Meet the Makers of Glenn + Glenn Apparel

PHOTOS BY NOAH BERG PHOTOGRAPHY @noahbergphotography WRITTEN BY: ELIZABETH MERAKI @elizabethmeraki

Glenn+Glenn is one of Colorado’s newest apparel brands hitting the local fashion scene, led by sister-duo Hillary Glenn Riley and Jillian Glenn Altman.

Taking destiny into their own hands, and finally fulfilling their childhood dream, they launched Glenn+Glenn in 2017. “We’d talked about it for a decade, and I think that we’d always had the idea to do it, but it was a risky thing to do” Jillian explains. While both of the Glenn sisters have had an extensive career in fashion, the arts and business, it wasn’t until the fruition of Glenn+Glenn that they had conspired their efforts together to create a fashion line. Hillary began her career in design while working for Diane von Furstenberg in New York City, and later returned to Colorado to design for leading lifestyle

In a world dominated by polyester, environmental woes and fast fashion, it can be quite difficult, and tiresome, scoping out top quality garments that are affordable in nature. Gems may be hard to find, however look no further than the city of Boulder, Colorado.

and performance companies. Contrastingly, Jillian had set her sights on corporate branding, art and photography as a contract designer for numerous clients and brands. After years of helping foster the dreams of others, it came time for the sisters to branch out of their well-established careers, and into the world of entrepreneurship. “It’s great working for yourself, and seeing your own dreams come to life,” Hillary says regarding the rewards of being an entrepreneur in the fashion industry. Having their own brand and creative direction, Jillian further states how,

“There is no compromise for the design you want.”

Interestingly, the sisters’ dissatisfaction of the current climate of the fashion industry actually initiated the existence of Glenn+Glenn. Poor quality and the rise of fast fashion, consisting of many dupes and knock-offs, were driving forces that pushed Hillary and Jillian to believe that there was a better way to reach the modern woman. They felt that the quality and price gap, in an ever-changing industry, needed to be filled.

“We wanted better products... I think that we as consumers had minimal options” Hillary explains.

The sisters also noticed how inexpensive clothing simply didn’t last, while highend designers made incredible garments out of exceptional fabric, but just weren’t universally accessible. Filling the void, being one of their main business pillars, has resulted in Glenn+Glenn finding common ground in bringing high quality and affordability together for the modern woman to truly enjoy long lasting pieces. Having great attention to detail has proved to be one of the company’s antidotes to this obstacle. “We’re not trying to change people, but we want you to invest in your clothing so that you can build it season after season” Jillian says.

Because of this, incredible design and fabrics are key style ingredients in all of Glenn+Glenn’s apparel . “Our goal is to produce and act as sustainable as possible, utilizing excess fabric and avoiding over-production.” Jillian explains. Glenn+Glenn even reuse scrap material to make beautiful head scarves in an effort to reduce waste and enforce efficiency. The beauty of having sustainability as a founding element, right from the start, steers the business towards a more productive future. This clearly demonstrates the businesses innovative approach in a time when many other well-known brands are just now stepping into the realm of sustainability. Being a smaller line, at the moment, has also granted them the luxury to focus on sowing the seeds of positive environmental change for the future of fashion.

“If we want to be around for the long run, we need to take the time to make the right decisions in the beginning.” Hillary proclaims.

At the moment, Glenn+Glenn is a flourishing Online business with an ever-growing social media presence. Instagram and Facebook have proven to be major drivers for their budding success, allowing more and more fashion-forward customers to find them so easily. They even have been hosting several trunk shows, in Denver and Austin, to showcase their items in a way customers can experience the brand’s quality and style. The sisters may say that they are just barely out of the gate, however it is clear that Glenn+Glenn is a refreshingly unique apparel line in an outdoorsy and active Colorado. The company’s tailored, modern and classic approach conveys a contemporary style in which contrasts with the usual outer and activewear business counterparts in the region.

Both Hillary and Jillian find inspiration for their pieces, embodying the Urban Sophisticate, through a multitude of avenues such as street style, high fashion, celebrities, architecture and even food. “It’s sort of all around us” Jillian says. Glenn+Glenn’s creative direction is continuously developed through Hillary and Jillian’s personal styles and what they’ve always been attracted to aesthetically. Hillary believes that the brand’s neutral color palette and clean look help bring minimalism to a fashion atmosphere currently filled with distracting patterns. They’ve found this to be equally important when designing garments to flatter many body shapes and helping the modern woman feel confident and chic day or night. Some essential pieces that the sisters say that the modern woman should always have in her wardrobe consist of basics that can either be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. Jillian finds layering tanks perfect to wear day and night, for travel and under most pieces. Having a great blouse or sweater, such as the Como Shell, is also excellent to wear with a blazer or cami. “It has a basic silhouette with a modern twist,” Hillary explains,

“We built our collection around essentials.”

Regardless of the season, or current trend, Glenn+Glenn garments are timeless, and are made to last. The sisters view their scaling line as a “launching pad” for one to begin incorporating quality and tailored basics with what already resides in their closet. Their shared hope and intention is to have every piece that they create have longevity even as trends change through time.

Each Glenn+Glenn collection begins with creative ideas, color palettes, current trends and even mood boards. “I start sketching designs out, talk through them and narrow them down” Hillary articulates describing the process of designing new pieces for each season. The sisters proceed to look at all of their ideas as a whole, while also making sure that they are able to equally stand alone. Once a vision is in motion, prototypes of fabrics are assessed until each piece is perfected. The task of creating new designs for collections may be tedious, but Hillary and Jillian’s hands-on approach and close relationship with their manufacturing team in New York all help bring forth incredible pieces into manifestation.

Spring 2019’s Fife Collection is a perfect example of how Glenn+Glenn are constantly elevating the ethos of the brand. From pops of color with the blush Avery skirt, to the Burke dress in the style Surf, this collection exudes such beautiful transitional ease into the spring season. Just as mentioned earlier, Hillary and Jillian both made it a priority, as with any collection, to extend the life of anyone’s current wardrobe while embracing Fife’s gorgeous new additions. Their versatility opens one up to one’s own creative imagination, as they can wear all of these pieces timelessly.

“It’s fun to see how other people style them with their own accessories and personal style” the sisters both say.

Even though Hillary claims she is not a fan of many prints, she absolutely adores their new Alyster blouse in both graphite and mermaid print. It’s unique V-neck silhouette, delicate fabric and relaxed sleeves entail simple elegance found within all of Glenn+Glenn’s creations. She also speaks of the importance of “trying to find the right balance” between garments. For example, some Glenn+Glenn customers may adore flowy-type textures, while others enjoy a more structured fit. For Jillian, she finds one of her favorite pieces from the collection to be the Eliot dress. “The structured dresses are pieces that I’d wear regularly, when it gets warmer” Jillian describes. She finds this dress, in particular, to be perfect during the day at work, and is quickly transition-able for evening events.

When asked about what the future holds for Glenn+Glenn, the sisters foresee growth of the line. Offering more items and producing greater inventory, including jackets, sweaters and more, excite both Jillian and Hillary for what’s in store. The coming expansion will also bring year-round collections, helping separate the spring, summer, fall and winter seasons. When asked about what kind of legacy and impact the Glenn sisters desire to leave upon the fashion world, they agree that keeping true to their signature clean and timeless style will forever be a priority. “This is not a quick turn on fashion” they say. In essence, upholding smart and efficient business values, maintaining quality and creating long-lasting pieces will continue to take Glenn+Glenn to greater heights.