Meet Jessica Wu, New York Based Stylist and the Press Director for Peter Do

I had the honor of speaking with Jessica, a stylist, a model, and the Press director for Peter Do. For my “Applications of Social Media” class at FIT, I had to interview someone who succeeded in the industry I want to pursue, and I decided to reach out to Jessica, whom I have been following for years. A few weeks ago, I reached out to her on Instagram, and she was willing to have a conversation through FaceTime! After conversing with her for over 40 minutes, she was one of the most generous and humble people I’ve ever talked to.

What does a typical day look like for you during this pandemic? What has changed?

Even before the pandemic, I wasn’t in the office full time. I was bouncing in the office 2–4 days a week. I handled both Peter Do’s E-commerce and Press orders, such as fulfilling orders and packing things. Things got busier with sample trafficking again when Asia began to clear up with COVID. Also, a lot of emailing and keeping in touch with clients.

Do you still do a lot of styling work?

I actually haven’t been doing a styling job in a long time, almost for a year now. I am still modeling here and there, but many people have been asking me for self-styling. I bring my own clothes and style myself for a shoot.

What is the most challenging part of your job? Most rewarding?

The most challenging part is balancing everything. Peter Do is still my main priority right now, but I also started an online home goods store, which takes a lot of my time. I also do freelance content creation because it pays the bill sometimes. In the past, I struggled with being too ambitious, taking so many things at once. I can say that if I didn’t do those things, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. But, I also sacrificed a lot of things. Unfortunately, in fashion, which needs to change, it’s a lot of give and take.

The most rewarding part is seeing something from beginning to end (start to finish) since I have helped in the backend. Right now, we just started a new season, and the design team has been working on development. I am seeing their preliminary research, and just seeing how a board of inspiration turns into a physical collection of clothing and accessories is really cool to me. Producing our lookbook shoots and being featured in Vogue Runway is also rewarding to me.

How did you and your colleagues prepare to start your own brand?

We actually had the fortune of having the financial support of our 2 of our close friends and family to help start the company. We have been trying to manage our finances pretty tightly as well. In terms of growing the brand, we’ve never spent any money on advertising. Our Instagram is entirely organic. People have been generous enough to share our content, and we are very fortunate to have an audience with huge support.

Who are some current designers that you are looking into now?

I think Mowalola in the UK is really cool, and Maximilian Davis as well.

Is there a specific reason why you guys chose Brooklyn as a studio?

Literally, rent. [laughs] It just made more sense to be in Brooklyn since Peter was living there and other workers as well.

What do you predict happening in either Peter Do or yourself for the next 5 years?

For Peter Do, our long-term goal is to establish a house in New York and for us to have an atelier. It is kind of crazy what we’ve done in the last 2–3 years, so as long we stay on the path, I believe we can achieve our goal pretty soon.

I think for myself, I hope to oversee and expand my creative roles as the company grows. I like producing things and finding cool people to work with. I want to expand my creative role in producing new content on a more regular basis. I want to diversify the imagery a little bit more and having fun with clothes.

What skillset helps you the most in the fashion industry? Or any industry in general?

I think flexibility. In fashion, I think many people have strong personalities and are rigid about the way they work. I believe in the 21st century, and especially these days, I think it’s important for people to go with the flow. Things change here and there, and you can’t be upset because everything is so volatile. Being light on your feet and being able to act on a whim is very important.

What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

As I said earlier, I sacrificed a lot and worked really hard, but I would not change any of that. I would allow myself to rest. When you are young and are trying to pursue something you are passionate about, you can’t see your body is failing you. For me, it was physical, but I think a lot of people in the fashion industry are going through mental health issues.

I would tell myself to chill out. [laughs] I haven’t met a single person who overworked themselves and hasn’t burnt out. Burning out is so common in fashion… I think it is preventable if you pace yourself in the right way.