Agency: U-Studio (Unilever)

My role: Group Creative Director

Look what's poppin'! At U-Studio (Unilever’s in-house social-first creative agency), we work with many brands across the portfolio in North America - and one of my favorites is Love Beauty and Planet.

We were asked to give this award-winning, sustainably-sourced, naturally-derived haircare line a fresh look and feel going into the new year. Introducing “Make It Pop”, my team concepted, directed, and executed this latest campaign with video and key visuals, that launched across social in January 2024. Bringing LBP’s values to life in a new brand book by our U-Studio Strategy and Creative teams, we translated this new platform into more color, personality, and movement - to create more brand love.

My role: Group Creative Director

At U-Studio (Unilever) I led a beauty-obsessed creative team. We partnered closely with TRESemmé to celebrate the winners of The Future Stylists Fund. The FSF is the brand's national program that advocates for diverse representation and equitable treatment for hair professionals.

Focused on empowering Black female hairstylists to achieve their career ambitions, we showcased the winners against the iconic backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge. Highlighting each woman's unique style and personality, we shot both in-studio and on the street in New York City. With an all-women crew, it was a memorable day capturing content with these inspiring winners.

As keepers of the TRESemmé social calendar, we also designed content featuring each stylist and filled with hair tips - all coming together to support FSF and create some magic for one of Unilever’s most fashion forward beauty brands.

My team: Senior Art Director/Jordan Korby, Producer/ Dasha Shapovalova, Photographer/Wini Lao

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

My role: Global Creative Director

Challenged with bringing the ‘Your Best Beautiful’ campaign to life worldwide, we launched the new Olay brand point of view across all markets and all platforms.  Seen for the first time live, during the 57th Annual Grammy Awards show in 2015 - with broadcast and digital - we took over the red carpet with E! TV. Creating real time social posts, Olay captured 4x the brand’s average impressions on Facebook and Twitter, earning unprecedented engagement rates for #Olay and #BestBeautiful.

We introduced new products and refreshed the core for face and body. We concepted across all platforms from social to video and broadcast, to eventually win back all of the digital business. We engaged a new brand spokeswoman, Katie Holmes, to represent the Regenerist boutique. And together with twice Academy-award nominated director Bennett Miller, we created an insightful series of content focusing on the emotional side of beauty and skincare with Katie.

Leading Saatchi creative teams in New York and Shanghai (and London, Dubai, Singapore, India and Europe), I also oversaw all Olay projects with partner agencies including packaging design (Active Botanicals) and relaunching Olay.com with a fresh look and feel. I introduced an editorial-focused aesthetic overall, with a relevant roster of photographers (Daniel Jackson, Diego Uchitel and Laurent Chanez) and talent.

Working in close collaboration with the P&G client, we pushed Olay to it’s position as the world's #1 facial skincare brand.

Agency: U-Studio (Unilever)

My role: Group Creative Director

In the sweetest drop of summer, we concepted and curated a collaboration with Popsicle and a diverse roster of artists, to create a series of limited edition skateboards. Celebrating skate culture and inclusivity, we kicked off this rad giveaway with illustrators Mojo Wang, Pinklomein, and Raul Urias. 10 lucky winners received one of these very special PopDecks. And it was such a hit that we proposed an ongoing program of seasonal partnerships to the brand (think PopPickle), fingers crossed!

My U-Studio team: Senior Art Director/David Haase, Copywriter/Jane LeBlanc, Producer/Dasha Shapovalova, Social Content Community Manager/Eliza Berns, Content Team Lead/Jacqueline Magnusson

As Vice President, Creative, North America, at Estee Lauder Companies, I led the development of an internal creative function to support content needs in the region. Accelerating creative capabilities in all categories (skincare, makeup, fragrance, hair), my team worked across all channels, in close partnership with the brand marketing, influencer, and ecom teams. Brands included: Aveda, Jo Malone, Clinique, MAC, Origins, Smashbox, Glamglow, Too Faced, Darphin, Bobbi Brown, Bumble and bumble, Dr. Jart+, Becca, Prescriptives, La Mer, Lab Series. We successfully helped increase online sales from 30% to 60% by the end of 2020, as a response to the global pandemic and its impact on live retail.

