We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenn Cole and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenn, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?

“In order to be Irreplaceable, one must always be Different”, by Coco Chanel.

This means you don’t have to lose yourself in order to be different or like someone else. We are all made different and unique in our own way. So be your original self and you will automatically stand out from others. Never lose your originality, be just who God made you to be.
Be the best at being YOU, then no one would ever be able to replace YOU!

This quote always stuck in my head, it helped me to never fear my competition nor want to be like them. We might do the same thing, but our style, personality, techniques, and uniqueness will never be the same. No 2 people are alike.

What should our readers know about your business?

I am Designer Jennifer Cole, the Founder/Lead Designer of the JennCole Designs Inc. Fashion Brand. I am most known in the Industry as “Jenn Cole”. I’ve been in the Fashion and Bridal Industry 26 years now, from Mississippi, to Manhattan, to Africa, and now Dallas, TX.

JennCole Designs Inc. is a NY Fashion Label, we specialize in Bridal Gowns, Formal Gowns, and Professional Tailoring. What sets us apart is you get to work one on one with an actual designer who cares about your style, personality, your ideas, and what looks best on you. We are not like your traditional Wedding Salons where you must pick a gown off the rack. Your gown is created from scratch, from your thoughts and ideas, to create the look and fit you’ve envisioned for your special day. Using our unique multi-point measuring system that gives you a perfect fit regardless of your size or body type.

I am most proud of my longevity as a female entrepreneur. Proud that I never gave up on my dream of becoming a Designer, no matter what obstacles I faced. I’m excited and proud that I have worked with clients all over the US and abroad. Designing is not a job for me, it’s my gift, my passion, my first love. I live and breathe Fashion.

Watching my mother, Francis White, sew for the public growing up, I could make anything by the age of 12. My biggest inspiration and motivation has always been my mom. My dream growing up was to one day be a designer and to go to NY, the Fashion Capital. I would watch all the award shows on the tv just to see the fancy dresses worn on the red carpet. My thoughts were, I could design just as good or better than any other designer. Growing up in a big family my mom and dad couldn’t afford to send me to design school. I never discussed my dreams with anyone because I felt they would say I was crazy to think that I could become a designer and go to NY as poor as we were in Mississippi. I was the 3rd of 7 kids. My dad was a strong man and I watched him fight for what he believed in. That’s where my boldness came from.

Well, my grandmother, Willie Mae White, made sure I got off to college at ASU after high school, but there were no design classes, no design schools in MS. I took Fashion Merchandising for 2 years.

In 1990 & 1992, I had my sons, Kiera White & Dominek Tucker whom I raised by myself. Never received any child support nor gov assistance of any kind. I started my business from home doing alterations for 2 years, then moved into a commercial building. A year later I expanded from doing alterations to opening the first African American Bridal Salon in the whole state of MS. I grew and expanded for 3 years straight after that.

My talent outgrew MS and after my sons were in College, I took a leap of faith in 2010 and moved to NY to further my career in designing and start my own brand. I enrolled in fashion design school at the Art Institute of NYC. My first job in NY was tutoring at the school I attended. I later worked for the iconic Ralph Lauren, at his historical library. Then after that, I traveled worldwide as a Professional Tailor for one of the top uniform companies in the country, “Top Hat Imagewear”. During this time, I was also working on building my brand. I launched my first RTW Bridal Collection in 2016, then the “JennCole Designs” website in 2017, www.jenncole.design.

During Covid-19, when everything shut down in NY, I worked even more on JennCole Designs Inc. to be completely independent and working full time for myself again. In 2020, I also Founded “JennCole Design School Inc.” in NY, went to Ghana and launched the JennCole Design School which is a design school for underprivileged female with talent in sewing, designing, or modeling. Young ladies who are underprivileged like I was growing up, with the dream of becoming a Designer. www.jenncoledesignschool.com We are still in the beginning stages because of my mom passing in 2021. I put Everything on hold to go to MS and be with her until she passed. This changed my whole life around mentally because my sewing came from my mom, and I felt like my whole world was gone. I was in a very dark place and decided to leave NY for good.

26 years in the Fashion & Bridal industry has not been easy, nor was raising 2 sons by myself and running a business. All I had was my faith in God, my determination, and my self-motivation to make a difference in my life and the lives of others along the way. The story of Designer Anne Lowe motivates me to want to make a different in the Fashion industry for African American Designers. I overcame many challenges by not comparing myself to others and just believing in me. I don’t want to be like the other designers, I want to be different and just be ME!

Moving forward, with all that I have learned in my career and the Fashion Industry, my dedication is to give back to help those that are underprivileged. I know how I felt growing up underprivileged with a burning desire to become a designer but didn’t have the means to do it. Just because you are underprivileged doesn’t mean you are not smart and talented, it just means you don’t have the resources to show the world how talented you are. So, I want to give back to those young ladies who others will look over and never think of helping because they are underprivileged. I want to give them a platform to pursue their dream of becoming a designer, a business owner, or landing good paying jobs in the Fashion Industry. A platform to help them become self-sufficient and create jobs for themselves, their families, and their communities.

I want to leave a legacy through JennCole Designs Inc. that will go on long after I leave this world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I am new to Dallas, I am still learning my way around. So far, one of my favorite places to eat is Saltgrass Steak House, 12 Cuts Brazilian Steakhouse, and Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. For hanging out, I love the downtown area, it has some pretty cool places.
For church, I love “One Cummunity Church”, Pastor: Dr Conway Edwards. I love the service and it’s such a friendly and fun environment

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My marketing team, Brooke Deiterlen and Tina Winslow, with Art of Strategy Consulting and Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce, which covers Carrollton, Addison, and Farmers Branch. I joined the Chamber through Brooke, who is an Ambassador for Metrocrest. They did the ribbon cutting for my business, “JennCole Designs Inc.”, and are like family now because I didn’t know anyone here. I’ve met so many small business owners through their networking events, it’s really been great being a part of Metrocrest Chamber!

Website: www.jenncole.design

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenncole_designs?igshid=Mzc1MmZhNjY=

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-cole-67b84429

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050437271771

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jenncoledesignsinc

Image Credits
Butler & Badou Portraits, Marian Diop (Dallas) Just A Love Story Teller, Toni Ann Taylor (NY)

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