October 6, 2025 - 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Alumni Hall - Room 001

Retta (Leritz) Tussey '01 returned to her entrepreneurial roots when she launched luxury fashion brand Retta Jane at 45, proving that the creative foundation she built at Miami could flourish in unexpected directions decades later. As a Miami interior design alumna who once sat in the same lecture halls as today's students, Retta brings both the perspective of someone who's been in their shoes and the wisdom of building two luxury businesses simultaneously in the real world.

While at Miami, Retta had her heart set on the fashion industry and interned at Betsey Johnson and Tommy Hilfiger; by the time she graduated, thought she had her career all figured out. Then life took an unexpected turn. She pivoted to using her interior design degree, spending over a decade in the Midwest building an award-winning practice that earned magazine covers and numerous awards, including personal accolades as the Business Journal's '30 Under 30' and 'St. Louis' Best Dressed'. In 2018, Retta took a strategic pause to focus on family. When she re-entered the design world at 45, she surprised everyone—including herself—by launching Retta Jane, a childrenswear brand inspired by pieces passed down from her mother and grandmother. Now she's expanding into womenswear while relaunching her interior design firm, Retta Jane Interiors.

Currently pursuing fashion certificates from Parsons School of Design to complement her Miami foundation, Retta embodies the lifelong learning spirit that great designers possess. Her journey from interior design to fashion entrepreneurship demonstrates the creative courage that Miami instills—the willingness to take what you've learned and apply it in ways you never imagined.

She speaks to students not as someone who has it all figured out, but as a fellow creative who's learned that the best career moves often happen when you trust your instincts and start building before you feel ready. Her message addresses the realities of the design world—from navigating early career setbacks to building resilience, finding your authentic voice, and discovering that sometimes the most unexpected paths lead to the most fulfilling work.