After graduating from Parsons in 2016, Jackson Wiederhoeft immediately joined Thom Browne, where he helped design the women’s runway collections before starting his own line in 2019.
While Wiederhoeft’s work is very theatrical and feminine, while working for Browne he got familiar with uniform dressing. Browne is known for his cult following of consumers who wear a very specific uniform—shrunken suits with cropped proportions—as does the Thom Browne team.
That’s why it made sense when Maggie Hardy Knox, who runs Nemacolin with her son PJ Magerko, the VP of brand strategy, tapped Wiederhoeft to create new uniforms for the staff at Nemacolin in Farmington, Pennsylvania.
“Normally I design party dresses or wedding gowns which are meant to make a theatrical statement, and even if it is not the most comfortable silhouette or fabric, you’re only wearing it for a day or a few hours,” says Wiederhoeft. “But with a uniform, it is something you’re going to wear every day, and it affects your life in a very substantial way. So, I enjoyed getting to know the associates and hearing about their jobs and thoughts on the new pieces… making adjustments where needed and learning every minute.”
Wiederhoeft, whose pieces have been worn by celebrities including Rihanna and Lady Gaga, took his team of 12 to the resort and opened an atelier where they fit over 300 associates in a week and spent eight months tailoring each of the uniforms to fit each staff member.
Wiederhoeft, who says he was inspired by 1930s and 1940s New York City doormen, along with movies like The Sound of Music and Funny Girl, created wool suiting for the front-of-house staff that was paired with twill neck scarves and hand-knitted wool cardigans. For the security and outdoor housekeeping staff, he created down-filled quilted coats. Each piece was embroidered with the resort’s new logo, a small bird named Pearl. The pieces were manufactured in both Turkey and Italy.
Nemacolin was founded by Joseph Hardy, founder and CEO of the 84 Lumber Company, who bought the 400-acre property in 1987. Hardy’s daughter Maggie inherited the business and over the past couple of years has been working with her son to make it more modern and experiential. Wiederhoeft was recently tasked with designing 50 looks for a one-night-only immersive performance that will take place on New Year’s Eve at the resort.
“These guys at Nemacolin, they get it,” Wiederhoeft, who recently launched a pre-fall collection, told WWD. “What they’re doing with their own brand is amazing. Pivoting into this artistic, queer world is really awesome to watch.”
