Brockton woman lives a double life as custom designer by day and nurse by night
BROCKTON — During the pandemic, Jawanda Evans spent her free time dabbling in her childhood hobby of sewing clothing, which led to the opening of Werthé by Jem.
The showroom located at 33 Dover St., Suite 303, was once a mere thought that was transformed into an actual clothing business.
The self-taught custom fashion designer started her journey at 11. Evans's family taught her the basics of sewing and her talent developed over time.
In 2013, after a back injury while working in a hospital as a nurse left her on rest, Evans, 35, began traveling down memory lane and indulging in an old craft.
"I spent most of the whole pandemic sewing face masks. It was almost like a sweatshop where I had my entire family helping. We sewed thousands of masks during that time," Evans said.
The sewing did not stop there. Evans began exploring different ways to express herself artistically during COVID.
"I love creating clothes that makes a person stand out. When I wear an outfit, I like when no one else has it. It makes fashion unique. I've always been fascinated with turning a plain piece of fabric into something wearable, something beautiful. My soul yearns for fashion and watching something transform into a wearable work of art," Evans said.
Evans took to what she called "YouTube University" to learn new techniques and how to make different garments.
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"I never went to fashion design school. Instead, I taught myself and learned everything I do from online resources," Evans said.
On the other hand, Evans went to nursing school at her old high school, Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical in Easton, and graduated nursing school in 2007.
So far, Werthé by Jem has created ball gowns, dresses, handbags, corsets, suits — anything you can put on your body Evans can make.
Every piece of clothing created by the Brockton resident is measured and designed to fit perfectly on each client. Evans spends countless hours weekly creating one-of-a-kind pieces.
When she's not at the hospital saving lives, she's running to her showroom to finish deadlines. Every day, she may work on four to six dresses at a time.
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Spending a few hours on each dress then switching keeps things interesting, Evans said.
Custom design is almost like art therapy to the fashion designer. Once she enters her showroom and starts stitching loose fabrics together, nothing else in the world matters.
Evans's mission with her brand is simple.
"I want everyone to feel beautiful and worthy, regardless of shape or size. I know the struggle of not finding things that fit," Evans said.
The brand caters to all sizes and wants women to know that they are worthy, no matter their size. Every woman should feel confident in their clothing, Evans said.
The custom designer's goal is to become a household name when it comes to designing luxury fashion and opening a storefront.
The showroom located in Brockton is by appointment only, and potential clients can make an appointment by contacting Evans through her Instagram and Facebook accounts.
In the future, Evans's creations will be in two fashion shows in September and October.
Evan is also giving back to the community of Brockton by having an annual high school prom dress giveaway valued at up to $1,200. The raffle runs from Jan. 1 to 15.
The custom designer hopes her designs will one day change the world and how people view fashion of all sizes.
Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @alishaspeakss and Instagram at Alishaatv. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton fashion designer: Nurse Jawana Evans owns Werthe by Jem
