Jose Stemkens is a Dutch fashion entrepreneur, consultant and former model whose career has crossed Europe, Asia and the United States. She is best known for founding Sunrise Fashion Consulting and co-founding the womenswear label Eywasouls Malibu. Her marriage to American actor Titus Welliver brought her wider attention, but her professional story began long before she entered Hollywood circles.
Her work combines fashion retail, international sales, brand development and market-entry strategy. Instead of building a career through celebrity exposure, she gained experience inside clothing companies and later used that knowledge to support labels seeking growth in the American market.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Josepha Theodora Stemkens |
| Known As | Jose Stemkens |
| Birthplace | Tembisa, South Africa |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Raised In | The Netherlands |
| Profession | Fashion entrepreneur and consultant |
| Known For | Founder of Sunrise Fashion Consulting |
| Other Business | Co-founder of Eywasouls Malibu |
| Career Field | Fashion retail, sales and brand development |
| Former Spouse | Titus Welliver |
| Children | No biological children with Titus Welliver |
| Current Focus | Fashion consulting and business development |
Who Is Jose Stemkens?
Her full name is Josepha Theodora Stemkens, although she uses Jose Stemkens professionally. She was born in Tembisa, South Africa, grew up in the Netherlands and is Dutch. Her career has taken her through major fashion centres, including Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New York.
Her exact birth year and present age cannot be stated with confidence. Different websites give conflicting years, while no dependable first-hand record settles the issue. Claims about her height and personal finances face the same problem and should not be treated as established facts.
What can be traced more clearly is her working life. She progressed from fashion retail to wholesale sales, international account management, senior project work and business ownership. That path explains why she is better described as an experienced industry professional than simply as the former wife of a television actor.
Early Life and Family Background
Growing Up in the Netherlands
Stemkens spent her formative years in Holland and entered fashion retail while still at school. She began in a customer-facing sales role before moving into assistant management and store management.
Those early positions gave her a practical education in stock control, store presentation, customer behaviour and sales targets. They also taught her that a successful clothing business needs more than attractive designs. Pricing, timing, supply, service and a clear understanding of the customer are equally important.
No verified details are available about the school, college or university she attended. Her known career instead points to learning gained through work, travel and increasing responsibility.
Parents and Siblings
Stemkens has kept her relatives outside the spotlight. The names and occupations of her parents have not been confirmed. Her mother, brother and sister travelled from Holland to attend her California wedding in 2014, showing that her close family ties remained connected to the Netherlands.
Jose Stemkens and Her International Fashion Career
From Retail to Wholesale
After gaining store experience, Stemkens moved into wholesale fashion in Düsseldorf, Germany. She later worked for American Wear Europe in an international sales role that involved regular travel to Asia.
Retail had taught her what customers bought, while wholesale work showed her how collections were planned, produced and supplied to shops. This combination became central to her later work with foreign brands entering the United States.
Senior Work with Esprit
A major stage in her career came through Esprit. Stemkens worked in senior project management across Hong Kong, Düsseldorf, Los Angeles and New York. The role gave her experience of Asian production networks as well as European and American retail markets.
Managing projects across different countries demanded organisation, cultural awareness and clear communication. It also helped her build contacts and understand how large fashion businesses protect their identity while adapting to local markets.
The Great China Wall, JC RAGS and House of Quirky
Stemkens later served as an international account manager for The Great China Wall, a premium streetwear label. She then held a senior role linked with the Dutch brands JC RAGS and Dept, helping develop their position in the United States.
She also worked with House of Quirky and helped establish its Los Angeles operations. By this stage, her experience covered stores, wholesale distribution, international accounts, brand leadership and new-market development.
Founding Sunrise Fashion Consulting
Stemkens founded Sunrise Fashion Consulting in Los Angeles in February 2014. The company was created to help overseas clothing labels enter or expand within the American market.
A foreign brand may have strong products yet lack local retail contacts, suitable pricing, sales representation or knowledge of American buying habits. Sunrise Fashion Consulting was built to address these gaps through brand positioning, sales planning, retailer introductions, marketing support and business development.
The consultancy has been associated with labels including Liu Jo, Freddy, Superfine and Cocurata. Its purpose is practical: connect international brands with boutiques, department stores and partners that can help them grow.
Stemkens brought valuable experience to this work because she had already dealt with customers, factories, sales teams, buyers and company leaders. She could therefore consider a label from both the creative and commercial sides. Her advice was grounded in the demands of real distribution rather than style alone.
Eywasouls Malibu and Brand Ownership
Stemkens also co-founded Eywasouls Malibu with fashion professional Jane Munro-Altinok. The label developed from their shared interest in flowing maxi dresses and the relaxed style linked with Malibu life.
Eywasouls Malibu became known for long dresses made from fabrics such as cotton voile, chiffon and silk. Its pieces used original prints, light materials and free-moving shapes designed for an easy, feminine look.
