MEDIA KIT

TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction

Fact Sheet

Company Biography

Brand Story

Personal Biography

Kayne’s Story

Milestones

Testimonials

All the Buzz

Tradeshows

INTRODUCTIONThere is a pivotal point where a designer and their brand evolve into an organization that is

much bigger than one person, but still represents the artist’s original vision. F.I.T graduate and

Project Runway All-Star, Johnathan Kayne and his team are doing just that and leaving an

impression on the fashion world. Our clients trust us to make them look and feel beautiful.

For women who want to look and feel their absolute best at life’s special events, Johnathan

Kayne is an eveningwear brand that promises an excellent fit, superior construction and

luxurious beadwork. We accomplish this by creating fashion-forward styles as well as timelss

silhouettes and delivering them in a fun atomosphere. We believe everything we make, and

everything we do, must be the best it possibly can be.

Unlike our competitors, Kayne personally guarantees the quality of each unique design and our

friendly, reliable service builds relationships where retailers feel like family. In this press kit, you

will learn more about Kayne personally, and the ever-evolving Johnathan Kayne brand.

We welcome all inquiries.

WWW.JOHNATHANKAYNE.COM PRESS KIT | INTRODUCTION

FACT SHEETFounded: 2007

Leadership Team:

Johnathan Gillaspie, President / Creative Director

Brian Royce, Vice President / General Manager

Number of Team Members: 9

Headquarters: Nashville, TN

Showroom: Atlanta, GA

Ownership: Private

Media contact:

Brian Royce brian@johnathankayne.com

WWW.JOHNATHANKAYNE.COM PRESS KIT | FACT SHEET

COMPANY BIO

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The inception of the Johnathan Kayne brand started just a few days after Kayne appeared on Project Runway Season 3 in 2006. Kayne had been making custom garments since 1998, but he left the show inspired to create his first collection that would be mass produced and offered to retail stores. Kayne chose his first and middle names for the “Johnathan Kayne” namesake and designed and created 17 original gowns that made up his inaugural 2007 Spring / Summer collection.

Upon attending the Atlanta Apparel market in August of 2006, the Johnathan Kayne brand launched into over 30 retailers across the United States. The energy and excitement around the launch of this new designer collection cast a bright spotlight on Johnathan Kayne. Several established dress and shoe companies approached Kayne about designing collections for them.

By fall of 2006, Kayne inked a deal with Benjamin Walk Corporation located in Somersworth, New Hampshire to design a line of designer evening wear shoes that would be under the label Johnathan Kayne. The line launched in August of 2007 and has grown into over 2500 specialty stores and boutiques. Benjamin Walk Corp. was founded in 1896 and is an international shoe company that houses the Touch Ups, Liz Rene, Dyeables, and Johnathan Kayne shoe collections. These brands can be found in over 5000 stores in over 40 countries. Also in the fall of 2006, Kayne was hired as head designer for WOW Prom, an international dress company located in Atlanta, Georgia. This afforded him the opportunity to design a stylish, yet affordable prom collection under the label WOW Prom as well as launch the Johnathan Kayne for Wow collection, a designer line of evening wear. Both of these lines launched under Kayne’s creative vision in August of 2007. The WOW Prom Collection serviced over 500 retailers and the Johnathan Kayne for Wow serviced 65 retailers. In 2008, the Johnathan Kayne for WOW name was changed to Johnathan Kayne.

In 2010, Kayne hired Brian Royce as the General Manager and they chose not to continue their agreement with WOW Prom. This moved all business operations for the Johnathan Kayne line from Atlanta, Georgia to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This afforded them the opportunity to re-brand the Johnathan Kayne company and have more influence on its growth. The permanent Johnathan Kayne showroom opened in 2011 at the AmericasMart in Atlanta, Georgia.

2012 was a big year for Johnathan Kayne. Kayne was invited back for Project Runway All Stars Season 2 on Lifetime television. He placed 9th and was asked back by Anthony Ryan Auld to help him with his final collection. Kayne’s impressive construction skills and speed as well as Anthony’s beautiful design aesthetic led them to the victory. Kayne also met and became great friends with Joshua McKinley while competing on All Stars. Joshua was hired shortly thereafter to design an evening wear collection under the label Johnathan Kayne by Joshua McKinley using his elegant and edgy aesthetic.

