How this whimsical Utah dress shop captured the world’s attention, with ethereal gowns in nearly every size

JessaKae’s Bluffdale boutique feels like stepping into a woodland fairy’s wardrobe.

Dresses cascade like tulle waterfalls from each part of the pastel blue shop, some embroidered with intricate floral designs, others shimmering with sequins and stars. Ethereal yet modern, the silhouettes vary from ball gowns to tea length, straight out of a storybook and made for twirling.

There’s little limitation in size, either, ranging from XXS to 6X, with no up-charge for plus. It’s that blend of dreamed-up design and size inclusivity that propelled this Utah-grown brand into viral fame.

“It’s not really about the product,” said JessaKae Kinderknecht, the company’s namesake and CEO. “It’s about how you feel wearing the product.”

The brand has nearly 4 million followers across its social media platforms and is probably best known for its spirited videos featuring the same dress on women across the size spectrum.

More recently, cast members of Hulu’s “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” all wore JessaKae’s striking blue “Saint Dress” in the Season 3 title sequence.

But for Kinderknecht, the work has always been about more than recognition.

“I started JessaKae in a really hard time of my life, and I just wanted women to feel special,” Kinderknecht said. “I wanted them to feel seen, because I didn’t feel that way about myself.”

JessaKae’s start

Kinderknecht wasn’t always interested in fashion. Growing up, she described herself as a “tomboy” who wore her brother’s clothes — a stark contrast to her ultra-feminine style today.

Her passion for photography, she said, eventually led her into fashion design. Kinderknecht started with commercial photoshoots but quickly progressed to shooting at New York Fashion Week.

“Through that, I started growing a presence online,” Kinderknecht said. That’s when one of her friends suggested she begin her own clothing brand.

JessaKae officially launched in 2016. In its first year, the business made about $2 million in revenue, Kinderknecht said. She credits much of that early success to her “Classic Rose Dress,” a maxi dress patterned with bold, watercolor-like blooms.

“She’s the most hideous dress,” Kinderknecht said, laughing. “But I sold probably close to 10,000 of that one dress. … So, I leaned fully into dresses at that point.”

The brand’s evolution

Initially, Kinderknecht wholesaled the gowns, but it wasn’t long before she began designing her own.

“In the beginning, it was a lot of gathering inspiration on Pinterest,” she said, adding that she briefly attended fashion school but dropped out because she hated sewing. Yet design became more than a craft; it was an outlet.

“I had really bad mental health, really bad depression, really bad anxiety,“ Kinderknecht said. “I had to use all of that energy to be creative. To, honestly, survive.”

With each dress design, she intertwined her challenges, her experiences — “a lot of the things from my childhood” — slowly shaping JessaKae’s inclusive, imaginative brand.

One of those childhood influences is her late grandmother, Ginger Kinderknecht, who was plus-size.

“She would order clothes and try them on, and they wouldn’t fit her,” Kinderknecht said. “She wore, basically, these sacks. ... It’s just crazy how those little things in childhood can make a bigger impact.”

‘Figuring it out as we go’

Today, JessaKae operates four factories across India and China, all certified for ethical labor practices and quality production, Kinderknecht said.

She ensures that each new collection is fitted on a “true plus-size body”— size 1X and above, she said — before hitting the racks. In the world of retail, she explained, XL is considered “straight size,” and patterns can shift dramatically after that.

“Each body shape and size is so different,” she said. “And, so, we’ll do an average measurement. … But every fitting is different, because every dress body is so different.”

Sometimes it’s a matter of “eyeing it” to get the patterns right, Kinderknecht said.

“No one’s done it before,” she said. “We’re paving the way and figuring it out as we go.”

Adjustments for plus sizes are also informed by JessaKae’s customers.

“We have a huge Facebook group community called JessaKae Insiders, and so we get a lot of feedback from them,” Kinderknecht said.

All dressed up with somewhere to go

Though Kinderknecht has come to collaborate with countless brands and well-known influencers over the years, she continues to prioritize her customers.

“Utah has a lot of these big events, but they’re mostly just for influencers,” Kinderknecht said.

That’s why she began hosting large events fit for a JessaKae gown — fantasy balls and immersive dances, where cosplay is encouraged and JessaKae dresses aren’t required.

The most recent theme, for instance, was the “JessaKae Oz Ball,” a nod to “Wicked.” The September event at the Utah State Fairpark drew 1,500 attendees, including several “Secret Lives” cast members.

Kinderknecht expects that next year’s ball will be even bigger.

“Everyone was so happy,” she said. “The vibes were vibing. It was the most diverse group of people.”

Big plans for 2026

Kinderknecht has ambitious plans for the new year, including fresh collections that will lay the groundwork for an eventual “rebrand.”

While she’s keeping most of those details under wraps, she said the new collections will tell the story of a “young, naive” princess blossoming into a “regal queen.”

The first drop of the year, the Cupid Collection, will capture that innocence in a hopelessly romantic way, Kinderknecht explained.

“We’re getting really into storytelling this next year,” she said. “People are going to follow this character’s transition [from] girl into womanhood.”

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