Jessie Andrews: How a Self-Made Creative Built a Modern Multi-Brand Career

A Modern Career Built Outside the Lines

Jessie Andrews has never followed a traditional path. She grew up in Miami, Florida, far from fashion runways or startup offices. At 18, she left high school just months before graduation and moved to Los Angeles. Her early years were not polished or predictable, but they shaped the gritty determination she carries into every business decision today. “Being told you can’t do something,” she says, “is always the biggest driver to make whatever you want to happen, happen.”

In the years since, Andrews has built a career that blends design, entrepreneurship, acting, and creative direction. Her journey is proof that industry leadership can come from unexpected places- and that mindset often matters more than a mapped-out plan.

Early Breakout: From Film to Fashion

When Jessie Andrews arrived in Los Angeles, she entered film and television. Within a year, she became one of the few adult actresses to cross over into mainstream success. Magazines like GQ labeled her an “It Girl.” That visibility opened the door to her next pivot. While shopping one afternoon, a scout discovered her in an American Apparel store. She soon became the brand’s exclusive model, later landing covers for Harper’s Bazaar, LA Weekly, and Numero.

But she wasn’t content to stay in front of the camera. “Always being curious and investing in myself and my ideas has always brought me success,” she explains. Curiosity pushed her toward design… quietly, at first.

Building Bagatiba and a New Kind of Brand Career

Before turning 21, Andrews began designing jewelry as a personal creative project. She made pieces marked by simplicity and minimalism. Bagatiba, her first company, grew faster than she expected. It became a favorite among celebrities such as the Hadids, Jenners, and Kardashians, and her online store became one of the top-performing sites on Shopify.

The growth confirmed what she already believed: “Passion, determination, open-mindedness, and resilience” were the keys to building something real. She applied the same approach as she launched new ventures. Basic Swim followed, shaped by her belief in disrupting norms and designing from ongoing inspiration instead of rigid seasonal cycles, simplicity is key.

Even as her brands expanded, she stayed focused on details. She did not delegate creative direction early on. Instead, she kept her hands on everything from product design to photoshoot concepts. She says her system is simple: “I’m not a procrastinator. I’m organized with calendars, notes, and keeps, which allows me to keep myself in check.”

Scaling a Creative Headquarters

Andrews manages all her brands from her New York collective, 1201 B Studios. By 2019, her operations had drawn attention from Forbes and International Business Times for innovation in e-commerce and brand building. Her work also captured interest from companies looking for direction. She began consulting for larger brands and introduced “Dodge & Donate,” a charity dodgeball event that brought creatives together to raise money in a fresh, engaging way.

Her leadership philosophy leans heavily on personal mindset. “Believing in myself is the truest form of success,” she says. “Mindset is key. Once you establish that, you’re unstoppable.”

Tase Gallery: Blending Retail, Art, and Community

In 2021, she launched Tase Gallery, a retail gallery concept in Los Angeles. It became a space where products, art, and people could interact. Displays weren’t designed to sell- they were designed to connect. The space featured artists such as Hugo Comte, Alex Stern and Fong Min Liao. Major collaborators like Flos, Bulgari, Zara, and Vogue helped anchor its reputation.

Tase Home followed, offering furniture and design objects created with artists. The gallery marked Andrews’ shift from brand founder to true creative leader, someone shaping how people experience furniture in space rather than just how they buy it. Her first collaboration with Swedish rug company Nordic Knots was a collection of five limited-edition, mid-century modern inspired rugs featuring animal prints and rich colors shot at the iconic Stahl House in Los Angeles, showcased in the most prestigious design outlets from Architectural Digest to Elle Decor.

A Return to Film and a New Season of Growth

Although business became her main focus, Andrews never fully stepped away from acting. She appeared in A24’s Hot Summer Nights and later (in 2022) on HBO’s Euphoria, where press coverage in Vogue and W Magazine followed. Her first lead role, in the thriller Love Bomb, released in 2025.

A Personal Measure of Success

For Andrews, success has never been about comparison. “I measure success by my own standard,” she says. “I try not to compare myself to anyone else. That’s when you can start to feel anxious or let down with your own work.”

Instead, she focuses on clarity, balance, and internal grounding. “Taking a deep breath and reminding myself that things are only as hard as you make them” is a practice she uses often. She believes long-term relationships and the impact she leaves behind matter most.

Her career reflects that mindset- constant reinvention anchored in self-belief, curiosity, and discipline. She built each step of her professional life not from privilege or predictable opportunity, but from vision supported by practical action.

Jessie Andrews may not have planned to become a designer, director, or multi-brand founder. But she built herself into one anyway, one decision, one idea, and one risk at a time.