Also in 2012, Brian and Kayne moved the company to Nashville, Tennessee as part of branding Johnathan Kayne as “Your Go-to Red Carpet Designer of the South”. Nashville offered enormous opportunity for dressing celebrities as well as faster shipping times to retailers, and close proximity to their permanent Atlanta showroom. The first outside sales rep was hired for the Northeast region of the U.S. to increase brand awareness and sales.

In 2013, additional outside sales reps were hired in the Southeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. and Kayne was hired as the Fashion Correspondent for Country Weekly magazine and ZUUS media appearing on the red carpet of the 2013 American Country Awards.

In March of 2014, Kayne and Joshua visited their production factories in China and worked hands on with them on every aspect of the design process. The Johnathan Kayne brand made a splash on many red carpets including the Billboard Music Awards, ACM’s, and CMT Awards. Lee and Sara Brice appeared on many Best Dressed lists both wearing custom Johnathan Kayne to the Academy of Country Music Awards and Lee went on to win Song of the Year later that evening. Kayne also designed and made custom costumes for Martina McBride’s Everlasting Tour in April of 2014. The Johnathan Kayne dress collections can now be found in over 500 retailers in over 15 countries. The brand is continuously growing and has goals of launching new products in the near future.

BRAND STORY

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It’s so much more than a prom dress. It’s a rite of passage for many young women. Her hair is done, her makeup is perfect, her excitement is building. It’s an empowering moment during an impressionable time in her life. It’s her fairytale and she is about to be the belle of the ball. It’s possibly the most beautiful she has ever felt.

It’s so much more than a pageant gown.It’s all of your hard work to make a difference on top of all of your other dreams. It’s building friendships that often last a lifetime. It’s building confidence in yourself and learning healthy competition that pushes you to be your best. It’s learning how to lose gracefully. It’s believing in yourself. It’s the rush of emotion right before you take the stage. It’s your time to shine.

It’s so much more than your wedding dress.It’s the biggest day in your life. Your closest friends and family anticipate seeing you for the first time as you walk down the aisle. It’s the moment you give your unconditional love. It’s your time to feel your most beautiful.

It’s so much more than a red carpet gown.It’s a fashion statement. A moment to celebrate all your hard work. To look and feel your absolute best. It’s a chance to connect with your peers and devoted fans. The media is dying for a moment of your time and cameras are flashing all around you. This is an opportunity for the world to see you shine.

At Johnathan Kayne, we understand how important these events are in your life. We also understand what it takes to make you feel your absolute best at these events. You want a design that is just as unique and special as you are. A design that is cut in flattering proportions for your body and compliments your eyes, hair, and skin tone. A design that fits your personality or transforms it. You want a dress that is well made and designed to truly fit a woman’s body. A gown that will play a supporting role in the memories of that special time in your life.

We are there supporting you, encouraging you, and empowering you.

-Johnathan Kayne

Johnathan “Kayne” Gillaspie was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Growing up in Music City, he became enamored with fashion by watching his favorite country music legends Dolly and Reba perform and walk the red carpet. Kayne began

cultivating his creative design eye by helping two of his five sisters prepare their wardrobe for national pageants.

He began his fashion career working as a sketch artist and buyer at a local evening wear boutique in 1998. This experience afforded him the opportunity to travel the country and work with some

of the top designers in the evening wear industry. In 2000, he was accepted to the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC where he gained an extensive knowledge of design, draping,

illustration, pattern making, and sewing. Kayne graduated magna cum laude and won the acclaimed “Critics Choice Award “for evening wear.

Upon returning to Nashville after graduation in 2002, he opened Kayne’s Clothing boutique where he created custom designs for pageant clients, dancers, and country music artists. A year later he moved his custom design business to Norman, Oklahoma and bought an

established formal wear boutique. He quickly gained a following of devoted pageant clients which put his custom designs under the spotlight and in front of judges. This strengthened his

focus on the fit, silhouette, flow, and movement of his designs.

As a successful fashion designer and business owner, Kayne was selected to compete on Project Runway Season 3 in 2006, where he placed in

the Top 5 designers. This experience, his charming personality, and eye for glamorous style propelled Kayne to his own celebrity status.

He launched the Johnathan Kayne dress line and award winning shoe line produced by Benjamin Walk Corporation in 2007. Kayne starred on the TLC special Gown Crazy in 2009, and

has also appeared on E!, ABC, NBC, Bravo, and The Style Network.

