JESSE KAMM

Jesse Kamm is an American designer label for women, founded in Los Angeles in 2005 by Jesse Kamm. She grew up on seven acres amid the corn and wheat fields of rural Illinois, in a creative household with a draftsman father and a potter mother. After working as a therapist and a model and travelling the world, she took a sewing class, began making clothes for herself and found people paying attention. She still handles all of the brand's press and sales herself, travelling to New York twice a year to meet her buyers. The label is best known for its high-waisted, wide-leg Sailor Pants. Other signatures include the California Wides barrel-leg pants, the 225's straight-leg pants and the Alta Jeans, along with the Alberta Shirt, the Bowery Tee, the Classic Turtleneck, the Slip Dress and the Studded Ranch Jacket. Every product has been made in Los Angeles since 2005, using sturdy fabrics such as organic cotton. The small family business deliberately limits production to about 8,000 garments a year, guided by its motto "Don't grow out of business." Jesse Kamm also keeps its retail partners to about 30 stores worldwide.