Kari Svarc on Naked & Famous’ Womens Collection – Exclusive Interview

We were given an opportunity to speak with Kari Svarc – the sister of Naked & Famous founder Brandon Svarc – who played a major role in the development and relaunch of Naked & Famous‘ women’s collection earlier this year. 

Kari shared with us her involvement in the collection and some insights into what ladies look for in raw denim.


RD: As our customary first question – what is the significance of denim, particularly the raw variety, for you?

KS: I love raw denim and beating up and fading my jeans, but I also really like “almost raw” denim (one wash) because it activates the stretch, gives girls more freedom of movement, but still fades well!

RD: We presume that as a member of the Svarc family, you’ve probably been a part of Naked & Famous for a while. How did you get involved with the women’s collection? Was it just a natural progression?

KS: My grandfather started in the “shmata” (clothing) business about 65 years ago. Eventually my father also went into the business, so I’ve been around the industry since I was a little girl. I was always really impressed with my grandfather’s business sense and so I knew this was where I belonged.

When I officially started working here about a year ago, I was super excited when Brandon told me he wanted to re-launch the women’s line! I really love the men’s collection, but obviously I enjoyed developing something that I could wear myself (although I do wear several of the men’s styles!).

Also, I’m pretty much the only girl around here, and I think it’s important to have a female’s perspective when creating pieces for women.

RD: We can’t imagine making a women’s collection without the input of a lady. What sort of things do you feel are crucial for women’s denim?

KS: Most women want to feel comfortable in their jeans, and at the same time want their legs and butt to look good too! It’s important to stick to high quality fabrics that have good stretch recovery and won’t leave you with a saggy butt!

BootGirl – Grey Stretch

BootGirl – Grey Stretch

RD: What sort of role did you take in the production of the women’s collection?

KS: Developing the womens line was such a fun experience. I helped design and decide what would be our final four fits. We decided on The High Skinny, The Skinny, The Straight and The Boot, in order to have something for everyone.

I was the initial fit model for the process, and once we had the sample size created, I brought in a bunch of my girlfriends to come and try on the jeans to make sure it was good for every body-type. I have friends of all shapes and sizes and I wanted to make sure that everyone felt good and comfortable in the jeans.

RD: Naked & Famous is famous (no pun intended) for its off-the-wall varieties of jeans. Any chance we’ll see some glow-in-the-dark or 32 oz. jeans for the ladies in future?

KS: We have Glow in the Dark jeans for women this Fall season available in our The Skinny fit! We do have something crazy coming for next season, so stay tuned!

RD: From the ladies’ collection, do you have a personal favourite? 

KS: That’s a tough question because I love all of them! If I had to pick, I would say The Skinny Lightweight Super Stretch since I pretty much wear them every day. They are the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever owned and they’re perfect for the day at work and can be dressy for going out at night as well.

The Skinny Lightweight Super Stretch

Kari’s Favorite – The Skinny Lightweight Super Stretch

For the girls who read Heddels and see their boyfriends rocking selvedge, their favorite piece in our collection would definitely be The Straight in stretch selvedge. Woohoo! Selvedge for Girls!

RD: Selvedge for women can be tough to incorporate into different fits because of the outseam. We think it’ll be a welcome feature for a lot of ladies. Do you have any advice for women who are just getting started with raw denim?

In order to ease into raw, I would suggest to start with a one-rinse jean like the Stretch Selvedge. You still get selvedge but you also get the stretch-ability and comfort of a womens jean! Best of both worlds.