply their customers with clothes.
A graduate of BMC Durfee High School, Lavoie began working with his alma mater’s fashion department last year to teach students about the industry alongside lessons in sewing and design. He has also worked with other schools in the city, including Talbot High School and Resilience Preparatory Academy.
On July 30, he’ll host an outdoor event (likely in Kennedy Park) to talk to kids about the fashion industry, with plans for some NBA players to attend. Later this year, she also hopes to hire some Fall River students as interns and take them to fashion events in New York City and to her embroidery workshop in Providence.
In addition to teaching them the ins and outs of the industry, Lavoie also wants to encourage young people to develop their own personal styles and have the confidence to promote themselves and form relationships that can help them in the future.
“I get these questions all the time, ‘how did you meet all these people?’” he said. “I want kids to really see, ‘You can do this too. You can also make these connections if you put in the effort.’”
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Audrey Cooney can be reached at [email protected]. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
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