Jillian Harris talks fashion, sustainability and her new Joe Fresh collection

Jillian Harris's fourth collaboration with Canadian retailer Joe Fresh is finally here!

Arriving just in time for the holiday season, the new line includes more than 20 pieces for women, kids and toddlers. Although the limited-edition collection is currently available online, it will hit shelves on Oct. 20.

In an interview with Yahoo Canada, the lifestyle mogul opened up about the design process, sustainability and her inspirations behind the collection.

But although we're speaking about business, the conversation is remarkably lighthearted. The former reality star jokes, laughs and oozes passion for the line she poured her heart and soul into.

When asked why she decided to work with Joe Fresh, Harris revealed that it was a "no brainer."

"I'm a small town girl so we didn't have a superstore or a Joe Fresh around. Before my 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' days I would get excited to go to a bigger centre like in Edmonton or Calgary just so I could go to Joe Fresh. I just love the brand," she says.

Read on to learn more about the collection Harris calls "a game-changer."

Inspirations behind the collection

When asked about how she came up with the idea for the line, Harris credited her children and her childhood.

"Nostalgia. Coming out of COVID-19 I was so nostalgic. I was thinking about my kids and my mom, and all the stuff we did together when I was young," the "Bachelor" star shared. "I just wanted all the pieces to feel feminine and lovely but timeless and comfortable."

When it came to the ideation process, Harris went for an inclusive and environmentally friendly approach.

"We thought about what's going on in the world, and we're making more pieces that are more gender neutral and size inclusive," Harris explained. "Just because it's affordable fashion doesn't mean it's fast fashion. It can be timeless and high quality yet still affordable and wearable for years to come."

The design process

During the creative process, Harris says she was "in there like a dirty shirt."

"All Joe Fresh gave me was the launch date. They just wanted me to send them ideas," Harris revealed. "I put together inspiration images and developed a list of items, and we went back and forth with what pieces might work."

Specifically, the mother-of-two had a say in colour choice, how the items were constructed and gave Joe Fresh her final say before the pieces went live.

"It was very fun, very collaborative and wonderful to have full reign," Harris added.

Sustainable fashion

If there's one thing that's important to Harris, it's sustainability — which the "Love It Or List It: Vancouver" host says is a "huge conversation."

"We tried to make mindful decisions while appeasing to a massive fan base. How can we produce this collection but keep in mind ethical practices? How can we ship things so we are reducing the amount of waste? Those are conversations we had," Harris said.

The collection was made using organic cotton and recycled polyester to reduce their impact on the planet. Moving forward, the 42-year-old says that Joe Fresh is changing from plastic hangers to wood hangers, and working to remove plastic tags on their items to help combat additional waste.

"All of these small changes compound and gain traction, so I love how the collection is keeping sustainability in mind. It's great to work with a company who's open to ideas and who's challenging the way we do things," Harris adds.

Where should people wear this collection?

"It's fall, and since I've got the advance items I've been wearing them everywhere. So wear the collection to things like soccer practice, the grocery store, out for dinner...I don't think there's any limits!" Harris suggests.

When it comes to her favourite pieces from the line, Harris notes the cardigan because she can "throw it over everything." She also loves the poet blouse due to it's feminine yet comfortable nature.

"It's pretty awesome and wearable," she adds with a laugh.

Why is fashion important to you?

"I was such a fashionista before I had kids...But as soon as I had kids I fell out of love with fashion because I was worried about my body, I was tired and didn't have time to put together outfits," Harris revealed.

Since then, Harris has been working to unearth her style, but noted that fashion should evolve with life.

"You should allow yourself to style in reflection of the phase of life you're going through. Right now, comfort is huge. I do a lot in a day so if I'm not comfortable I'm not going to wear it again. And this Joe Fresh collection is built from my experiences to make it something people will use and feel comfortable in," she concluded.

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