Brother Jabez (15) and Christopher (14) learned how to sew under the guidance of their mother at the ages of 5 and 3. The brother started their own accessories business a few years later. They handcraft each item and participate in the entire design and sell process through every single step of production. We are excited to highlight these young entrepreneurs.
Jabez and Christopher Jenkins
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga
Name of brand or clothing line : Kings and Gents Accessories
Type of design, accessories, t shirts, denim, clothing etc
We design bow ties for boys by boys.
Why did you choose to design for children?
My brother and I started sewing when we were 5 and 3. When I (Jabez) was 9 years old we had Career Day at school and I asked my mom could I use the leftover scraps of fabric to make 30 bow ties for boys and 30 hair bows for girls.
When I took the products to school I sold out within minutes. When I sold out so quickly I said to my self “I can be successful in real life”. Though I was sold out the teachers kept raving all day and asking me to bring more bow ties the next day. They continued to ask months after the Career Day was over, outside of school when they saw our family in the community. Our momager told me to tell whoever asked about bow ties that “this wasn’t for real life, it was just for Career Day”. Then one day I went to our momager and asked “Mom, can you take me to Atlanta to sell bow ties?” And she said “ask your brother if he will help you”. Kings and Gents Accessories was born.
How is your label different from the other childrens’ brand already on the market?
Our brand is different because we design and make our bow ties. We choose, cut and sew the fabrics. There are a lot of men’s bow tie designers but you don’t really see kid’s bow tie designers on a regular basis. What we do is rare.
Where do you get your ideas from and what or who inspires you as a designer?
We base our designs off the project we’re working on or by the weather. We change the fabrics to darker, thicker fabrics in the winter and lighter, thinner, more vibrant colors in the summer. If we’re doing a wedding, we choose fabrics based on the wedding colors.
For more information visit www.thekingsandgents.com