In 2012, Kayne competed on the second season of Project Runway All Stars on Lifetime television

where he developed a friendship with competing designer Joshua McKinley. This spawned a

collaboration collection “Johnathan Kayne by Joshua McKinley” marking the first time in history that two Project Runway alum have collaborated on a collection. Kayne also moved his home and

business back to Nashville, TN with a focused plan to be the Red Carpet Designer of the South.

Kayne continues to design the Johnathan Kayne dress and shoe collections. He also serves as a

fashion expert for Country Weekly, Zuus Country, and NStyle Country. Dubbed as a “genius designer”

by Heidi Klum and “a designer who knows how to make clothes and fit a woman’s body” by Michael

Kors, his designs have appeared on the world’s biggest stars and most prestigious red carpets. A few of his celebrity clients include Jennifer Lopez,

Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Kelly Pickler, Tanya Tucker, Lee Brice,

and Rascal Flatts.

PERSONAL BIO

KAYNE’S STORYI grew up just outside of Nashville, TN in an extremely large, blended family with five sisters and two brothers. My grandmothers, mothers, and five sisters were all very strong women that unknowingly taught me so much about what makes a woman feel beautiful. They taught me to take time to listen to them, understand them, love them, and most importantly respect them. They taught me how to be in tune with my heart and emotions, and that showing vulnerability is strength, not weakness.  As you can imagine, such a large family spread paychecks pretty thin during my childhood, but we were never poor in love and laughter. My sisters were all thin and gorgeous and I was the sweet, chubby, creative one. My parents taught me the importance of being kind to people and seeing the beauty in everyone. I started really gaining weight around the third grade. This is when I first started noticing I was different because a few bullies at school started picking on me because of my weight. I was commonly known as the funny, fat kid in school. I chose to shrug it off, keep on eating and focus on my art. I loved art class because it gave me the outlet I needed to express myself and explore my creativity. I also loved the positive attention I received from my artwork. Then my weight became the topic of many discussions amongst my family. My mom and I tried every fad diet you can imagine from the cabbage soup diet to the low carb diet to the tuna fish diet, and of course none of them had a lasting effect.  It wasn’t until I was shopping for school clothes at the mall one summer that I had my defining moment. I had tried on a size 42 waist Levi’s jeans and they were too small. I asked the skinny salesgirl if they had them in a size 43. She replied with disgust, “Yeah, but they’re gonna be upstairs in the Big & Tall department”. A teenager and only 5’8” at the time… I knew I wasn’t tall. This meant I had to shop in a special BIG section. Ultimately, a pair of jeans changed my life.   My humble beginnings didn’t keep me from dreaming big, it fueled it. I wanted to be thin. I was sixteen years old and topped the scale at 325 lbs., but was ready to get serious about my weight loss journey. I began eating much healthier foods and exercising. After a lot of hard work and discipline the next two years, I had lost 125 lbs. and reached my goal. Even after losing the weight, I still struggled with my self-confidence. Nothing brought me more joy than making other people laugh and feel happy. At the age of 18, I was hired as a sketch artist / salesperson at a local eveningwear boutique where two of my sisters bought their gowns for proms and pageants. Little did I know that this job would turn into my career. I loved helping our clients, mostly women, feel beautiful and quickly learned that most people do not realize how beautiful they really are. Still to this day, I feel an incredible sense of fulfillment when I see them truly feel beautiful as soon as the dress is zipped and see themselves in the mirror. I have since built my career on empowering women through my designs. I want to be there supporting you, cheering you on, giving you confidence. I want all women of every shape, size, race or age to have the opportunity to wear one of my designs and finally feel beautiful and worthy.

MILESTONES

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2002 Kayne Graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Fashion Institute of Technology and won the acclaimed Critic’s Choice Award for Evening Wear

2004- 2006 Designed the National Christmas Tour costumes for Point of Grace

2006 On Project Runway Season 3 Kayne won the “Fit for a Queen” challenge where Tara Connor Miss USA 2007 chose his design to wear as her evening gown at the 2007 Miss Universe Pageant

2006 Hired by WOW Prom to design under the label Johnathan Kayne

2006 Partnered with Benjamin Walk Corporation to launch the Johnathan Kayne shoe collection

2008 Won the International Prom Association Retailer’s Choice Award for Best Shoe & Accessory Designer

2009 “Gown Crazy” aired on Lifetime showcasing Kayne’s custom design business

2010 Took over the manufacturing and distribution of the Johnathan Kayne dress line.

2011 Designed the NBA uniforms for the Oklahoma City Thunder Girls

2012 Moved the Johnathan Kayne headquarters from Oklahoma City, OK to Nashville, TN

2012 Kayne appeared as a contestant on Project Runway Allstars Season 3

2013 Launched the “Johnathan Kayne by Joshua McKinley” collection

2013 Launched the “Retail Only” collection

2013 Expanded the custom design division to include company uniforms

2013 Kayne appeared as Fashion Correspondent for Country Weekly Magazine and Zuus Media at the American Country Awards in Las Vegas

