Meet Mary O’Keefe | Wardrobe Stylist, Model, Oboist

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

Hi Mary, is there something you believe many others might not?
With great horror, I equate the saying “if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life” to nails on a chalkboard.

Artists need to work multiple roles in order to pursue their passion. In the pie graph of our ‘work’, only a percentage of our time goes to our craft. We are our own administrative assistants, social media and marketing managers, graphic designers, grant writers, etc. These tasks can be broken down into full time positions for small businesses, but as individual entrepreneurs we have to be a one man band.

Also, artists are so quick to discredit our craft as work. We cannot allow ourselves to accept the worlds’ view that our work is not productive just because it doesn’t fall within the structure of a 9-5. I grew up in the world of music, experiencing firsthand that music and art can save lives. We have to fight for our right to take up space. Art is a mix of talent AND skill, and we can’t expect the world to respect us if we don’t respect ourselves.

And let me be honest- doing what you love for work is a whole bag of mixed apples; some pink ladies, some green apples, some rotten crabapples. I don’t waltz up the stairs to my office ready to practice scales and long tones every day. Sometimes it takes a glass of wine to convince me to propel myself through hours of styling. I love my job(s), but the reality is that we call it ‘work’ for a reason.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Someone hold my beer! My favorite fun fact to drop is that I was never meant to be in fashion. And more so, I was anti-fashion for most of my life until going to college and learning that fashion was more than just dresses and heels! Before styling, I spent almost 20 years of my life studying and preparing for a career in classical music. I went to school at the New England Conservatory for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, finally graduating in 2020… you know, THAT year. Seemingly overnight, my whole world shattered. The full-time performing career I had built as an oboist disappeared and suddenly I found myself stuck in a shoebox apartment with no hobbies, no concerts, and no identity outside of oboe.

Clothing became my creative and emotional outlet during the pandemic; I became interested in fashion during college and quarantine had me watching hours of ‘come thrift with me’ and styling videos. I found myself getting inspired to get dressed most days during the pandemic, even just to take photos on the porch for my personal Instagram. After vaccinations, these experiments began catching the eye of local photographers who allowed me to both model and style in front of their lens.

Each challenge has led me to greater heights that I could ever have imagined! Using my platform to promote sustainability, I’ve built my career through exclusively secondhand clothing (thrifted, vintage, clothing swap, consignment, etc) and working with small businesses and local designers. I’ve been fortunate enough to have styled two published photos on PhotoVogue, modeled and styled for an article in Harper’s Bazaar Ukraine, and styled an entire editorial for Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam.

It took the world shutting down for me to learn that it’s never too late to discover who you are, and I hope to spend my career inspiring those after me to make similar decisions autonomously. So much of my life was geared towards accomplishing milestones “on time” and having a career set before turning 30. But here I am, learning a new skill and committing to a second career without any collegiate education. Classical music emphasizes perfection, but styling forced me to be in a position where I would make mistakes, be unqualified, and learn through trial and error. Starting a new career forced me to realize that my value had nothing to do with my vocation. No 9-5 job demands your whole being, and no artistic endeavor has the right to demand anything more than you want to give.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a secondhand stylist, my first recommendation of course is thrifting in LA! I recommend thrifting in Glendale: Bridge Thrift, Out of the Closet, and Dresscue.

For a stroll and a sip, check out the incredible vintage store Avalon Vintage and furniture store Sunbeam Vintage, then stop for a drink and a snack next door at Checker Hall! Time it just right, and you can get one of the beautiful patio seats.

For your nights, I recommend looking into local DJ scenes for a drink and a vibe or check out what’s playing at Rooftop Cinema Club for a special outdoor movie. Sports fans, make SURE you catch Angel City FC at BMO Stadium and watch Alyssa Thompson dominate the field.

Cross Downtown LA off your list and make reservations for the Broad before moving next door to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Walk down to the Angels Flight Railway (why not be a tourist) and enjoy as many cuisines as you can at the Grand Central Market! End your night with the LA Phil- one of the best orchestras in the world.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The beauty of the fashion industry is that no one person ever gets to solely claim a project; not even the creative director! I would not be the creative force OR the person that I am without the three individuals I consider my teammates; photographers Ginny Cummings and Baolong Song, and makeup artist Maddie Chamberland. These creative superstars are the reason I’m the Mary you’re interviewing; we learn together, we fail together, we win together, and we push each other to try more. My portfolio largely exists thanks to the power of our combined talents and the trust we’ve built through midnight texts starting with “I have an idea….”

I also have to thank my dear and incredible friends Alyssa Wang and Kelechi Agomuo for throwing me in front of a camera before I ever trusted that I deserved to be there. They believed in me before I wore the title of ‘stylist’ or ‘model’ and I owe them so much gratitude.

Website: www.marycokeefe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryothrift/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/

Image Credits
1) Date: 04/15/23 Photographer: Ginny Cummings Stylist: Mary O’Keefe Hair and MUA: Maddie Chamberland Models: Justin Stewart, Rose Felisme, Stephanie Jin, Maggie Rodriguez, Seth Tardie 2) Date: 05/17/23 Photographer Baolong Song MUA: Maddie Chamberland Hairstylist: Alberta Aafutu Stylist: Mary O’Keefe Models: Darcy Laville Ruth Azuike Lucy Krinsky Mel Lugli 3) Date: 08/23/2022 Photographer: Baolong Song MUA: Maddie Chamberland Stylist: Mary O’Keefe Models: Seth Tardie, Saruda La, Katarinam, Olivia Larsen, Poto Yahya, Ernesto Place, Caitlin Quinn 4) Date: 08/11/22 Photographer: Tim Ma Stylist: Mary O’Keefe Model: Mary O’Keefe 5) Date: 06/02/22 Photographer: Ginny Cummings Makeup Artist: Tiffany Cataldo Stylist: Mary O’Keefe Model: Kaleigh McClure 6) Date: 01/14/2023 Creative Director/Stylist: Mary O’Keefe Photographer: Baolong Song MUA: Maddie Chamberland Models: Lucy Yoojin, Nicelyne Georges, Seth Tardie 7) Date: 07/05/22 Photographer: Jes Marie Beauty Makeup Artist: Maddie Chamberland Stylist: Mary O’Keefe Model: Mary O’Keefe 8) Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam: 02/04/2023 Photographer: Arthur Gareev Stylist: Mary O’Keefe MUA: Aya Iwakami Hairstylist: April Andreu Model: Kamilla Gareeva