Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Filandrinos.
Hi Brooke, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a passion for creating things. Whether its jewelry, scrap booking, or woodworking, making art feels like it is hardwired into my DNA! My mom taught me to sew when I was five years old and I started sewing clothes for myself in high school. That passion carried into adulthood when I started making clothing for my two daughters. My friend Nicky would cut everything out for her daughter as well as mine. Two of everything! That worked when our girls were young but as they got older what I thought was cute didn’t always match what they thought was cute!
So, I decided to refocus my creative energy to start making funky pants for myself! Everywhere I went I would get compliments, and was asked if I sold them. No! I would say firmly, thinking in my head there’s no way I’m going to make clothing for other people! It is way too hard AND I have no formal training AND it would take way too long! But then upcycling clothing became a thing and I started thinking maybe if someone else did the hard part, fitting the waist and hips, I could put all of my energy into the fun part of redesigning already made clothing, then MAYBE I would consider it! Crazy enough another friend of mine, Jill, also had made a pair of pants from a maxi skirt at the same time I had made my pants. Friends and strangers on the street kept asking us where we got them or if we made them and funny enough they also would ask us if we were sisters! So we put our heads together and started coming up with ideas until it turned into what it is today. She still makes a few for my shop, Brooke’s Boutique, but has another ‘real’ job as a physical therapist, so she doesn’t have the time to spend sewing like I do. My children were almost out of the house, and I needed something to keep me busy and not depressed as they left me!
In August of 2022 Jill, encouraged me to make some pants for this cute little shop she found in Afton called Liza Jane’s where she had placed some of her pants for sale, so I did! We started with one tiny rack that held about 10 or 15 pairs of pants. We laughed and said ‘well we hope you’re one of these sizes because that’s all we have!!’
A few weeks later my family was headed to the Minnesota State Fair and at the last moment, I decided to start advertising my jeans that I was ‘kind of’ making. While the family was literally waiting for me in the car, I took off my jeans that I had already attached a ruffle to and used a Sharpie to write the name of my new brand, “MyJazzyJeans.com”, directly on them. You cannot get much cheaper for a marketing strategy – but it worked! Many women approached me, complimented me on the pants, and took pictures of my hastily scribbled advertisement! And we were off!
About 4-6 months later Liza Jane’s started talking about moving her shop up the street to a historical school house, which would give her more room for her art and classes she had always wanted to do. At first, I figured I would just go with her but as I thought about it, I didn’t want to move as I was in the same building as the Afton Post Office as well as the restaurant The Lumberyard Pub and the shop got a lot of residual traffic from these. Plus, I had already made my business cards with this address on them and, being frugal, I didn’t want to have to throw those away and order more! So on a whim, I decided I’d just keep the shop until the current lease was up, and then decide if I wanted to join her down the street or just continue on with the pop-up shows.
The first challenge I had to solve was -What in the world am I going to fill the rest of this retail space with?? I had just signed up for my first pop- up show in my hometown of Stillwater and that question kept nagging at me. Then it hit me: what if I invited some of the other artists to show case their art in my shop too? So with that vision in mind I headed to the show in May of 2023, seeking out talented creators to join me. I remember asking three or four artists if they “wanted to join me in my shop that I’m opening in June, and oh, by the way, I have no idea what I am doing!” Stellar presentation, I know! Well, God must have heard my prayers because two of them took a chance on me and said yes! Incidentally, these first two artists have been my best sellers in the shop, with hand poured soy candles in handmade concrete containers and wood with epoxy charcuterie/cutting boards!
So in June of 2023 Liza Jane’s moved out and Brooke’s Boutique was born! I started with about six artists in my shop. It was quite barren so we had to spread every thing out to fill the space!
Today I proudly feature the work of over 40 artists! It brings me tremendous joy when one of their pieces sells and I get to see them smile and share in their excitement!
While making jeans was where it all began, my creations have evolved over time. One day my husband asked, “Hey, where’s the guy’s stuff?” That lead me to start making children’s and adult flannels that were more male oriented…but women bought them too so I guess I can’t completely say they are only for males!! Since then I have added jean jackets, dresses, skirts, and any other pieces of clothing that I look at and start seeing designs pop into my head! I have made over 2600 items at this point! That is so crazy to think!!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am not sure any small business owner would describe entrepreneurship as a smooth road, and I am no exception. One of my biggest challenges has been location. Afton, MN, is a very beautiful small town, but it experienced a noticeable decline in visitors after Covid. With relatively low foot traffic, attracting customers to the shop has been an ongoing challenge.
Another struggle is the heavy reliance on social media marketing. While these platforms promise great visibility, the learning curve and frequent technical glitches have made it difficult to use them effectively. It is a constant balancing act between creating, running a shop, still doing the pop up shows and trying to master online marketing!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in using upcycled clothing to create unique, fun, BoHo/hippie-style clothing for both adults and children. I enjoy the challenge that every piece comes with its own little puzzle to solve during the recreation process, no two are ever the same, that’s what makes it so fun! …. And then there are the times I get super frustrated and throw it in the ‘bin’ of “I’ll work on you later…or Never!” But beyond my own designs, the boutique showcases many talented local artists offering everything from handcrafted jewelry to pottery to handmade pet treats! We are very diverse! Providing a platform for other artists to share and sell their work gives me as much-if not more-pleasure than selling my own creations! I actually love selling, so that is probably a huge bonus!
What’s next?
This year I did my first paid advertising! We are right on the St Croix River and there is tons of boat traffic. The private marina is right next door to us and the public marina is only a few blocks away so I decided to cater to that audience and advertise within the marinas so I am hoping that will bring us some more foot traffic! I will also continue to look for artists so keep the shop new and exciting each time you visit.
Pricing:
- We have a wide range of prices. I try to be really fair with my artists and not charge them a lot so in turn they are able to keep their prices low
Contact Info:
- Website: https://MyJazzyJeans.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myjazzyjeans?igsh=MXNkbWYxZmZ2ZzZs&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17gNT9E5mj/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: Google Brooke’s Boutique – Afton
