With its first collaboration, Jandéqene looks to its next chapter

Jandéqene is launching its first collaboration with fashion content creator Aly Kima on Thursday, as founder Janice Guo looks to expand the label beyond its core ready-to-wear offer and develop opportunities for customers to experience its products in person.

The collaboration comprises a two-piece silk set that reworks the brand’s Justin Top, one of Kima’s personal favourites. Drawing on Audrey Hepburn and Parisian style, the capsule combines references from Kima’s wardrobe with Jandéqene’s backless detailing and focus on silk.

For Guo, the launch follows a period spent establishing the label’s identity and customer base. “We chose not to rush our first collaboration just to hit a milestone; we waited until our brand voice was completely grounded,” she told FashionUnited in a written interview.

Guo and Kima were friends before they began discussing a joint project. According to the designer, the idea emerged during a lunch catch-up rather than through a formal search for a collaboration partner.

“Aly and I were close friends long before we ever discussed working together,” Guo said. “The idea for this collaboration was actually born during a casual lunch catch-up, making the entire process feel completely organic.”

The design references are reflected in the Aly Skirt’s below-the-knee length, while the campaign was photographed in a Parisian townhouse. Guo said the intention was to bring those references into the label’s existing design vocabulary, including its backless details.

Building the label from scratch

Founded in 2022 by the Chinese-American designer, Jandéqene began as a creative project. Guo, who is self-taught, developed her first collection using deadstock fabrics while learning design online and contacting industry professionals.

“As a self-taught designer with no industry connections, I built everything from scratch,” she said. “My weekends were filled with endless hours teaching myself online and cold-emailing professionals.”

Guo identified the Astrid dress as a turning point in understanding the label’s audience. The response to the design helped her clarify which products customers wanted and prompted a move to New York to develop production.

There, she approached sewing houses in the Garment District in person, carrying the dress on a hanger. “Eventually, one sewing house took a chance on me,” she said. “Partnering with them transformed our quality and established the high standard of craftsmanship that defines Jandéqene today.”

Silk has remained central to the label, with Guo tracing her interest in the material to her childhood and her grandmother’s home in Beijing.

“Silk is deeply personal to me because it connects directly to my ethnicity and heritage,” she said. “She used to sew me nightgowns on her traditional wheel-pedal sewing machine.”

Accessories and physical retail on the agenda

While the collaboration adds a new project to Jandéqene’s offer, Guo is also considering category expansion. Women’s ready-to-wear will remain the foundation of the business, with accessories identified as an area she wants to explore.

“While women’s ready-to-wear will always be our core foundation, I’m excited to explore other avenues into new categories, starting with accessories that complement our signature silk pieces,” she said.

Physical retail experiences are another priority. Guo described ambitions for temporary retail concepts, pop-ups and dedicated showroom spaces in New York, intended to complement the label’s online presence. These remain plans rather than confirmed openings.

“Building deeper, face to face connections with our community is key, so we're hoping to show up through more immersive pop-ups and dedicated showroom spaces in New York,” she said. “Ultimately giving our audience a physical destination to experience the drape, fit, and craftsmanship of our silk is our biggest focus moving forward.”