Jonathan Marc Stein, the designer behind his eponymous luxury fashion brand, brings a distinctive blend of technical precision and creative flair to the industry. Since its debut collection in 2017, the brand has captivated Fashion Week runways and adorned influential stars at prestigious events like the Oscars and Emmys. Blending a mechanical engineering background with a family legacy of seamstresses, tailors, and luxury designers, Stein creates innovative, multifaceted garments for all, from couture masterpieces to accessible ready-to-wear diffusion lines. Jonathan Marc Stein is the future of fashion—a dynamic, forward-thinking brand that mirrors the vibrant spirit of its wearers.
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With a background in mechanical engineering, Stein’s journey into fashion was anything but conventional, sparked by a serendipitous encounter with an Alexander McQueen runway show that ignited his passion for design. From teaching himself to sew to showcasing at Los Angeles Fashion Week, his rise reflects a relentless pursuit of self-expression through wearable art. Ahead, Stein shares insights into his unique path, the inspiration behind his JMS diffusion line, and how he crafts garments that empower the modern woman to embody confidence and individuality.
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HAUTE LIVING: Can you walk us through how you got started in the industry? Was fashion something you were always passionate about?
JONATHAN MARC STEIN: Fashion was not something that I envisioned would be my whole life when I was growing up. In fact, I thought that I would become an artist, architect, or even a chef. Even after I decided I wanted to attend university, I switched yet again to the path of becoming an engineer. It was not until my sophomore year of college that I saw my first ever runway show on YouTube while waiting for one of my classes to begin. It was a 1990-something Alexander McQueen show, and I absolutely fell in love with the whole universe that is fashion. I could think of nothing else and eventually later that year I decided to bite the bullet and teach myself how to sew. I put together my first make-shift collection (to this day it is something I still cringe about, but hey, you have to start somewhere) and submitted it to a local festival in Columbus, Ohio. The reviews from the show were outstanding, and later that week, I received a message that Los Angeles Fashion Week wanted me to showcase my work! From then on, I really thought that maybe this whole endeavor could work out.
HL: Your background in mechanical engineering is quite a unique foundation for fashion. How do you integrate technical precision with the creative freedom of your luxury designs at Jonathan Marc Stein?
JMS: Contrary to what many may think, having my degree in Engineering has really helped me out in a multitude of ways. Creating clothing requires math, structural integrity, motion, design, and even more aspects that are relevant from my schooling and engineering applications. The creative side of things is definitely the more difficult part of the process. Creating a wearable work of art requires integration of both aesthetics and engineering. A design may look beautiful on paper, but figuring out how to bring it to life and make it work on the human body is a process of fusing both ideals together.
HL: How would you describe the ‘Jonathan Marc Stein’ woman?
JMS: This is something that I constantly think of every day. My goal in life is to make my clients feel both beautiful and confident/badass in the garments that I create. The JMS woman is constantly evolving and finding herself via expression and experimentation. No matter the shape, size, ethnicity, or age, a JMS woman is the epitome of personal expression and self-discovery.
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HL: What inspires you as a designer? What keeps your creativity flowing?
JMS: Many things that I view and absorb from my surroundings ultimately become my inspiration. Whether it is a person, a place, a building, nature, and more, inspiration comes from many places in a person’s life. Keeping this “river” flowing is something that I struggle with constantly when I am working in my studio. Some days I have no ideas (and this can even extend for weeks), and others I have 1000 ideas. From this, it can extend even further. I may have some wondrous ideas, but materializing them is another step that I can struggle with even more. I can easily envision the garment or accessory, but making it is a whole other undertaking.
HL: Can you walk us through the diffusion line you recently launched?
JMS: Affordable pieces that embody luxury have been something that I have wanted to create for a long time; an avenue that will allow anyone to own a piece of JONATHAN MARC STEIN Atelier. The way I went about it is extremely different from the majority of other luxury retailers. Most brands create a brand within a brand. For example, Atelier Versace has Versace Collection and Moschino has Love Moschino. With my own ideals in mind, I created JMS. It is a curated selection of high-quality pieces that fall under my main brand that will allow most anyone to own a design of mine while not jeopardizing quality and aesthetics. To start I released a few garments as well as accessories. They are all crafted from amazing sustainable fabrics, leathers, and metals within the same workspace as our runway pieces.
HL: What can we expect from Jonathan Marc Stein; what are you currently working on?
JMS: I always have my fingers in so many different pools. My current projects in motion are celebrity customs, expanding the JMS Collection with more cool pieces and accessories, and future runway collections. My own work is constantly updating as I expand and continue improving my own skill set and developing new ideas. I cannot wait to release new work for the world to see!
HL: If you could give your younger self any advice when starting the brand, what would it be?
JMS: A huge part of success is overcoming failure. No matter how many times you fall down, it is getting back up that is the hard and important part. A cliche for sure, but I never knew how much it would resonate with me. Fashion is an incredibly difficult journey with constant learning as each step brings challenges, hardships, and obstacles. Staying determined in whatever you do in life is an important trait, as you never know what treasures may come your way.
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HL: What are some of your favorite pieces from the current collection?
JMS: The JMS pieces embody my aesthetics and journey in every way. The DAN/IEL convertible trench coat helped me get through the hardest time of my life, the murder of my father. Through that piece, I was able to envision and create my diffusion collection, which is a natural extension of the trench coat. Using the zippers and leather, I designed the tote bag and belt. From the leather, I designed the Belted Yoke vest. And from the recycled brass, I created the J Logo Cuff with more to come soon. Together, all of the pieces fit together to emulate the journey that I followed as I managed through my grief.
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