Jen Kao

A favorite of WWD and Style.com, this young designer is being hailed as a hot new talent to watch out for–with good reason. Kao’s tailoring is sharp, her cuts eye-grabbing. With her breakthrough sequin jackets, exquisite mini dresses and cult following among young stars, she’s rapidly building her own brand. Raised by a grandmother who instilled her with a sense of structure and attention to detail, Kao is a woman with a clear vision for every scrap of fabric she sees. But when Uinterview found Kao in her impressive studio in New York’s Fashion District, we were pleasantly surprised to meet not only a raw talent, but a refreshingly sweet, unjaded young woman from Kansas City.