Meet Jennifer O’Neill | Fashion Stylist & Costume

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer O’Neill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I guess I try to live by the mantra ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. I believe taking risks is how we grow and if you’re not taking some form of risk then we are in danger of becoming stuck. When I do take a risk and its pays off it brings me confidence if it doesn’t then its a case of having no regrets

I’ve definitely taken significant risks throughout my life, leaving a career and moving to the U S in my 20’s with no prospects, jumping from a safe corporate job to self employment with only 2 clients in my 30’s and most recently pivoting towards Costume in Film/TV. That was very exciting but I had to put my business on the line for that time. That was scary! Every big decision carries risk but the payoffs have been worth it and experience priceless.

I come from Ireland where we have all the seasons, LA seasons are slight and so time is hard to break up and one way for me to measure that is to set goals. Im always looking for new experiences and im not good at sitting still.
Having adventures in life has fed into my career ambitions too, traveling as a fashion buyer or learning on the job in Costume on a movie.

Life is short so make it matter! 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I knew from early on that I really wanted to have a creative role in fashion and eventually have a business. My first job out of college was at the fashion store Browns in London. I was exposed to so much there. All the right people in fashion came through Browns. When I moved, my American version of that was Barneys New York. I worked in the Beverly Hills location for 5 years and that’s where I met my first client as a personal stylist.

I’ve never compared myself to other stylists but I absolutely admire and am inspired by celebrity stylists like Karla Welch.

Taking the plunge to become self employed was daunting in the beginning and there was and still is so much learning involved, especially on the back end, the admin, etc

My business is all referral based and I’m incredibly grateful for every one of my clients . I think building good relationships is key to any business but especially when you work from their home and in their closets. To be a good personal stylist you need to have strong people skills…every client is unique, they have their own individual needs, styles, careers and lifestyles which is important to understand.

I’ve strived not to pigeon hole my services and what I’ve learned is how beneficial that can be. Being open to new challenges also makes it interesting, whether that’s designing a costume for a social event or helping a client redesign a closet in a new home. Realizing that was important.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Venice flea market then Hinanos for a burger

Horse riding Malibu canyons – Connemara Ranch

A concert at the Greek

ACFC soccer match

Word of Mouth food truck

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Browns…. the fashion Mecca in London at the time. Working there after graduating from fashion college was key in setting the foundation for my career in fashion.

Barneys New York – so happy to have been part of the Barneys Family.

Instagram: Jen_oneill_style