by Natalie Ast
Laura-Jean is the knitting queen. The designer is crafty with not only fabric and yarn, but she is also an entrepreneur. Laura-Jean Bernhardson is the owner of the Fresh Collective, a chain of stores carrying ladies wear, and accessories from budding local designers. But Bernhardson also owns a daycare and juggles family life while keeping everything stitched together.
Bernhardson was always doing crafts growing up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. There wasn’t a lot of fashion there, so she took it upon herself to create pieces that expressed her style. This started to catch on, and she started selling her jewellery designs to friends and family. After finishing school, she moved to Toronto to pursue her aspirations in the fashion industry. She started her line of knitwear, Fresh Baked Goods in 1994, and she opened her first store in Kensington Market four years after that. She opened a second store with a business partner, but realized they were both stretched too thin to fill the shelves of the store. Bernhardson and her partner came up with the idea to invite local designers to share the store space, a concept she refers to as a "roommate situation." As her partner left the business, Bernhardson was left to run the store and mentor the designers.
Mentorship is a large aspect of the Fresh Collective, as Bernhardson helps designers that are starting out with their business. “I had advice I could offer them quite early on about how they could price, create a context for their stuff, or build a brand,” says Bernhardson. Over a year and a half ago, Bernhardson created the Fresh Collective University, a program that allows young designers to sell their stuff in the store and learn how to run their own company as a designer. The program currently has 37 members.
To join the program, designers pay a monthly fee for display space in one of the three locations, and work on the retail floor one day a week. Bernhardson admits that some designers aren’t keen on working retail, but she says it’s one of the most fundamental aspects of marketing your brand to the customer. “They’re seeing how their product performs in reality, learning about their customers, learning about the marketplace, and that one day a week really keeps them in touch with the end result of their business,” adds Bernhardson.
Keeping in touch with the customer is an important aspect of the Fresh Collective, and to Bernhardson. The store carries pieces that are tailored to their target demographic of 30 to 55-year-old women. Most of the pieces can go from work to dinner or a party. Versatility is key. The store also carries eco-friendly lines like Paper People Clothing, which is made from repurposed fabrics. Some of the jewellery designers incorporate vintage pieces, and breathe new life into baubles with a history.
Versatility is a word that comes up in Bernhardson’s vocabulary often. Working out of a home office, she manages the production of her clothing line and the store. She is also a co-owner at her son’s daycare. While it seems like a lot to take on, Bernhardson says the daycare practically runs itself, thanks to structured management, and good staff. Her experience running a daycare was what set her on fire to re-organize the Fresh Collective, and set up the company for growth.
With a growth strategy in place, The Fresh Collective has expanded to three locations, the latest on Roncesvalles which opened this spring. Bernhardson hopes to open a fourth location in 2012, with new locations popping up every year for the next few years as well. “We’re really set up to grow now, so that’s our big plan, you know, just taking over the world!” she says with a laugh.
But even with rapid expansion, Bernhardson is realistic and says it’s important to be local. Her line, Fresh Baked Goods was even sold at the International Boutique show in New York City, but she realized that it took a lot of overhead to supply products for buyers overseas. She adds, “And why go and try to reach the customers in Japan? Why not just try to reach the customers in Toronto?”
What Bernhardson found in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood reflected her own values as well. The people in this neighbourhood support local stores, and are creative professionals that are looking for something functional, yet off-beat.
With her quirky and stunning cat-eye frames, connecting to the hipster glasses print on her dress from her own line’s spring collection, Bernhardson is completely at ease as she points out different pieces in her shop. She says, “My life is busy, I hit the ground running every morning. I love being entrepreneurial, I feel like I found my calling. I’m so passionate about what I do. I’m inspired by the people around me.”
