Preparing to meet the world impeccably dressed was something Rachel A. Fenderson mastered at a very young age. Rachel was born and raised in Queens, New York, to Jamaican parents.   She worked hard as a student all the while being drawn to fabrics, design, and creation.  This dichotomy would be at times a thorn, sometimes a stepping-stone and ultimately the key to Rachel’s success. 

Rachel considered Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology in her senior year of High School.  However, the more sensible less riskier side of the dichotomy won out.  In 2002, Rachel attended Hofstra University and pursued a degree in English Literature.  As an English major, Rachel was exposed to all genres of literature and authors who span the globe.  Her studies in international literature influenced her decision to study abroad in Spain and Japan.  

-Dreams

Throughout her undergraduate career Rachel continued to sketch, but what filled her drawing tablet wasn't still life impressions of fruit but elegant dresses.  The dichotomy still ever present continued nagging as an ever-present specter in all her decisions about her future.  After graduating from Hofstra in 2006, Rachel spent the summer in Japan.  She visited Issey Miyake’s design center and the creative force there and everywhere in Japan moved her to make fashion design a goal.

When she returned to America she set her sights on attending Parsons The New School for Design, she submitted her application two weeks before the deadline and was accepted for Spring 2007.  Always business minded, Rachel worked at an investment firm full time to learn more about finances, while attending Parsons full time.  Rachel later applied to Parsons in Paris, she worked tirelessly on her application and portfolio.  In her heart she knew the timeless elegance of Paris would be exactly where she should go to pursue her third degree.  She was accepted into the competitive Fashion Design program in June of 2008.  

-Paris Deferred

While working to complete her degree in NY, Rachel received a letter to say that Parsons in Paris was taken off the list for student loans.  Rachel was devastated that she would not be able to attend.  Refusing to be discouraged, Rachel went on to intern for Catherine Fung during the fall of 2008.  Later, Rachel worked for a startup Couture House (Rafael Cennamo) as the Operational Manager.  

-Fashion Is Forever

A prodigious amount of HR, Accounting, and Business Operations experience was the guidance and push for the start of Pepper Jacques Pep, LLC. On January 1, 2011, Rachel Fenderson, founded the womenswear company monikered: Pepper Jacques. A few years later her sister Marshea Fenderson joined the team becoming a founding member and helped launch Pepper Jacques into the stratosphere. Pepper Jacques went on to partner with The Body Shop, Snack Factory (Original Pretzel), and Wray & Nephew.

By 2016, Rachel decided to fully immerse her life and world into fashion by furthering her education at Parsons Paris, The New School for Design in Paris, France. In May 2018, Fenderson successfully defended her Master’s thesis: “JAY JAXON: A Biographical Study and Media Discourse Analysis Reinstating A Designer Into Fashion History.” Pursuing this degree gave her the opportunity to write the first comprehensive biographical study on the designer Jay Jaxon, with a foundation rich in investigatory research and critical analysis.  Thus, designating Rachel as the lead authority and fashion scholar on Jay Jaxon.

Rachel garnered a great amount of material, objects, and oral history that allowed her to write the fashion biography of Jay Jaxon and exhibit his work at the Mona Bismarck (American Center For Art & Culture) in Paris (2018), Queens Public Library (2019), and at Queens Historical Society (2020). In 2019, NBC Meteorologist and Newscaster Al Roker, invited Rachel to tour their Hometown Saint Albans, Queens, for the segment 3rd hour of TODAY’s Hometown Glory, by way of her work as a Guest Curator for the Queens Historical Society. 

In 2021, Rachel’s academic research and curatorial work on Jay Jaxon was featured in both The New York Times and Vogue Magazine.  In addition to these features, Rachel was called upon by journalists’ Tara Donaldson for WWD newspaper to discourse the importance of designer Kerby Jean-Raymond’s historical haute couture collection, erasure, and Jay Jaxon’s historical contributions to fashion WWD.  Rachel Fenderson is working on her forthcoming biographical book JAY JAXON: A Love Letter To Our Ancestors. 

-A Dream Realized

In 2022, Rachel’s life changed forever when she won a fashion competition to be mentored by the Godfather of Streetwear Karl Kani in partnership with E&J Brandy. Rachel heard about this competition during the pandemic and thought that it could change the trajectory of Pepper Jacques’ success.  Although Rachel’s foresight was correct, she did not win on the first go around in 2021. The unwavering determination she possesses allowed her to pursue the competition once more, which then led to Rachel releasing her SUPERNOVA I I I I Spring / Summer collection at the Hard Rock Hotel in NYC.  This collection production and release was a full circle moment.

Rachel illustrated, developed, and patterned the garments while working with seamstress’ in Kingston and Portmore to sew the final pieces in Jamaica W.I., the homeland of her parents.  Now these very same garments hit the runway with renowned fashion legends FUBU (For Us By Us), Walker Wear by April Walker, Karl Kani, and Dapper Dan of Harlem. The rest was history in the making as Rachel watched her garments thrill the onlookers, she remembered the days when she used to walk past the FUBU store in Hollis, Queens, NY as child on her way to Junior High School.  The gratitude owed to her mentor Karl Kani is immeasurable, as he made this moment possible.