2013 Partnered with Jennifer Lopez and Verizon Wireless on an national marketing campaign

2014 Johnathan Kayne inducted into the TN State Museum Costume Institute and donated a gown for their curated collection

2014 Kayne establishes himself as “The go-to red carpet designer of the South” with celebrity clients including Lee Brice, Maggie Rose, and Martina McBride

2015 Launched inaugural “Kurves” collection sizes 18-24

2015 Launched inaugural Fall collection.

TESTIMONIALS

“Feeling glam when you’re 6 months pregnant isn’t easy but Johnathan

Kayne made me feel that and more! I needed a dress for the CMT awards.

I had THE BEST experience with him finding a dress that fit me for that

occasion. After the whole process, I would use Johnathan again a million

times! Not only was he was prompt in getting me scheduled

and getting my dress finished but he was so easy and fun to work with

and he made sure I felt comfortable and completely happy with

how I looked for such an important event.”

Kourtney Hansen - “Emily” on ABC’s NASHVILLE

WWW.JOHNATHANKAYNE.COM PRESS KIT | TESTIMONIALS

“We couldn’t be happier about this experience… Not only were the pieces

Kayne designed for us absolutely perfect, but he is so super down to Earth.

He had a way of making it all really fun.”

Lee and Sara Brice - Country Music Star

“Johnathan Kayne designed and made a new look for the Thunder Girls

in their third season. His uniform is still one of the most professional and

glamorous looks that I have seen on any NBA dance team.

The girls still comment on how well the uniform fits and how it

will always be one of their favorites.”

Paige Carter - Dance Team Manager, Oklahoma City Thunder

ALL THE BUZZPEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT JOHNATHAN KAYNE

“A fashion forward designer who you loved on Project Runway; Johnathan Kayne dresses reflect his innovative styling and passion for highlighting a girl’s best features.” – Promgirl.com

“Cute, classy, and sexy. These shoes are a must and will compliment an array of after five and formal dresses.” – Customer review, Amazon.com

“These dresses feature many different styles, colors, and details—a dress for every woman!” – Macktakmart.com

“Johnathan Kayne dresses are made with great attention to detail and quality of construction, making the designer dresses last a long time and are versatile and timeless enough to be worn over and over again.” – Missesdressy.com

“His designs encompass originality, attention to detail and a young femininity with an edge.” – Shoebuy.com

“Johnathan Kayne prom and pageant dresses are a brilliant collection of today’s fashion. Vibrant color choices, rich fabrics, and youthful styling set these gowns apart from the competition.” –Onlineformals.com

“These shoes are absolutely amazing. My feet are so comfy in them. I can dance in them with no problem. I have never received so many compliments on a shoe purchase. I love them!” – Customer Review, Shoes.com

“No matter where your tastes lie, finding something that will absolutely thrill you is easy when you select a Johnathan Kayne gown.” – Newyorkdress.com

WWW.JOHNATHANKAYNE.COM PRESS KIT | ALL THE BUZZ

TRADESHOWSAROUND 70% OF TOTAL ANNUAL SALES COMES FROM TRADESHOWS.

Atlanta: Permanent showroom.

Americasmart

75 John Portman Blvd. NW

Building 3 - 10E-332

Atlanta, GA 30303

We have three shows here

1. Fall Launch (March or April)

2. Spring Launch (August - Prom)

-50% of annual sales comes from Atlanta August Market

3. September (VOW Bridal)

Chicago: Temporary showroom.

Merchandise Mart

222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza

Booth #9074 - 7th Floor

Chicago, IL 60654

One show: Bridal and Prom (September or October)

Dallas: Temporary showroom shared with Benjamin Walk.

World Trade Center

2100 Stemmons Freeway

Dallas, TX 75207

One show: Bridal and Prom (September or October)

Johnathan Kayne

Headquarters

229 Blanton Ave

Nashville, TN 37210

TF: 877-497-6006

P: 615-401-9254

F: 615-401-9258

www.johnathankayne.com