Jessica Jesse (pictured) has been a model, a stylist, and a retail manager, but she says her strongest skills may be as an editor: She knows what to add to the ensemble a person is wearing, what to take away, and when the look is complete.

Now, as the founder and designer of fine jewelry brand BuDhaGirl, she uses a variation of those skills. Jesse says her work centers on the concept of “mindful glamour”: Every time a person puts on a piece of BuDhaGirl jewelry, they should breathe deeply, reflect intentionally, and embrace that moment thoughtfully, she suggests.

“It is the celebration of ritual and presence,” Jesse says. “That is what mindful glamour is all about. It is a kind of radiance born not of perfection, but of awareness.”

In May, BuDhaGirl received what Jesse considers its greatest affirmation yet—Dillard’s department store began carrying the brand in stores in 14 states and on the retailer’s website, putting BuDhaGirl products in front of more people and allowing the company to expand just as Jesse hoped it would.

Jesse founded BuDhaGirl in 2013 to create jewelry that reminds people it is essential to take a daily moment to ground yourself and be grateful. Her own life reflects that mindful glamour mantra in that Jesse strives every day to be thankful for what she has as a business owner, wife, and mother.

Two transformational experiences set Jesse on her path toward meaning. The first was the death of her father when she was a teen. The second came during a trip to Thailand, where she received a gift that inspired her most recognizable piece of jewelry.

First, the story of her family and first half of her career. Jesse was born in Mexico City to an Austrian hotelier father and a Mexican mother. They traveled extensively between Austria and Mexico, and Jesse attended school in both countries, graduating high school from the American School in Mexico City.

She began modeling at 14, and was “discovered” when Hubert de Givenchy came to Mexico City and saw her modeling in a show. She became the closing model for several of his fashion shows in Paris, and she worked in Florida and New York City for designers like Calvin Klein and Adolfo.

Jesse enrolled in Southern Methodist University in 1980 but dropped out after two years. She later earned a bachelor’s in fashion merchandising from the Art Institute of Dallas.

She still lives in Dallas, and her retail career there spanned three decades, including stints managing Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino boutiques, running the couture department at Saks Fifth Avenue, and directing the personal shopping service at Neiman Marcus.

“The learnings over 30 years are vast. The one thing I knew is that I loved fashion and that no matter what I was doing [in the field], I was happy,” says Jesse.

“I loved working one-on-one with clients,” she continues. “My strong suit is editing, so I enjoyed buying the great luxury collections. I always treated fashion as a business, so being mindful of performance was key to my success.”

She met and married Bill Jesse in 1999, and it was during a vacation with him in Thailand that Jesse says she found her next “stage” of life. Buddhist monks gave her sai sin bracelets in exchange for alms, and she felt such thankfulness for the small gift. She also felt the spark of an idea.

She began working on her own version of that all-important bracelet, and the result was her signature All Weather Bangle, made of a waterproof, nearly weightless, and soundless tubing in various colors with gold or silver leaf.

Handcrafted by artisans in Thailand, the bangles are meant to be put on one at a time while the wearer sets intentions and, at the end of the day, taken off while the wearer expresses gratitude. They are sold in sets of six and sealed with the the BuDhaGirl serenity prayer bead. And, Jesse notes, they get through TSA scanners without a beep.

BuDhaGirl’s collections have expanded to include rings, bracelets with gemstones and beading, jewelry for men and kids, and accessories from India and Mexico. Each item, Jesse says, is a treasure that fuses inspiration and global artistry.

“There are two ways to look at jewelry,” says Jesse. “One, as a finishing touch or complement to one’s wardrobe personality. The second is BuDhaGirl’s philosophy of using your jewelry as a ritual to set your daily intentions. It blends the spirit of the woman with her style.”

(Photos courtesy of BuDhaGirl)

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