Agency: U-Studio (Unilever)

Role: Group Creative Director

We made Vaseline go viral! The TikTok trend on everyone's lips, our favorite in-house content creator Brianna Brines brought it all to the 150-year old brand, wowing Gen Z and winning new fans along the way.

Agency: Ogilvy

My role: Associate Creative Director

I was proud to be a part of one of the world's most recognized and respected American beauty brands. I concepted and created multiple campaigns across print and broadcast for makeup, nail and fragrance launches worldwide. Writing all copy for consumer communications and client presentations, I worked with celebrity talent including Fergie, Salma Hayek and Reese Witherspoon, spokeswoman for the leading global beauty brand, on various product and brand advertising. 

Executive Creative Director: Antonio Navas

Photographers: Alexi Lubomirski, Nick Knight

Agency:  Code and Theory

My role: Creative Director

As the creative lead on Maybelline New York, I oversaw a team of designers, art directors, writers, strategists and producers, across all digital and social content making.

Our projects included the "Hail Beauty" content series (2 original episodes) created as part of the YouTube Lab Accelerator program (since turned into a regular branded series “Makeup On The Way”, hosted by Adriana Lima). We also created various new product, makeup how-tos, and retailer videos for the U.S. and global markets.

Agency: Gotham (McCann)

My role: Creative Director, Partner

I concepted, directed, and led copy on multiple global campaigns for the world's #1 makeup brand. Working across broadcast, print and digital, with an editorial eye, I ensured consistency of the Maybelline voice while moving the brand forward to increase visibility in new markets and drive sales.

Shooting with photographer Kenneth Willardt and directors Jonas Akerlund and Laurent Chanez, we created category defining communications for eye, lip, and face products.

Content Studio: Splashlight

My role: Vice President of Creative

Based in New York City, I led content making and creative, while managing the creative teams across studio locations. Ecommerce and editorial focused, overseeing a notable roster of fashion and luxury clients, including Target, David Yurman, dedicated brand studios for ALDO in Montreal and Victoria’s Secret in Columbus, Ohio. New client wins during my tenure included Eileen Fisher, J.Crew, Giggle, Boden Kids, Target Kids, and Lana Jewelry.

In partnership with Under Armour, we launched the brand’s on-site content studio in Baltimore. This included continued oversight of the local Splashlight creative team, the quality of creative output, and ongoing involvement in recruitment and hiring.

Additionally, provided oversight of the on-site build out of an in-house content studio and directed the creation of an internal portal (website), for El Palacio de Hierro, Mexico’s largest department store chain, in Mexico City.

Specializing in high volume video and photography, I streamlined process company-wide, expanded content capabilities, identified new business opportunities, amplified revenue, and represented Splashlight to all external brand partners and potential clients.

Directing all brand and presentation design, promotional video and live test shoots, I provided additional day-to-day input on production, post production, retouching, operations, sales and marketing initiatives.

I launched and directed the company's first mentorship initiative, the Masters Program, developing unique curriculum for the four ‘master’ creative disciplines; Art Direction, Photography, Fashion Styling, and Beauty (HMU). The program was featured in WWD, where I spoke about my commitment to gender and diversity and the measurable value of mentoring.

Agency: Radical Media

My role: Senior Writer

As the lead copywriter in the Design + Digital Group, I helped create the new voice and vision of Tommy Hilfiger. To refresh the playfully iconic fashion brand, we conceived the "American Stories" campaign as a modern, sophisticated take on American culture and style. Each season, a different American city was featured in the campaign (Miami, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C.). Supported with unique content across digital, OOH, retail activations, and curated city guides (mobile app and onsite).

Photographers: Phil Poynter, Ellen Von Unwerth

Directors: The McCoubrey Brothers

Agency: Radical Media

My role: Senior Writer

As the lead copy writer I worked with the design and digital team to introduce Grey Goose as the arbiter of discerning taste through engaging content across digital, print, experiential, video and TV.

I curated online guides to the world's best in design, destinations and leisure, while also highlighting cocktail recipes and unique branded events.

