I grew up in Rochester, NY, upstate, and studied illustration at college. After graduation, I started out working in Manhattan for the make-up artist Trish McAvoy (got fired, I’m a terrible personal assistant) and then dabbled in finance (fired again, this time for wearing blue nail polish). I was so frustrated. I asked myself, “If I could do anything, what would I do?” And the answer came back –“Move to L.A”.
“If I could do anything, what would I do?” And the answer came back — “Move to L.A.”
So I did. I came here in 2007, with 600 dollars left in my checking account. One day I showed up at Bloomingdales with my illustrator portfolio and said, “I’ve never worked in retail but please take a chance on me!” They did, and I ended up doing make-up on the Bobbi Brown counter, which I loved — painting women, making them feel good. A bunch of things happened because of that job: I got booked to do make-up on model test shoots, music videos and editorial. I wrote a few fashion pieces that got published and did branding consulting for stores.
All these gigs led me to LA Canvas magazine in 2011.
My first job at the magazine was as Art Director, but I always wrote fashion stories on the side, and set up the shoots. Two years ago, after a lot of hustle, I was made Editor in Chief. I overhauled the magazine from top to bottom and we decided to have a big re-launch party.
“‘I’m the Boss’ I said to myself and smiled, before striding into the event in my Acne Studios boots.”
That night was amazing. It was at The Regent, a picture palace from the early 1900s here in Downtown Los Angeles — a truly fabulous place, so glamorous. I wore a Miu Miu dress, a vintage one. A friend of mine gave it me. She used to be Evan Rachel Wood’s personal assistant. So I’m pretty sure it was one of her old dresses. The dress was burgundy chiffon, a baby doll in construction, with super intricate velvet details and floaty short sleeves. Over the dress I had a sugar pink coat from AGAIN; very final season ‘Mad Men’, 1960s style, linen with a pale satin lining — just gorgeous.
I walked into the glittering lobby of The Regent, in this outfit, as the newly minted Editor-in-Chief and felt amazing, “I’m the Boss” I said to myself and smiled, before striding into the event in my Acne Studios boots.
As told to Sophia Stuart
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Originally published at www.lyst.com on April 20, 2015.
