She is a one-woman powerhouse of innovation and the visionary of a design movement she calls “Cupcake Punk.”
She has always believed that you don’t have to compromise your integrity to express yourself creatively and it shows in everything she does from her quirky illustrations and artwork, to her cheeky punk-meets-pin-up inspired clothing and accessories. Whatever she designs, her femininity and
fun always shine through. What is so amazing, and what also speaks to her innate talent is that Jessica is one hundred percent self-taught. And that is truly amazing when you consider all she has done. As a little girl Jessica expressed herself in every art form she could get her hands on. With the constant support and encouragement from her artist/professor mom and endless access to art supplies, she found her creative footing and spread her wings at and early age. Her Godmother Annie Comisky who is a clothing desgner recognized Jessica’s natural talent and exposed her to the world of fashion design. She sewed her own doll clothes and created costumes inspired by favorite films like the Dark Crystal before she was even out of grade school. By the time Jessica became a teen she developed a way through her art to cope with awkward shyness, and to connect with other creative souls. When she wasn’t sketching in her journal she was learning to silkscreen and had decided to pursue a career in commercial printing. But that all changed when she landed her dream job working for her idol, Betsey Johnson. Jessica’s job at Betsey Johnson sparked the fire from the kindling her godmother Annie had placed when Jessica was growing up. She started making all her own accessories to go with her cute Betsey dresses when she couldn’t find what she wanted in the marketplace. Friends noticed her plaid ruffle purses and sculpted kitty head jewelry, and orders for her custom handmade accessories began to flow. When an LA based rep approached her after buying one of her designs at a small boutique, Jessica put together her very first complete line in her kitchen stitching her samples piece by piece. Within six months her designs were in over a hundred Nordstrom stores and twenty four specialty boutiques. During this time she developed her signature staples. Mixing patterns and stripes, skulls with hearts, and bright leopard print kissed with flirty details like lace trim, bows and cupcake pins emerged as the hallmark of her collections. She has cultivated fiercely loyal fans that always come back season after season for youthful, urban style and the attention to detail of her whimsical, girly dresses, tops, separates and accessories. In fact it is Jessica’s attention to fun details and love of innovative presentation that attracted Time magazine. They chose her Classic Bear Hoodie to be featured on along with the Apple iphone as the epitome of a youthful generation in the iphone’s debut editorial spread. It is this widespread appeal that has built her huge following overseas. Her fans were not the only ones that noticed and sought out Jessica. Because of her coquettish beauty and iconoclastic style she is the muse for several artists and musicians. In addition to modeling for many tattoo magazine covers, she has been the darling of Teen Vogue, Elle Girl, Paper Magazine, AP, Amp, Juxtapoz and many other publications who have editorialized her designs ever since she appeared in the fashion scene. She keeps her line and designs fresh by drawing inspirations from her amazing scope of creative friends. Her love of punk rock music, illustration, and street fashion is steeped in all her collections. Jessica designed a collection exclusively for Hot Topic, which generated over 1 million dollars in national retail sales. She also created the very first designer branded Halloween costume line that launched in October 2010 for Halloween City. And her footwear designs for Draven women’s line are still in the top sellers six years running. All this is even more amazing when you consider how hands on Jessica with her company. All her design, marketing, and production are all done in house. Her strong global presence and overseas popularity in Europe, Australia and Japan, created a demand for her designs worldwide, and in response is currently designing a private label collection for an international retail chain that is set for launch in 2012. It makes sense that Jessica enjoys a wide range of clientele from celebrities to the tattooed cutie pie next door, because the desire dearest to Jessica’s heart and the vision of her company is to design from an upbeat and positive place. She strives to be a role model for young girls, and to provide them with constant inspiration.
- Christine Rose Elle
