Meet Jaclyn Schoknecht | Founder, Dessous Loungewear

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaclyn Schoknecht and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaclyn, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
Because I’m new to the fashion industry, I spent the first few months after deciding to start my brand educating myself about garment manufacturing. While I was able to learn the basics on my own, I didn’t have a mentor or colleagues to give me industry tips, suggest resources or just lend an ear or give me an opinion. By far, the most important decision I made that helped me successfully launch my business was joining sustainable fashion incubator/accelerator Factory45. Factory45 connected me with a mentor who’s also a fashion entrepreneur and gave me access to their incredible database of fabric sources, pattern makers, factories, etc., and walked me through the process of launching via my e-commerce website.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Throughout my career, I’ve sought opportunities that allowed me to balance both professionalism and creativity. I have an undergraduate degree in art and a law degree which may seem odd, but it’s actually been the perfect combination for my personality. I’m both analytical and detail oriented AND expressive and creative. After practicing entertainment litigation in Los Angeles for a few years, I felt stifled and moved into producing for film and television. Even while staying home full-time while my daughters were young, I made time to write a blog and take on a production job here and there. Currently, I’m finishing up a documentary project while running my fashion business.

This balance hasn’t always been easy and my career path has been far from traditional. There have been times when I’ve felt like a failure because I didn’t follow the typical track from law school to practicing law to becoming a partner in a firm. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve been able to see a through-line in my job history and realize I’m exactly where I should be and all the twists and turns along the way have lead me here. I’ve learned to follow my heart and intuition and define success in my own way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is one of my favorite places in the city. When my daughters were little I would take them there to play in the children’s garden. These days, I’d be much more likely to take an out-of-town friend to the Garden at night for Cocktails in the Garden.

I’m a huge fan of Mexican food, so I’d take my friend on a tour of the best taco joints in town. Some of my favorites are El Tesoro, Supremo Taco (currently closed while relocating), Chi Chi Vegan, Raging Burrito for their Full On Veggie taco and Taqueria del Sol for fish tacos.

For something sweet, I’d either hit Southern Sweets Bakery for Mascarpone Rum Cake or Big Softie for ice cream. My go-to order at Big Softie is vegan oat vanilla with cornflake streusel and toasted coconut. If I’m feeling particularly decadent, I’ll add chocolate hard shell.

Lastly, I’m a big music lover, so I’d definitely want to catch a show or two during the week. Some of my favorite venues for live music are The Tabernacle, Terminal West, Smith’s Olde Bar, The Earl and Eddie’s Attic.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband Paul Schoknecht has been my support throughout the entire process from idea to launch to now running Dessous Loungewear day-to-day. Paul is a successful businessman himself, so he has been a great person to bounce ideas off of. He encouraged me to follow my dream of starting the company, He has rolled up his sleeves and helped me set up my website, pack up and ship giant rolls of fabric, tag and fulfill orders, prep for photoshoots, and do graphic design work. He’s been an impromptu photographer and videographer for social media, an IT guy, a therapist and a stock boy! I couldn’t have done it without him.

Website: https://www.dessousloungewear.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dessousloungewear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DessousApparel/

Image Credits
Ren Adkins, Ren Adkins Photography