Photo courtesy Keeping the Khemistry
Jakayla Bridges of Keeping the Khemistry
Jakayla Bridges of Keeping the Khemistry
Jakayla Bridges is the founder of Keeping the Khemistry, a resource and business that provides formal wear to youth at no cost. Whether the occasion is a school dance, wedding, graduation or a job interview, Bridge’s mission is to make attire like dresses and suits accessible to those who normally may not afford it. She also offers to do makeup at a discount price for high school students getting ready for prom, plus she has her own cosmetics and skincare line, Khemistry Kosmetics.
Born in Milwaukee and raised between here and Memphis, Jakayla Bridges first got the idea for Keeping the Khemistry while working at Vincent High School. She had a deep connection with the students there who would talk to her about issues they experienced. One student wanted to go to prom who could not afford it.
“My goal became to figure out how I could help them,” Bridges recalls. “I could do her makeup at the time, but I didn’t have resources for other things. A teacher ended up helping us with the dress situation, and I wanted to keep helping other students dealing with the same issue.”
Bridges empathized so much with this student because she looks back at her own prom experience, remembering, “I really wanted to go and have fun with my friends, but I wasn’t living with or being supported by my family at the time. It ended up being super stressful to the point where it didn’t all feel worth it. I went and had a great time, but when I had to come back to the reality of my situation, all the joy I had kind of faded.”
Alleviating Anxiety
Ultimately, though, Bridges feels she would not be where she is today without going through that; she continues, “I want to help alleviate that stress and anxiety that comes with getting together everything you need, where people have someone that they can come to if they’re feeling lost.”
Inspired by community clothing swaps, she began doing open calls for donations of suits and dresses on social media, officially launching Keeping the Khemistry in 2022. The name came about from a joke Bridges made to a friend. “I had makeup all over my hands from mixing different tones together for a specific color and said that I felt like a chemist,” she remarks with a laugh.
Most of the Keeping the Khemistry inventory is donated, and Bridges finds the rest while thrifting or shopping retail. Prom and homecoming dresses and suits are loaned to students for the occasion and then returned and cleaned, but for long-term situations like a job that requires formal attire, Bridges allows folks to keep apparel like dress shirts, skirts and pants.
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If someone needs a certain size or item that she does not have, Bridges puts out a request for it on social media. “Organizations like Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, Love on Black Women and Sun-Seeker MKE all get clothing donations and sometimes they’ll have what I’m looking for,” she adds. “Even if I have to go out and search for it, usually I end up with what I need.”
Keeping the Khemistry does formal drives in addition to appearing at markets and youth-oriented events throughout the year. “People have brought loads of things for my pop-up events,” Bridges notes. “It’s reaffirming to know that I’m actually helping people with what I do.”
She often vends Khemistry Kosmetics at her pop-ups as well. Having previously worked at Ulta Beauty, Bridges wanted to sell all-natural beauty and skin care products like oils, lotions and body scrubs that appeal to those with sensitive skin. “Over time you learn that a lot of the formulations of the stuff you use can have irritants and toxins,” she explains.
While she currently does everything at home, Jakayla Bridges hopes to gradually expand her operation, potentially into a shared commercial space. “I want to be a community resource and connect with other community resources at the end of the day,” she concludes. “I’m not totally sure what it’s going to end up looking like, but I’m excited to keep building my vision.”
Follow Keeping the Khemistry on Facebook and Instagram @keepingthekhemistry or email Jakayla Bridges keepingthekhemistry22@gmail.com to get in touch. For Khemistry Kosmetics, follow @khemistrykosmetics on Instagram.
