Today we’d like to introduce you to Retta Tussey.
Hi Retta, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story? How did you get to where you are today?
When my stepdaughter, Lola, was eight years old, my father-in-law passed away. Charged with finding her a garment for the ceremony, I was distraught at what I discovered on the market. The clothing designed for this young girl made no sense; the pieces were either too juvenile, featuring unicorns or glitter, or they were too mature, featuring slinky silhouettes and inappropriate cutouts. After several years of market research, I realized that the offerings for tween and teen girls were slim and that the fashion industry needed a sophisticated – yet fashion-forward – brand for this age set. From there, Retta Jane was born. Retta Jane is a premium, ready-to-wear brand for modern tween and teen girls. Inspired by my cherished wardrobe of pieces passed down by my mother and grandmother (also named Retta Jane), the collection is built on three generations of timeless silhouettes and charming details that celebrate the joy of coming of age. We are building a wardrobe of sophisticated garments for confident girls crafted for changing bodies. It’s clothing that lasts beyond one season for smart and cultured young girls – the Retta Jane girl.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Almost every turn in the Retta Jane journey has presented challenges. More often than not, it would have been easier to give up on this brand than to push forward. My full-time work on Retta Jane commenced in 2019 when I was pregnant with my second child. That Autumn, due to the stage of my pregnancy, it was advised that I stop traveling and reduce any unnecessary stress. Starting a fashion brand from scratch – with another infant and two stepchildren at home – was not what the doctor ordered! I put Retta Jane down for a few months, convinced I would pick it up in the spring. Though I would start back up on Retta Jane, it was at the same time as our world locked down for the pandemic. During those summer months, I lost pattern-makers, sample rooms, and so forth, but I always seemed to pivot to find what I needed. By that winter, though, my factory folded due to the mounting pressure from Covid. It was devastating.
After that door closed, another soon opened, and I joined on with a new factory and team at the start of 2021. The group with whom I was working offered me a spot in their designer pilot program, which would assist in developing on-demand garments in our production. It was a fantastic partnership; however, the pilot program shuttered due to unforeseen circumstances – and right before our August 2021 launch. So did the start of our Retta Jane. Yet again, it would have been relatively easy to walk away, but I still profoundly believed in what we were creating with Retta Jane – it was beyond beautiful clothes. We were determined to give young girls a different way of looking at self-expression in this world that puts so much pressure on our kids.
In 2022, we picked ourselves up, continued to work with our factory, and pivoted from any on-demand offerings. We realized we would have to take on inventory, so we changed our business model and infrastructure to handle that capability. During this year, we faced many problems other COVID-era businesses faced: supply chain delays, shipping errors, and electrical power outages (particularly in mainland China). It was a constant juggle, but we pressed forward.
On May 1, 2023, we officially turned on our website and went live – after many years of development. Some days, I marvel at how we managed to push forward when hit with such significant challenges. We believe in the mission and vision of Retta Jane and feel that these stresses have only made the brand stronger.
Thanks for sharing that. So, tell us more about your work next.
As a child, I could always be found creating. Whether in a coloring book or building with Legos, my world always had an element of design. Even as a young girl, I had an entrepreneurial spirit. In grade school, I launched my jewelry line, creating animals and characters from clay, firing them, and selling them as earrings or other baubles at our school fairs. When it came for me to move to college and choose a life path, though, I felt stifled. In the mid-1990s, the options for creative individuals went from fine artists to graphic designers – and nothing in between. Feeling lost, I stumbled upon Interior Architecture at college and ran down that road.
During those university summers, I found my passion through internships in New York. From Betsey Johnson to Tommy Hilfiger (specifically his home collection), I fell in love with the world of fashion and products. I graduated in the spring of 2001 with a position in Manhattan and was elated. One hiccup: I had to return to school that fall to make up one studio class, as I had transferred into the Interior program, and this single class was still outstanding. I wasn’t back at school for even a month when the tragedy of 9/11 occurred. My plans and a clear path fell apart, and I returned to my hometown.
Once back in St. Louis, with jobs scarce and feeling lost, I decided to launch a stationery collection. As a child who always illustrated, it felt like a natural fit. The stationery flourished, and we were sold nationwide, including in places like Kate’s Paperie and Paper Source. We were picked up by publications such as Domino and Southern Living. After the market collapse in 2008, I closed the business but took from it a lot of knowledge about how to – and not to – run a small brand. From there, I settled into residential interior design, my strength, and what I studied. This path was also successful, and I worked on incredible projects for over a decade. Though happy, the career did not light me up. I missed the world of products and branding. When the idea for Retta Jane sprouted, my husband encouraged me to take the journey. We both agreed it was better to leap than to look back at a great idea never pursued.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
As a St. Louis native, I am passionate about our city. Its history is rich, and its offerings rival major metropolitan cities. When I try to explain St. Louis to someone who has never been, I typically stress our cultural institutions. From our renowned museums to our world-class zoo, what you can find just in the footprint of Forest Park is unrivaled. Even more, when I explain to them our Zoo-Museum-District and that taxes help keep the facilities free to the public, neither inevitably. It’s easy to pack up my children on a Saturday morning and wander through the Botanical Garden and the Art Museum – all before lunch! I don’t know another place in the United States where we could easily expose our children to such beauty. Our St. Louis restaurants and culinary scene are top-notch, our musical theater is astounding, and our sports – well, everyone knows we are a sports town. Aside from these well-known offerings, though, are our rich neighborhoods. You can travel back through time simply with an afternoon drive through the city. I often take friends on a little St. Louis road trip that highlights Soulard, Lafayette Square, The Hill, the Gilded Age mansions of Lindell Boulevard, and so forth. All of this said, I also believe that as St. Louisians, we are our worst critics. Travel to a town like Nashville, where the residents praise their city. Here in St. Louis, though, we criticize before applauding. Launching a fashion brand in this vibrant city presents its hurdles. Nevertheless, I am confident our community will witness social progress and increased investment in our urban landscape.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rettajane.com
- Instagram: @rettajane.collection
- Facebook: rettajane.collection
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rettatussey/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/retta_jane_
Image Credits
Jennifer Silverberg / Elizabeth Wiseman / Natalie Hinds
