The Interview —

Jennifer Kassell, Owner of Understated Leather

Jennifer Kassell is an Australian born self-made woman and entrepreneur. She is the owner of Texas-based leather contemporary apparel brand, Understated Leather.

At the age of 19, Kassell began her career as the youngest fashion director/buyer for Australia’s then largest e-commerce fashion website. She was considered a global brand expert driving important operations to the USA. Her expertise in the industry led her to then represent MyCatwalk at all Australian Fashion events, appearances, and press junkets while managing the team and keeping the company ahead of the game. At the time of her departure, they were 5 times the size of their closest competitor.

Jennifer then ran a boutique fashion showroom in New York City, selling Australian brands in the US market and buying luxury US brands for the Australian market. Here she worked closely with US buyers and luxury brands until she was headhunted by a reputable Californian fashion house to be their first ever Fashion Director and relocated to LA.

While employed as Fashion Director in Los Angeles for Planet Blue, she traveled back to MBFWA as an international buyer in her hometown and was featured in one of Australia’s most popular newspapers as an influential woman to watch. She was employed to reshape the brand and make it more relevant and high fashion, where she worked alongside the owners and over 100 staff members, shooting editorials, managing all art direction, working with the buying team and acting as the face of the brand across all media platforms.

In 2014 she moved to Austin, Texas and started her own brand from the ground up, collaborating with huge US brands through her personal relationships including For Love And Lemons, before she launched her website and began immediately selling to Free People and Urban Outfitters. With Kassell’s industry experience and entrepreneurial mindset, she has grown Understated Leather into one of the most covetable leather good brands. The brand has been featured in global publications, such as Vogue Paris, Russh Magazine, WWD, US Weekly & Vogue.com while developing a cult celebrity following including Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Bella Hadid, Rita Ora, January Jones, Kendall Jenner, and Erin Wasson to name a few.

The immense success of Understated Leather alongside Kassell’s creative and global vision for the brand has cemented her as a multi-faceted industry expert and female entrepreneur.

Be sure to follow Understated Leather on Instagram and keep up with Jennifer on her personal Instagram as well!