Busy Izzy
Did you see busy Izzy in Cornwall this summer? It might have been in the Padstow store, it might have been in the water. Either way, you’d know if you did, because Iz leaves an impression. A long lasting, happy impression.
She is incredibly excitable and her infectious laugh is loud. I have always wanted a laugh like hers! It reminds me of my sister’s. Izzy and I joined Jam within a few weeks of each other so I feel like that kind of makes us sisters too. Whilst we work a little way down the coastline from each other, she feels like she is always close. Probably because I can hear her from St. Ives!
Izzy has taken me to her favourite spot in town and we gossip over coffee. She doesn’t seem to notice that people are turning their heads with intrigue from nearby tables only to go on and ask the waiter if they can have whatever she is having. She’s that kind of person. We were actually tempted by the flutes of pink fizz we saw parade on by our table but we were quick to recall how hard we went at the Jam summer party (classic newbies) and agree that neither of us can really handle day time drinking. Iz drinks an oat latte, but the real ingredient behind her glow, is simply, salt water.
Iz wakes up and surfs before work. This morning she went to Great Western. She exclaims that it was extremely cold, and the discovery of a hole in her wetsuit didn’t help! It is October, it is freezing, she has a hole the size of my hand in her wetsuit and she’s still smiling. Like I said, I’ll have what she’s having.
Izzy is a legit surfer. Surfers generally intimidate me just a little. But there is no ego with Iz. She just surfs because that’s what she loves doing. Her parents put her on a board when she was four – she didn’t stand up that day but still - how many 4 year olds even attempt?! Surfing became Izzy’s sweetheart at 16, well – that’s when the love affair really took off - taking every opportunity to drive the 40 minutes from her home in Cardiff to the swell. She then chose Falmouth over Brighton for university; inching her way closer to the surf line. Now every holiday/trip/day-off is planned around surfing. She has sought out waves in New Zealand, Australia, Bali and most recently Costa Rica. Izzy and her mum were actually locked down in Costa Rica. Cases were low and so were restrictions, her visa was extended and extended again and she was free to stay on and surf every day. Not a bad place to be stranded I guess!
Izzy’s mum surfs too; she bought a house in Costa Rica after a 10 day surf course and Izzy went to join her for a couple of months which ultimately turned into six. There’s that genetic influence again! She has absolutely instilled in Izzy her love of the ocean. She was also the person to recognise Izzy as the creative genius that she is. When Izzy was a kid she would sit in front of the TV sewing the hem on a pair of jeans she was altering and restyling. It was her Mum that showed her how to use a sewing machine and she was away… which brings her to Jam.
Now designing alongside Andrew and Lynne, Izzy is responsible for a lot of what you see in store and online. Being part of a small team means she can be involved in the whole design process. Iz says to Lynne that she has something she wants to design and Lynne responds saying it’s a great idea, cad it up and we’ll make a sample! No long, drawn out meetings, approval waiting time where 2 months go by only for the idea to be shut down. She says how nice it is to be listened to, and she is worth listening to. At university, she specialised in sportswear design, giving her a sharp eye for detail…. and more importantly, comfort. She considers every thread of every garment her responsibility, and her goal is to keep you guys comfy.
Not one for standing still, Izzy like most designers, has the attention span of a wasp (like Andrew and sometimes Lynne too). She finds her work in the Padstow store a productive distraction from the amazing world her imagination has the ability to create. As a designer working in store, she can actually see the final product of her work, get feedback and most importantly, future ideas. Turns out, Iz is a good listener too. She is so humble in her nature she is in fact very hard to interview. Responding to my every question with a question, it’s no wonder people like to spend time with Izzy, which is why she’s so busy. Whether it’s surfing, sewing, designing or laughing; Izzy is her own ecosystem. She has impressively made the world work for her, waiting patiently for right job, the right wave, and the right life. She embodies everything that Jam stands for and after only 4 months working with us, its safe to say, she’s part of the family now.
