Our Founder's Story
From Mississippi to Manhattan, to Africa and now Dallas, TX
About the Designer
Jennifer Cole, better known in the industry as “Jenn Cole”, is a Successful Entrepreneur and Fashion Designer of more than two decades. She is no stranger to the world of Bridal Fashion.
THE BEGINNING
Jenn Cole’s lifelong dream of becoming a NY fashion designer began when she was a young girl, watching her mother, Francis Price White, sew to care for her and her six siblings. Jenn started sewing at the age of twelve and followed fashion throughout her life. Her first start in this industry was owning an alteration shop, altering everything, including bridal gowns. Jenn was then able to open the doors to the first black-owned Bridal Salon and Atelier in her home state of Mississippi. She operated this successful Bridal & Formalwear Design and Tailoring business in Mississippi for 14 years while raising two young sons. It wasn’t a surprise that soon her ambition outgrew her environment.
New York City
With her sons off to college, Jenn set out to create the life she always envisioned. Inspired by Coco Chanel and fueled by a determination to live out the dream her mother could not, Jenn traded her comfortable life in Mississippi for the dorms of a NYC Fashion School. In 2010, she boarded a plane for the first time and landed in New York with her faith, $3000 and the fortitude to make it.
In 2017 Jenn finished her first Bridal Collection. She launched the collection along with her new website in July 2018. In 2019 JennCole Designs was awarded “The Knot Best of Weddings 2020” with “The Knot NY” and has been featured in The Knot NY Wedding Magazine 6 times, 2019/2020. Jenn has been featured by IAW (International Association of Women) and awarded a 2019/2020 Influencer for her business and community.
JennCole Designs is also part of one of the biggest bridal showcases in NY, “The Wedding Salon Bridal Showcase”.
Africa
Jenn Cole is the Founder of, “JennCole Design School, Inc”
Slogan - “Dream It, Be It”
JennCole Design School, Inc. is a Nonprofit Design school for underprivileged/homeless females with talent in sewing/designing/modeling fields. Jenn is preparing to build the first school in Ghana. The school’s Corporate Office will be in the US with a 2nd school and training facility.
The school will be a 2-year program with a 1-year graduate program in the 3rd year to help students start their own businesses or land good paying jobs in the Fashion Industry. The students in Ghana will train for 3 months at the US location before graduation to learn the Fashion industry in the US.
After these 2 schools are up and running, Jenn plans to build other schools in Sierra Leone, Kenya, Morocco, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda, building a new school every 3 years.
These students will be trained in fashion and modeling on an international level, combining African and American fashion to create something unique to market worldwide. Jenn will mentor them to believe in themselves regardless of their background, color of their skin or body structure. Teaching them to take their skills and create a business for themselves and become self-sufficient, creating jobs for themselves, their families, their communities, and future generations to come.
It is a passion for Jenn to teach and help young women to believe that dreams do come true regardless of the obstacles we face as women of color. We must Dream and Rise above our circumstances and be leaders for future generations.
Please check out the school’s website for more info and see what Jenn has been doing in Ghana already.
www.jenncoledesignschool.com
Mississippi
2021 took Jenn by a storm emotionally and changed her whole life around. She took the whole year off to be in MS with her mother, Francis White, until she passed May 24th, 2021. Jenn went back to NY at the end of July but couldn’t take grieving her mom alone, so she decided she didn’t want to be in NY anymore.
She packed up and went back to MS to be around family to grieve and get herself together mentally and emotionally. Jenn’s mom was her everything, it’s where she got her sewing from growing up. They shared everything no matter where Jenn was. Jenn stated, “I felt I lost everything by losing my mom and almost gave up on life. I didn’t care anymore, a part of me was gone. I didn’t think I could move forward because no one understood me and what I did better than my mom. Everything I accomplished in life was a part of her and shared with her.”
During this time Jenn was still being recognized for her work and helping others. In November of 2021, Jenn was nominated for Designer of the Year for the MS Best Award Show 2021. Well, she ended up receiving the highest awards for the show! “The MS Legends Award” and “The Governor’s Choice Award” for her home state of Mississippi.
Jenn decided she would rename “JennCole Design School Inc.” to “Francis Price White School of Fashion Design” to honor her mother and leave a legacy in her name.
