How a Whimsical Utah Dress Shop Captivated the World with Its Ethereal Gowns in Every Size
JessaKae's Bluffdale boutique is like stepping into a fairy's wardrobe. Dresses cascade like tulle waterfalls from every corner of the pastel blue shop (https://jessakae.com/), some embroidered with intricate floral designs, others shimmering with sequins and stars. These ethereal yet modern silhouettes range from ball gowns to tea-length, straight out of a storybook and made for twirling. The shop offers a wide range of sizes, from XXS to 6X, with no up-charge for plus-sized dresses. It's this blend of dreamed-up design and size inclusivity that propelled this Utah-grown brand into viral fame.
"It's not really about the product," says JessaKae Kinderknecht, the company's namesake and CEO. "It's about how you feel wearing the product."
The brand has nearly 4 million followers across its social media platforms and is probably best known for its spirited videos featuring the same dress on women across the size spectrum (https://www.facebook.com/reel/1874898966485999). More recently, cast members of Hulu's "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" all wore JessaKae's striking blue "Saint Dress" in the Season 3 title sequence.
But for Kinderknecht, the work has always been about more than recognition. "I started JessaKae in a really hard time of my life, and I just wanted women to feel special," she says. "I wanted them to feel seen, because I didn’t feel that way about myself."
JessaKae's journey began with a passion for photography, which eventually led her into fashion design. She started with commercial photoshoots but quickly progressed to shooting at New York Fashion Week. "Through that, I started growing a presence online," she says. That's when one of her friends suggested she begin her own clothing brand.
JessaKae officially launched in 2016. In its first year, the business made about $2 million in revenue, Kinderknecht says. She credits much of that early success to her "Classic Rose Dress," a maxi dress patterned with bold, watercolor-like blooms. "She’s the most hideous dress," Kinderknecht says, laughing. "But I sold probably close to 10,000 of that one dress. … So, I leaned fully into dresses at that point."
Initially, Kinderknecht wholesaled the gowns, but it wasn’t long before she began designing her own. "In the beginning, it was a lot of gathering inspiration on Pinterest," she says. "I briefly attended fashion school but dropped out because I hated sewing. Yet design became more than a craft; it was an outlet."
With each dress design, she intertwined her challenges, her experiences — "a lot of the things from my childhood" — slowly shaping JessaKae's inclusive, imaginative brand. One of those childhood influences is her late grandmother, Ginger Kinderknecht, who was plus-size. "She would order clothes and try them on, and they wouldn’t fit her," Kinderknecht says. "She wore, basically, these sacks. ... It’s just crazy how those little things in childhood can make a bigger impact."
Today, JessaKae operates four factories across India and China, all certified for ethical labor practices and quality production, Kinderknecht says. She ensures that each new collection is fitted on a "true plus-size body" — size 1X and above — before hitting the racks. "Each body shape and size is so different," she says. "And, so, we’ll do an average measurement. … But every fitting is different, because every dress body is so different."
JessaKae's success is also due to its customers. "We have a huge Facebook group community called JessaKae Insiders, and so we get a lot of feedback from them," Kinderknecht says. "Utah has a lot of these big events, but they’re mostly just for influencers. That’s why I began hosting large events fit for a JessaKae gown — fantasy balls and immersive dances, where cosplay is encouraged and JessaKae dresses aren’t required."
The most recent theme, for instance, was the "JessaKae Oz Ball," a nod to "Wicked." The September event at the Utah State Fairpark drew 1,500 attendees, including several "Secret Lives" cast members. Kinderknecht expects that next year’s ball will be even bigger. "Everyone was so happy," she says. "The vibes were vibing. It was the most diverse group of people."
Looking ahead, Kinderknecht has ambitious plans for the new year, including fresh collections that will lay the groundwork for an eventual "rebrand." While she’s keeping most of those details under wraps, she says the new collections will tell the story of a "young, naive" princess blossoming into a "regal queen." The first drop of the year, the Cupid Collection, will capture that innocence in a hopelessly romantic way. "We’re getting really into storytelling this next year," she says. "People are going to follow this character’s transition [from] girl into womanhood."
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