The Jamaican entrepreneur launched her fashion brand on October 14, betting that comfortable, versatile clothing could find an audience well beyond the island.
For nearly two years, Jhana-Lee B. had been considering starting her own fashion business. The idea was there, as was her enthusiasm for clothing that combined comfort with understated style. What she lacked was a compelling reason to abandon the security of a steady job.
That changed when the company she had worked for over the previous three and a half years ceased operations.
Rather than immediately seek another employer, the Jamaican entrepreneur decided to pursue a business she had repeatedly postponed. On October 14, she launched JHYM Studio, a women’s clothing brand built around the idea that everyday dressing should be effortless, flattering and versatile.
“This is something that I’ve been thinking on for a year or two,” she told World Music Views in an interview. “Circumstances just didn’t allow me to start immediately.”
Her former job, she explained, had provided a financial safety net that made it easier to delay taking the plunge.
“I just kept making excuses not to put myself into my brand,” she said.
“Let me use this time to at least try. And if it works, it works. If it doesn’t, I move forward.”
It was a decision that transformed an idea she had entertained privately into a commercial venture.
JHYM Studio emerged partly from Jhana-Lee’s dissatisfaction with online shopping.
A self-described chronic online shopper, she had spent years ordering clothing that often failed to meet her expectations. The problem was not necessarily the design, but how garments looked and felt once worn.
She wanted clothing that fitted properly, complemented her body and could be worn comfortably throughout the day.
“Fashion has just been a way of how I’ve been expressing myself,” she said.
Her interest in fitness also influenced the concept. Having spent considerable time in the gym, she developed an appreciation for athleisure, particularly its combination of functionality and comfort.
But she noticed that wearing athletic-inspired clothing outside the gym frequently prompted questions about whether she was heading to a workout.
“No. This is just me being comfortable and relaxed, but still looking good,” she recalled thinking.
Jhana-Lee isn’t just the visionary behind JHYM Studio—she’s the face, the muse, and the embodiment of everything her brand represents.
With her sleek braids, radiant complexion, soft-glam beauty, and an effortless confidence that commands attention, she brings a distinctly feminine edge to contemporary athleisure.
She makes a compelling case for fashion that celebrates both comfort and sensuality. There’s an undeniable authenticity to the way she wears her designs; nothing feels forced, and every look carries the quiet assurance of a woman who knows exactly what she wants her brand to say.
That distinction became central to JHYM Studio’s identity: clothing that borrows the ease of activewear without being confined to exercise.
Jhana-Lee began exploring the possibility of sourcing garments herself, testing samples and assessing their fit before offering them to customers.
The result is a collection of fitted tops, coordinated separates and everyday essentials, with an emphasis on pieces that can be styled in different ways.
Her initial target market was women in their twenties and early thirties. The response, she said, has challenged that assumption.
Women across different age groups and sizes have expressed interest in the clothing, suggesting a broader potential audience than she originally envisaged.
For Jhana-Lee, the most meaningful feedback has come from customers who say they feel both comfortable and attractive in her designs.
“They would genuinely feel so comfortable but still feel so sexy,” she said. “That’s exactly what my intention was for my brand.”
The economics of a capsule wardrobe
At the heart of JHYM Studio is a straightforward proposition: a relatively small collection of carefully selected garments can form the foundation of a much larger wardrobe.
The company’s tagline, “Build Your Capsule,” draws on the capsule wardrobe philosophy, which favours versatile essentials over an accumulation of disconnected purchases.
Jhana-Lee describes the approach as beginning with foundational pieces that can be mixed, matched and layered to create different outfits.
“A capsule wardrobe is where you start at the foundation to build your way up into different outfits,” she explained.
The objective is to reduce the time and effort required to get dressed while giving customers flexibility in how they present themselves.
Neutral colours feature prominently in the initial collection because they can be combined with brighter garments, accessories and statement pieces.
The company’s website reflects this philosophy through a staged approach to wardrobe building. Future releases are intended to expand on the initial selection, allowing customers to add new pieces to those they already own.
For a young brand, the approach also offers a coherent product strategy. Rather than attempting to compete across numerous fashion categories immediately, JHYM Studio is concentrating on a recognisable aesthetic and a manageable range of products.
Jhana-Lee acknowledges that her own fashion knowledge has developed over time.
