Joanne Mullin always envisioned herself an artist.

A transplant from San Francisco who has called Kansas City home for the past five years, Mullin established a following in the Bay Area fashion industry by designing unique denim jackets. But when her family moved here in 2018, she wanted to change her approach.

She decided to attend the Fashion Week grand finale but couldn’t settle on what to wear.

“None of the styles are made for them – women who are older, women who have gained weight, etc. They’re not made to slim and flatter.” Mullin wanted to make a good impression on the local fashion scene, and so she began looking through leftover fabrics and eventually decided on a long-fitting jacket that was at once slimming, flattering, and a hit at the Fashion Week event. Mullin soon began participating in trunk shows and now has an in-home showroom for women to shop her garments. “It was a very personal thing,” Mullin says.

“There was a real need for it and a real niche in the luxury market. Women have the money to spend but can’t find what they love. I wanted to make these garments. They really do have a story to tell – one-of-a-kind, just like people.”

According to Mullin, her “passion is women – and helping them feel better about themselves.” And now that she’s found a place in the fashion world to pursue this passion, the designer is putting the dividends toward doing good for women who may never attend her shows.

Crisis On The Homefront

Mullin’s husband, Bill, is originally from Connersville, Indiana. Like so many American towns over the past century, a major employer (in this instance, a major automotive plant) shuttered its doors. “The town has been desolate ever since,” Joanne says. In fact, Connersville now finds itself in the grip of the opioid crisis.