Justina McKee is the visionary behind the acclaimed swimwear fashion house Matte Collection, through which she is empowering women worldwide to feel beautiful, comfortable, and confident—with affordability at the foundation. Entrepreneurship is nothing new to Justina. Her grandmother was a successful businesswoman who gifted Justina her first brick and mortar location. Throughout her ten year career in concept development and design experience, Justina has cracked the code on building targeted brand audiences and sustaining organic, rapid growth.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Matte Collection was founded in 2015 on the guiding philosophy, “for women, by women.” Under Justina’s leadership, Matte Collection has had explosive growth. The fashion house has crossed over into the international market, being sported by celebrities and influencers globally. Angela Simmons, model Tabria Majors, and Achieng Agutu collaborated with Matte Collection on their viral Confidence Campaign. Other notable collaborations include Lori Harvey, Lala Anthony, and Meagan Good.
Amassing over one million Instagram followers, Justina has used her education, passion, and forward thinking to defy statistics and create a thriving fashion business. During Matte Collection’s 2023 Miami swim week show, Justina took time to speak with me about her entrepreneurial journey and more. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Stephanie Tharpe: You grew Matte Collection into a hyper-successful and recognized brand from the ground up. What inspired you?
Justina McKee: What inspired me was the little Black girls who look like me and women in general. I want to give them something to look forward to and be someone they can look up to. I wanted them to see that no matter your circumstances or what you’ve been through, you can achieve your dreams like everyone else. We can reach those heights despite those things.
Stephanie Tharpe: There are a lot of young girls who want to start their own fashion house. What was your biggest obstacle, and what advice would you give other women looking to replicate your success?
Justina McKee: Our biggest challenge was managing growth. Many early entrepreneurs struggle with wanting everything to be perfect from the start and giving up too quickly if they are not seeing progress. You just have to push through.
Stephanie Tharpe: Matte Collection isn’t your first company. What did you learn from your previous ventures that helped with your current success?
Justina McKee: The biggest lesson I’ve learned was not being afraid to scrap what didn’t work. When you do that, it’s easier to recognize and narrow down what does work. Once I identified what worked, I multiplied that and applied it to our processes at Matte Collection.
Stephanie Tharpe: Where do you see Matte Collection in five years?
Justina McKee: I want to be a household swimwear brand, where every woman can see themselves represented. I want to take this straight to the top.
Stephanie Tharpe: If you could sum up your entrepreneurial journal in one sentence, what would it be?
Justina McKee: She never quit.
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