Behind Her Empire How to Reinvent Yourself & Start Over with Jenna Lyons, Fashion Icon & Founder of LoveSeen
Dubbed by the New York Times as ‘the woman who dresses America’, Jenna Lyons, is a fashion icon and the co-founder/CEO of the beauty brand, LoveSeen.
Having kicked off her career as an intern at Donna Karan, Jenna went on to join the design team at J.Crew, eventually becoming its President. She is recognized as the main driver behind its incredible rise to success, and is a regular feature in print and online media, including having been recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.
After 27 years at J.Crew, Jenna was finally ready to start her own empire. She launched her company LoveSeen, a direct-to-consumer beauty brand that is reinventing fake lashes, which was largely inspired by her genetic condition that impacts her lash growth. And she was most recently, the Executive Director and main star of her reality competition show, Stylish with Jenna Lyons on HBO Max.
In this episode, you'll learn how Jenna's challenging childhood influenced her attitude toward finances and her love of fashion today. Living in New York in the 1980s, she discovered a new standard of beauty that was in stark contrast to what she had known as a child. Jenna reflects on working with Mickey Drexler, former CEO and Chairman of J.Crew Group, managing people, and navigating the public eye.
You'll also hear why Jenna decided to reinvent herself later in her career, how she coped with leaving J.Crew, and what she loves about working in beauty over fashion.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jenna about:
* The impact of Jenna’s mother’s attitude towards financial independence on how she approaches money today. [3:10]
* How knowing you can take care of yourself affects fear and trust in relationships. [4:30]
* What it was like to grow up with a genetic disorder and how sewing a skirt led to a popular girl in school asking Jenna to make one for her too. [6:40]
* What it was like to live in New York in the late 1980s. [9:04]
* How Jenna didn’t meet the standard of beauty in the beach town she grew up in. [10:30]
* The discovery of Antonio Lopez as a pivotal point in discovering her own beauty. [11:38]
* How she came to intern at Donna Karan and study at Parsons University in the 90s. [12:35]
* The listing that led Jenna to take a job at J.Crew without asking about the salary. [13:35]
* The dramatic change at J.Crew that completely turned things around [17:20]
* What it was like working with Mickey Drexler (CEO of JCrew); his alchemy skills, attunement, and insight. [18:18]
* How she needed to develop skills to manage people she worked with. [21:20]
* Entering the public eye starting with Domino Magazine, then Vogue with Annie Leibovitz, and the internal struggle Jenna experienced. [25:01]
* Find out how Jenna navigated different transition periods in her life. [28:29]
* The nine-month period of silence that helped her regroup and see what’s important. [29:10]
* What Jenna loves about the beauty scene: she doesn’t have to think about size. [36:05]
* How Jenna realized the significance of eyelashes and decided to start her business. [37:00]
* How admitting that you don’t know things can open you up to learn new things. [42:00]
Follow Jenna:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennalyonsnyc/
* Website: https://loveseen.com/
* LoveSeen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveseen/
* Stylist by Jenna HBO Max: https://www.stylishwithjennalyons.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
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