When Kallee Jackson’s husband bought her a sewing machine close to a decade ago, she had no idea the Mother’s Day gift would be the impetus to start an amazing career in fashion design.
The first step was to teach herself how to sew, so she began making her own clothing. One evening while out to dinner, two women sitting nearby asked where she got her skirt. When she told them that she made it, they asked if she could make one for each of them.
That was eight years ago, and Jackson is now known in Port St. Lucie – and around the world – for her work.
Initially she created swimwear and ready-to-wear items such as pants and tops, but it didn’t take long for her to switch to couture. “It’s more of a challenge and I like challenges,” Jackson said, explaining how she would post her work on social media and gained the attention of New York Fashion Week officials.
“They asked if I could show a couple of my pieces,” said Jackson, who, of course, said yes.
After that first trip, she traveled to show her designs in Dubai, Paris and Milan. “Every time I do a show, I climb (in the business),” she said. “Now I’m actually to the point where my clients actually fly in to see me,” she said from her Port St. Lucie studio, Maison de Kallee.
While Jackson may be flying around the world participating in the most prestigious fashion shows on the planet, she never forgets her origins. “It doesn’t matter where I go in the world, I will always design for people here on the Treasure Coast. You don’t forget where you came from,” she said.
“If you remember where you’re coming from and be kind to people and have faith and work hard, you can make it. It’s good to be humble in this world.”
Jackson, who arrived here a couple of decades ago from her native Jamaica, is eager to put the Treasure Coast on the fashion map. She makes it clear that she is from the Treasure Coast and not simply Florida.
In addition to creating dresses for the locals, Jackson is also teaching young ladies how to sew and design clothing through her Kallee Jackson Threaded Legacy Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County.
Her recent show at Treasure Coast Lexus featured Jackson, her students and visitors from Vogue magazine.
“Eight of my designs from the show were featured in Vogue,” Jackson said, adding that her designs have also been seen in Elle, Glamour, Vogue Paris, Vogue Milan, Dubai Magazine.
Every year Jackson does her own show at Treasure Coast Lexus, but this year was different because the work of six girls aged 11 to 15 were featured at the show.
The girls made their own designs – from sketch to pattern – to create the dresses. “This year they showed their designs and walked the runway,” she said.
“Now because they are so good, I teamed up with New York Fashion Week and they are going to be doing the same thing in New York.”
According to Jackson, five of the six girls will go to New York Fashion Week in September for the full experience.
They will be there for a week. They will sit at tables with young designers and choose their models. They will get to fit the model and then walk the runway themselves.
Asked about how she feels about taking the girls, Jackson said, “It’s non-stop crying for me. This is the first time ever on the Treasure Coast. New York was happy to join with me because they’ve never had anyone from Florida. We want to make it very clear, it’s Port St. Lucie, the Treasure Coast.”
But before she heads to New York again, she has a trip scheduled for London where she will create dresses for a “series on TV” that she is not yet at liberty to divulge.
Jackson will head back to Paris in October and plans to do the show circuits every year.
When she’s not traveling, the talented designer creates wedding dresses and other dresses at her Port St. Lucie studio, and offers help with arrangements for events including flowers, hair makeup, etc. The only thing she does not do is find the venue. Alterations are also done at her studio.
Jackson, whose studio is currently working on prom dresses, has some other aspirations as well. Her goals include having her own fashion house in Paris, seeing her work in designer sections of major department stores, and having a building just for her students. “I believe in creating safe spaces,” she said. “I want to give to the kids what I didn’t have.”
Jackson’s motto is “I can, I will, I am, end of story.”
For more information, visit Maison de Kallee at kalleejackson.com or email [email protected].