The venture displayed another side of Stemkens’ ability. Consulting means guiding other companies, while owning a label requires decisions about design, sourcing, production, pricing and customer appeal. Her involvement in both fields shows that she understands the fashion business as an adviser and an entrepreneur.
Major Achievements and Professional Influence
Stemkens’ strongest achievement is the international range of her career. She rose from shop-floor work to senior positions and then created businesses of her own. Her experience spans three continents and includes established companies, independent labels and cross-border market development.
Her career was also well established before her relationship with Titus Welliver became a media subject. Fashion sales, project management and brand expansion formed the centre of her working life before the marriage.
Helping overseas labels move into the American retail system is another important part of her influence. Markets differ in sizing, pricing, buying seasons, customer taste and promotional methods. Guiding a company through those differences requires sound judgement, trusted contacts and a strong grasp of commercial detail.
Marriage to Titus Welliver
Wedding and Public Attention
Stemkens married Titus Welliver on 11 April 2014 at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas, California. Welliver is known for playing detective Harry Bosch in Bosch and for roles in Lost, The Good Wife and major films.
The ceremony included Welliver’s three children from earlier relationships. Stemkens’ mother, brother and sister attended from Holland, and she wore a white Hervé Léger dress.
During the marriage, the couple attended premieres and industry events together. These occasions increased interest in Stemkens, especially among audiences familiar with Welliver’s acting career.
Divorce and Children
Welliver began legal separation proceedings in May 2019, and the divorce was finalised in 2021. They did not have biological children together. Court coverage stated that Stemkens had legally adopted Welliver’s daughter Cora during the marriage.
Her present relationship status has not been confirmed by a dependable source. She has not made her private life a central part of her professional image.
Interests and Social Media Presence
Fashion remains the clearest interest connected with Stemkens. Her life has also included horse ownership, and several horses remained with her under the divorce settlement. This indicates that equestrian life formed part of her home routine.
Her LinkedIn activity is centred on business and identifies her with Sunrise Fashion Consulting and Eywasouls Malibu. She has not built the type of highly visible personal platform often associated with entertainment personalities. Her online presence is therefore more professional than celebrity-focused.
Net Worth and Financial Claims
No reliable, independently verified figure is available for Stemkens’ net worth. Figures published by entertainment websites do not provide audited accounts, company valuations or other firm evidence. Assigning a fixed sum to her wealth would therefore be misleading.
Her known professional income has come from fashion employment, consulting and brand ownership. The value of those interests has not been disclosed.
Lesser-Known Facts About Jose Stemkens
One less familiar part of her story is the operational depth of her international work. Her travel was connected not only with fashion events but also with sales, production, office development and account management.
She also learned the industry from the shop floor before moving into strategy. That route gave her insight into customer behaviour as well as senior business planning.
Her full first name is Josepha, though she is widely known as Jose. During her marriage and in connection with Eywasouls Malibu, she was sometimes credited as Jose Stemkens-Welliver.
What Is Jose Stemkens Doing Now?
Her professional identity remains linked with the companies she created. Her LinkedIn page continues to identify her as owner and president of Sunrise Fashion Consulting and as a founder and owner of Eywasouls Malibu.
Her recent work receives less entertainment coverage than her former marriage, but the substance of her career remains clear. She has built experience in international sales, American market entry, brand development and fashion entrepreneurship.
1. Who is Jose Stemkens?
Jose Stemkens is a Dutch fashion entrepreneur and consultant. She is the founder of Sunrise Fashion Consulting and co-founder of the clothing label Eywasouls Malibu.
2. Where was Jose Stemkens born?
She was born in Tembisa, South Africa, and later grew up in the Netherlands.
3. What does Jose Stemkens do for a living?
She works in fashion consulting, international sales, brand development and market expansion. Her consultancy helps fashion brands enter and grow within the United States.
4. Was Jose Stemkens married to Titus Welliver?
Yes. She married American actor Titus Welliver in April 2014. Their divorce was finalised in 2021.
5. Does Jose Stemkens have children?
Jose Stemkens and Titus Welliver did not have biological children together. During their marriage, she legally adopted Welliver’s daughter, Cora.
Conclusion
Jose Stemkens built her reputation through retail, wholesale sales, global project work and business ownership. From her early years in the Netherlands to senior responsibilities in Hong Kong, Germany and the United States, she developed a broad understanding of how clothing brands grow across borders.
Sunrise Fashion Consulting turned that knowledge into support for companies entering the American market, while Eywasouls Malibu gave her a direct role in creating a lifestyle label. Her marriage to Titus Welliver introduced her to a larger audience, but it does not define her main achievement.
Her lasting significance comes from an international fashion career and the ability to connect creative ideas with commercial planning. She remains a strong example of a professional who built her identity through industry knowledge rather than fame alone.
