No factories. No exploitation. Just Jackets.
In a world driven by fast trends, Tesslo is taking things one step at a time. The Washington, DC–based fashion house, founded by Nigerian designer Tessy Oliseh-Amaize, has introduced Just Jackets, an outerwear collection that focuses on design and function.
Oliseh-Amaize is no stranger to differentiation. Born into a family of footballers in Nigeria, she chose design over sport, and went on to earn a B.A. degree in fashion at Middlesex University in London in 2005. Her career has since taken her from Lagos to Paris to the streets of New York City, where exile in the United States became a period of resilience and reinvention. That journey, she says, has shaped the philosophy behind Just Jackets.
“There are people who love functional, well-made clothes,” says Oliseh-Amaize. “But not everyone wants to pay outlandish prices for them. Focusing on the jacket, I wanted to create outfits that are premium but not out of reach.”
Season One includes the 1880 Trucker Jacket, a nod to Levi’s denim heritage; the La Rue Chore Jacket, smart enough for the office but cool enough for the street; and the reversible Kalahari Jacket. Each design is grounded in what Oliseh-Amaize calls “utility and artistry.”
“A Tesslo jacket isn’t something you discard after six months,” she says. “These are pieces you live with—jackets you wear to dinner, to the after-party, and straight to a meeting the next morning.”
Tesslo’s jackets are not like garments produced overseas with cheap labor under “unknown conditions” and then shipped into Western markets. They are made by hand in the US—a radical act of transparency in today’s industry.
“These jackets are handmade. No tailors or machinists were exploited. No factories were involved. You can trace every single jacket to the hands that made it,” Oliseh-Amaize says.
This deliberate approach allows Tesslo to produce in small, traceable batches, slow enough to ensure quality, fast enough to remain human. It’s not about volume for numbers sake, but about making sure every piece sold on the Tesslo website carries the personal touch of the designer.
“It’s a different experience when you know someone spent time, years of expertise, and care creating what you’re wearing,” she adds.
Unlike collections designed to “break the internet” or “entertain” social media audiences, Just Jackets is different. It balances simplicity with sophistication and makes the everyday wearer the priority.
Oliseh-Amaize’s design approach draws from her background in mathematics, which informs her geometric patterns; her Nigerian heritage, which adds rhythm and color; and the discipline of British tailoring shaped by years of hands-on work.
In a moment when many fashion consumers are asking for well-made clothes, Tesslo’s Just Jackets deliver timeless pieces designed for people who care, not only about what they wear, but how it was made.
Season One of Just Jackets is available for pre-order at www.tesslo.shop.
Photos: Nahum Matthew (Sainty)
