Production Mode is designed in Chicago by designer Jamie Hayes.
Production Mode is independent, slow fashion specializing in accessible statement pieces. Our process starts with the provenance, quality, and uniqueness of materials and techniques. Our work is ethically-made, built to last, and imbued with authenticity and beauty.
About Jamie
Jamie Hayes is the founder and designer of slow fashion line Production Mode. Her interests lie at the intersection of fashion, art, labor, and identity.
She has worked as a labor rights organizer and has designed for fair trade organizations including SERRV, Intercrafts Peru, and Threads of Yunnan. As a Campaign Leader for Chicago Fair Trade, she helped to pass an ordinance mandating that apparel procured by the City of Chicago be sweatshop-free.
Jamie also co-designed a collection of luxury slow fashion lingerie and nightwear, Department of Curiosities. She was voted "Best Local Clothing Designer" in the Chicago Reader, was named as one of New City's "Design 50: Who Shapes Chicago", and Production Mode was included in Chicago Magazine's "Best of" issue. Additionally, her work has been featured in Paper Magazine, Dazed, Elle, and on the cover of Billboard Magazine.
Ethical Manufacture
We choose to produce in small batches to allow for greater flexibility and creativity in design and tighter quality control.
We also cut and sew in-house and employ cutters and stitchers directly (without the use of contractors or piecework) in order to ensure that garment workers in our supply chain are paid a living wage.
In addition, producing in small batches allows us to minimize ecological and financial waste, and gives us the freedom to customize and make items to measure.
We invite you to see our collection and process in-person. Visit our atelier in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood at 3860 N Lincoln Ave.
Collaboration
Each collection begins with an artist collaboration to produce custom materials which we use to create our pieces. Collaborating with visual artists, textile designers, musicians, artisans, performers, and dancers allows these uniquely created materials to shine, while carefully considering the body and its movement.
We also carry other independent designers at our boutique—most of them based in Chicago, and all of them working responsibly.
Production Mode's collaborators have included: Paula J. Wilson, Nuria Montiel, Emily Winter of The Weaving Mill, Nora Renick-Reinhart, Leslie Baum, Horween Tannery, Loom Chicago, Bi Daüü Collective, Damon Locks, Anna Martine Whitehead, Manny Edwards of The Goody Vault, and Ms. Amy Taylor.