Conversations with Jayda Ellis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayda Ellis.

Jayda , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My dream of becoming a fashion designer started when I was just 7 years old. I was inspired by my Aunt Melissa because I grew up watching her design clothes for her church and for her daughter, and it made me want to do the same. At that point, JAELL was born.

I started off by creating sketches of cute clothes for my classmates, then later moved on to making clothes for dolls by cutting up my sisters’ clothes. By middle school, I started reconstructing thrifted pieces by taking denim jackets and jeans and ripping, bleaching, bedazzling, and dyeing them. Once I got to high school, I finally learned how to sew through local classes and began creating fun but simple pieces like boxer shorts and cropped leather shirts. Once senior year rolled around, I decided to make my first dress for homecoming, and this is what introduced me to creating special occasion looks. The dress turned out so beautiful that I decided to make my own prom gown that same year, and that dress was a hit!

From that moment, I knew that I loved making dresses. Fast forward to college, and I moved to Atlanta to grow my fashion skills, but this season was short-lived because school became too expensive and I simply didn’t have enough money. So after a year and a half, at the end of 2017, I dropped out.

This left me with a decision to make: either I moved back home or I found a way to stay in Atlanta. A friend gave me 30 days to stay in her home, so I decided to use that time to make something work. I officially launched JAELL and came up with the idea to promote my brand as the go-to brand for prom dresses. In a city where no one knew me and I had no social media presence, I knew it would take some work to get clients, so I decided to do a prom dress raffle.

I went to schools all across Atlanta and asked them to share the raffle with their students. All they had to do to enter was repost a photo of my work with a hashtag for a chance to win a free prom gown. I ended up getting more than 100 entries, and that led to my first 15 prom clients. Because of that, I was able to stay in Atlanta.

From there, I steadily worked on growing my brand and continued designing prom dresses. Fast forward to the end of 2019, and I had an experience that would change my business forever. After living most of my life not believing in God, I had an encounter that led me to giving my life to Christ. With this new life came clarity about my brand and my purpose. God showed me that He had created a lane for me in the fashion world as a couture designer and that He would bless my gift. He showed me that I would create work so beautiful that it would attract people from all over the world.

So from that point—the beginning of COVID—I took a year away from my business to develop my relationship with God. During that time, I also interned with Project Runway winner Anthony Elle and focused on developing my gift. Within that year, my craft changed drastically. I went from being an okay designer to creating literal pieces of art.

By the end of that year, I felt God telling me it was time to launch my first couture collection, and it was going to be called the *Testimony Collection*—a body of work dedicated to my salvation. This wouldn’t just be an ordinary collection. Each piece would tell a different part of my story, so every design had its own unique look. I also had a videographer filming the entire process so I could create a documentary, and I worked with dancers to produce a beautiful praise dance visual.

God told me that this body of work would open doors of opportunity, and that’s exactly what it did. Even though it was a challenge to produce the collection with very little money, and it ultimately cost me about $10,000, I decided to have faith because I knew it was something God wanted me to do. As I continued to move forward, doors began to open and the money started coming in.

When the collection launched, it didn’t go viral, but it did bring opportunities. TV shows began reaching out, and I started booking celebrity clients. It was amazing. Each year after that, God gave me a bigger project to bring to life.

The following year, it was a huge fashion show. God told me I would have original music produced, that the show would be huge, and that people from all over the fashion industry would attend and see the beauty of God through my work. At the time, I was so confused about how something that big could ever be paid for, but God simply told me not to worry because it would be.

Two months after God gave me that vision, a major television network reached out to me and said almost word for word what God had shown me. They told me they had found me from a TikTok I posted a year earlier and wanted to give me my own fashion show. They said they would invite people from all over the industry, I could do whatever I desired creatively, and everything would be fully paid for. As you can imagine, I was completely amazed.

But after months of procrastination, I couldn’t do it. I was afraid, and I felt like I wasn’t ready.

When the next year rolled around, I avoided going to God for vision like I normally did because I felt like He was disappointed in me. He had kept His word, but I hadn’t acted. Eventually, I gathered the courage to ask Him, “What’s next?”

That’s when He told me to release my JAELL Jeans.

He told me this would be the product that truly introduced me to the fashion world and would bring growth in every way. So I started working toward the launch, but the more time passed, the more I felt like I couldn’t do it alone. I had no followers, no major connections, and no team. I knew if I launched the product it would do well, but I felt like I needed so many other things before putting it out.

So I kept trying to do what I thought was necessary. I tried getting a patent, but I couldn’t afford it. I tried getting celebrities to promote the jeans, but that wasn’t working. I tried building a new website, but I couldn’t afford that either. The entire year went by, and finally November rolled around.

The PR team I had been talking to told me, “Just launch next year.” But I knew I couldn’t do that. So with nothing more than a few videos I had recorded on my phone, I started posting about the jeans and officially launched them on November 18.

Ten days later, on the anniversary of my salvation, the jeans went viral.

I started getting hundreds of thousands, and eventually millions, of views. It was insane. I gained over 40,000 followers in just the last six weeks of the year, started receiving some of the biggest opportunities of my life, and began making sales on these $500 jeans. I was amazed to watch God keep His word once again.