She has deliberately studied styling and clothing combinations so that her recommendations to customers are informed by experience rather than simply personal preference.
“I have been genuinely putting time and effort into making that work for me and building out my fashion sense,” she said.
Learning from Skims, without copying the formula
Skims has become an influential name in contemporary apparel through its emphasis on body-conscious silhouettes, everyday essentials and a distinctive visual identity.
JHYM Studio’s fitted clothing, neutral palette and minimalist presentation bear some resemblance to that approach, something Jhana-Lee readily acknowledges.
“Skims is definitely an inspiration,” she said.
Her research has extended beyond observing the company’s marketing. She owns several Skims products and has evaluated what she likes and dislikes about them.
“I have a lot of items from Skims and I see what I like about their products, what exactly I don’t necessarily like about it,” she explained.
Those observations have helped inform decisions about her own collection.
Yet JHYM Studio is operating on a vastly different scale, and Jhana-Lee is conscious of the work required to establish its identity.
Her immediate priority is not rapid diversification, but ensuring that the existing product range meets customers’ expectations.
The realities of building a Jamaican fashion business
Launching a fashion business in Jamaica presents challenges that extend beyond design and marketing.
JHYM Studio currently sources its products overseas, leaving the company exposed to international shipping schedules, customs procedures and the time required to receive and test samples.
For a business still in its early stages, these factors can complicate product launches and inventory planning.
Jhana-Lee identified timing as one of the practical lessons she has had to learn, particularly when coordinating deliveries with planned releases.
But her most significant lesson has been less operational and more personal.
“Just because people may know you and people may be aware of who you are, doesn’t necessarily mean that they will support you,” she said.
Although she is grateful for the encouragement of those closest to her, she has discovered that familiarity does not automatically translate into customers or advocates.
Rather than allow that disappointment to dictate her outlook, she has chosen to concentrate on the confidence she has in the business.
“The belief and reassurance that I have in myself and in my brand and what I’m trying to build” have helped her overcome those feelings, she said.
It is a perspective that reflects one of the less visible aspects of entrepreneurship: the emotional demands of attempting to establish a business without guaranteed support or success.
Jamaica first, international markets next
JHYM Studio’s ambitions extend beyond Jamaica, although its founder has deliberately chosen to begin at home.
“That was actually intentional,” Jhana-Lee said. “I did want to push towards my local family first before I went international and overseas.”
Expanding international sales is now high on her list of priorities.
The transition will require the business to develop its capacity to serve overseas customers, including the logistics necessary to fulfil orders beyond Jamaica.
Jhana-Lee says she is already working towards that goal.
Asked whether she was prepared for a potentially larger customer base, she offered a measured response.
“Am I prepared for the rush? I’m working on that part of it.”
She recognises that even extensive preparation cannot eliminate the uncertainties of running a business.
“You really can prepare so much, but things will always just come up at any time,” she said.
For now, there are no immediate plans for pop-up retail events. Jhana-Lee would like to explore them as the product range expands, but they are not a priority.
Her first launch was deliberately limited to the pieces she considered essential to introducing the brand’s capsule wardrobe concept.
Future collections will build on that foundation.
Despite the commercial ambitions surrounding JHYM Studio, Jhana-Lee describes the moment of launching as an achievement in itself.
After spending up to two years considering the business, the act of finally making it public brought a sense of relief and excitement that was not dependent on immediate sales.
“I didn’t even care if the orders didn’t come in at first,” she recalled. “I finally did it.”
She remembers speaking to her best friend on the telephone as the brand went live, the two celebrating the culmination of months of hesitation, planning and preparation.
“We were just on the phone excited, screaming,” she said.
The experience marked a shift from contemplating entrepreneurship to accepting its risks.
JHYM Studio remains a young business, with no publicly disclosed sales figures or established record of international demand. Its long-term prospects will depend on whether Jhana-Lee can translate early customer enthusiasm into repeat purchases, reliable fulfilment and sustainable growth.
But the founder is already thinking about the next stage.
The possibility of expanding into other product categories is something she is willing to consider, even as she remains focused on strengthening the existing collection.
For now, her ambition is to make JHYM Studio a brand women associate with comfort, confidence and the freedom to dress without unnecessary complication.
The company that once existed only as an idea has become a functioning business, complete with a website, customers and a product philosophy.
“It’s out there now,” she said. “Just to move forward from that.”
