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‘RHONY’s Jenna Lyons Job: What She Does for a Living After a Nearly 30 Year Fashion Career
Real Housewives of New York star Jenna Lyons is a highly accomplished businesswoman. She rose through the ranks at J. Crew to become the company’s president and her entrepreneurial skills helped her build a successful eyelash empire. Not only that, she was already a reality star before becoming a Housewife on Bravo, so here’s what to know about Jenna’s incredible career.
What Does Jenna Lyons Do for a Living?
Jenna cofounded the luxury false eyelash company LoveSheen, which she launched in September 2020 with makeup artist Troi Ollivierre, who worked with the businesswoman at J. Crew. The brand that features 10 styles of strip lashes. Jenna does not have eyelashes as she has a rare genetic disorder called incontinentia pigmenti. “I’ve always been obsessed with eyelashes. Because I don’t have any,” Jenna revealed to Allure in an interview ahead of the launch.
“The thing I appreciate deeply about beauty is that there’s no expiration date and it doesn’t matter what size you are. We get to make people feel beautiful and it’s so fun,” Jenna told the publication as she pursued a career in beauty after leaving J. Crew.
“For years, Troi and I worked together for red carpet events and TV appearances, and we realized that there really weren’t a lot of options out there if you were like me and looking for something a little more natural-looking and a little less over the top,” the Bravo star told The Editorialist.
“Then, on the flip side, when I was still at J.Crew, I noticed that every week someone new would come into the office with eyelash extensions and they were getting bigger and bigger. These same girls would then complain about how expensive and time-consuming and damaging these eyelash treatments were, and we thought maybe there was something here we could do,” Jenna continued, adding took 18 months and 34 sample rounds to perfect the 10 styles for launch to consumers.
How Long Did Jenna Lyons Work for J. Crew?
Jenna was hired by the clothing retailer in 1990 when she was 21 years old, starting as an assistant designer in men’s wear. She held multiple positions while climbing up the company’s ladder, eventually becoming the vice president of women’s design in 2003. Jenna was promoted to executive creative director and president of J. Crew in 2010 and ran the company until her 2017 departure.
“It’s really hard to serve people well in the clothing industry. You are trying to be at the right price point, to fit a lot of different people, to be forward-thinking, to be quality. On top of that, the product you’re making is seasonal. It’s a hard engine to fuel. Especially toward the end, I found it really challenging to feel like I was doing a good job and caring for people in the way that I was hoping to,” Jenna added in her interview with Allure about leaving J. Crew for a career change.
What Other Jobs Has Jenna Lyons Had?
Prior to joining RHONY in 2023, Jenna had her own reality TV show, Stylish with Jenna Lyons, which ran for one season on Max in 2020. It featured Jenna and her design team working on various fashion projects.