Since then, so much has happened. I’ve had the opportunity to work with people like Queen Naija, Jill Scott, Fantasia, Naturi Naughton, Erica Campbell, and many more. My work has been featured in magazines, on television, and at award shows like the Grammys.

Currently, my focus is rebuilding the foundation of the brand so it can handle what’s next. All of the success I’ve experienced has also shown me that there were many areas where I still needed to grow as a business owner and as a leader. But regardless of what season I’m in, everything in my business continues to be led by God—the One who inspired all of this from the very beginning.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. While there have been a lot of incredible moments, there have also been many seasons that were extremely difficult.

One of the biggest challenges has been finances. Fashion is an expensive industry, especially when you’re creating custom couture. There have been so many moments where I had big visions but very limited resources. I’ve had to figure out how to create collections, produce photoshoots, purchase materials, and build a business without having the financial backing that many brands have. There were times I questioned how I was going to pay for the next project or even continue living in Atlanta while pursuing my dream.

I’ve also learned that being a great designer doesn’t automatically make you a great business owner. In the beginning, I thought my biggest job was simply creating beautiful garments. Over time, I realized I also had to become a marketer, salesperson, content creator, CEO, financial planner, and leader. Learning all of those skills while still trying to create at a high level has probably been one of the hardest parts of the journey.

Fear has also been something I’ve had to overcome. There have been opportunities that I delayed because I didn’t feel ready or qualified enough. Looking back, I’ve realized that confidence isn’t something you wait for—it grows through obedience and action. Some of my biggest lessons have come from moments where I had to move forward even when I felt uncertain.

Another challenge has been learning patience. We often see overnight success stories on social media, but my journey has been one of steady growth over many years. There have been seasons where it felt like no one noticed the work I was putting in, but those were actually the seasons where my skills, character, and faith were being developed the most.

Through every challenge, my faith has been my anchor. My relationship with God has completely changed how I approach business. Instead of seeing obstacles as signs to quit, I’ve learned to see them as opportunities to grow, trust Him more deeply, and become the person He’s calling me to be. Looking back, I’m actually grateful for many of those difficult seasons because they shaped me into a stronger designer, a better business owner, and a woman with a much deeper sense of purpose.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Today, I own JAELL, a luxury fashion brand that specializes in couture and statement pieces. While I create everything from custom gowns to ready-to-wear designs, my passion has always been designing garments that make women feel powerful the moment they put them on. I want every piece to feel like more than just clothing—I want it to make a woman feel confident enough to own the room.

Over the years, I’ve become known for my sculptural draping, dramatic silhouettes, and bold approach to design. I love creating garments that feel artistic while still being wearable. Whether it’s a red carpet gown, a custom dress, or my signature JAELL Jeans, I want someone to instantly recognize that the piece was thoughtfully designed and unlike anything else.

I think what truly sets me apart is my design style. I don’t just create clothes—I create statement pieces. I love designing garments that own the room and naturally become conversation starters. Through couture draping, I approach fashion almost like sculpture, manipulating fabric into bold, unexpected shapes and silhouettes. Every design is meant to make a woman feel seen, confident, and unforgettable.

One thing that has become really important to me is building a brand that doesn’t chase trends. Instead, I focus on creating statement pieces that have a timeless quality while still feeling fresh and innovative. My goal has never been to fit into the fashion industry but to create my own lane within it.

What I’m most proud of isn’t necessarily the celebrities I’ve dressed or the award shows my work has appeared at—although I’m incredibly grateful for those opportunities. I’m most proud that I built this brand from the ground up with very little and have remained true to my vision through every season. Every milestone has been the result of years of consistency, perseverance, and faith.

My faith still influences every part of my creative process. I spend time seeking God for direction, and many of my collections and designs are born from those moments. My goal is to create work that reflects excellence, beauty, and creativity while ultimately pointing back to the One who gave me the gift in the first place.

As I continue to grow, my vision is to establish JAELL as one of the leading couture statement brands, known for creating unforgettable pieces that celebrate confidence, femininity, and bold self-expression.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was always a very creative kid. If there was something I wanted, I usually tried to figure out how to make it myself. I was constantly creating things for my dolls, making furniture out of paper, RVs out of cardboard boxes, and even wedding dresses out of socks. My imagination was always running.

I also loved to draw and spent a lot of time creating graphics in Microsoft Paint on the computer. Looking back, it’s funny because I wasn’t just interested in fashion—I loved creating in every form. I used to make movies with my cousins, edit them, and add special effects. I loved to dance, sketch, build things, and tell stories through whatever creative outlet I could find.

Personality-wise, I was very goofy, friendly, and imaginative. I genuinely enjoyed making people laugh and having fun, but I also loved getting lost in my own creative world for hours at a time. Looking back now, I can see that fashion was just one expression of something that had always been a part of me. I’ve always been someone who loves bringing ideas to life, and that hasn’t changed—I’m just doing it on a much bigger scale now.

Pricing:

• JAELL Jeans $500
• Custom Dresses start at $1500

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jaelldesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaellofficial/