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JESSIE LEUKUMA

Fiordland Jessie.jpg
Founder/Owner
APPAREL Design & Development
CONTRACTOR

Founded in 2019, Dart Apparel is a company that focuses on apparel design and development. Dart’s goal is to help companies and individuals with their design and development needs.

 

Dart Apparel can fill a need for apparel companies during times of transition and growth, allowing companies to have access to professional work done by an industry expert, without going through the trouble of hiring and relocating a new employee. Individuals seeking help also can have their dreams brought to life through Dart, and are encouraged to reach out. Specialties include computer pattern-making, conceptual design, technical design and development, sourcing, construction libraries, grade rules, drawing and other design services per request.

 

What makes me stand out from others within the apparel industry is my strong background in small, medium, and large companies. Working in each gave me unique skills and experiences, and helped me learn the challenges of doing business on three different scales. This has given me the ability to; design, develop, manufacture, and sell almost any good, on any scale, while maintaining a clear vision and realistic path to success.

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I have also founded a Maternity & Baby Apparel Company called RASKANA in 2021. As the founder and CEO of  RASKANA, I inspire to design fashionable, ethical and quality maternity and children's apparel that is unique but practical for real moms. The designs are personally designed and developed by our brand founder and mother of three Jessie, who focuses equally on pattern-making and fit, in conjunction with design, to create products that are fashionable and practical for your journey in motherhood.

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My unique set of skills also comes from my extensive background and experience in sewing & patterning. I started sewing when I was 7 years old, and soon began to teach classes in my mother’s sewing machine dealership. In this dealership, my mother and I worked alongside each other: learning, teaching, and traveling to Husqvarna Viking international sewing conventions together. In high school, I dual enrolled in art classes, and went on to study Fashion Design in College where I received my BFA in Fashion Design from The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago. During high school and college, I never left the industry, working hard in upholstery and interior design to pay my way.

 

Being a passionate expert in the apparel industry, I am confident in leading projects and delivering end-to-end apparel development with high expectations. Combining my degree in fashion design, growing up in a sewing machine dealership, and my work experiences, I am able to deliver quality services and products within the competitive apparel market. I love to champion new projects and challenges and thrive within creative and fast-paced environments. Hard work, combined with passion for finding efficiencies and best practices, has allowed me to effectively manage competing priorities on very short time-lines.

SERVICE & Products

Corporate Services:

Computer Pattern-making / Conceptual Design / Technical Design 

Fashion Illustration / Development / Sourcing / Grading

Consulting / Construction Libraries / Custom Block Libraries

Custom Artwork: 

Graphite Drawings / Custom Sewing / Painting

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