Showcasing the distinctive origins and heritage of Grey Goose (Cognac, France), we worked to push through the clutter of the often brash spirits category by distinctly refreshing the brand identity and fully embracing a thoroughly modern mindset and cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Agency: SelectWorld

My role: Copy Director

I created a new modern voice for the Artistry brand, across video, digital and print. My team concepted and produced a launch video for the brand's most premium skincare offering to date, Creme L/X, with iconic actress and spokeswoman, Sandra Bullock. I named and launched Artistry's "Vision" magazine, where as editor and writer I oversaw and crafted all content features within. 

Photographer + Director: Peter Lindbergh

Agency: Toth + Co

My role: Senior Creative Director

Creative lead on campaigns to support the brand's Spring Collection and “So Slimming” Jeans launch.

Photographer: Peggy Sirota

Agency: Toth + Co

My role: Senior Creative Director

I wrote the new tagline for Belk: Modern. Southern. Style.  Leading the creation of new digital and print advertising, which included the conception and execution of a brand book that would relaunch and reinvigorate the venerable family-owned department store with over 300 locations in the United States.

Agency: beauty@gotham

Agency: AR New York

My role: Copy Director

I named the new "Discover" fragrance collection for Banana Republic, and worked with my design partners to concept and execute the campaign launch across all touch points including in-store and online.

Agency: AR New York (now part of Publicis)

My role: Copy Director

Leading concepting and copy with the design team to give Naturalizer a modern update, including a new mark and identity system, brand book, and campaign advertising featuring a diverse roster of models.

Executive Creative Director: Michael Ian Kaye

Agency: AR New York (now part of Publicis)

My role: Copy Director

Created Fall and Winter campaigns, including the naming of a new education-focused charitable initiative for the brand. ‘In the Classroom’ remains the corporate charity of Jones New York, launching with spokeswoman Brooke Shields, and a limited edition t-shirt designed in collaboration with artist Ryan McGinness.

Agency Owner/Executive Creative Director: Raul Martinez

Agency: AR New York (now part of Publicis)

My role: Copy Director

Agency: Laird and Partners

My role: Copywriter

Launching the venerable French vodka in the United States, under the direction of Trey Laird, a new tagline was born. Conceived to communicate the unexpectedly unique origins of the luxury spirit, crafted from grapes not grain (potatoes). Worked in partnership with design to realize this provocative new campaign (pre-Diddy).

Agency:  Arnell

My role: Senior Copywriter

Lead writer on the creative team that introduced RBK to the world under Steve Stout and Peter Arnell. Reebok still needed to communicate with it's core audience of fitness enthusiasts, reimagining the product line and adding a fresh, culturally-relevant perspective to the brand communications.

Agency: Select World

My role: Copy Director

Agency: AR New York (now part of Publicis)

My role: Copy Director

Concepting, taglines, naming, anything to do with culture and words, I was in the middle of it here. As the first writer on staff at this venerable agency founded and run by fashion industry veterans Alex Gonzalez and Raul Martinez.

Agency: Select NY

My role: Copy Director

We introduced Josh Holloway, at the time the star of "Lost", as the new face of Cool Water fragrance for men. Casting Rhea Durham as the female lead, I concepted the new campaign including scripting the TV spot that ran globally.

Executive Creative Director: Olivier Van Doorne

Agency: Select World

My role: Copy Director

We introduced Ewan McGregor as the face of Adventure by Davidoff, highlighting his partnership with UNICEF and teasing his soon-to-be motorcycle show, "Long Way Up." Filmed entirely on location in Machu Picchu (a shoot I didn't get to go on as I was "only the writer" at the time).

Brand: Ann Taylor

My role: Copywriter

As a freelencer, I worked with the internal editorial team on a holiday catalog/mailer with the brand’s internal team featuring model Erin Wasson.

Agency: Select World

My role: Copy Director

I worked on various global campaigns for Joop!, denim and new fragrance launches, which included concepting, headlines, taglines, and art direction.

Narrative storytelling and strategic thinking, I’ve helped launch brands and products across all platforms for numerous style-minded clients. From Lux to Belk, Elle Magazine to Beyonce’s first fashion line, House of Dereon, you’ll find the groundwork here. Click on any of the images to view the full brand explorations.

I am a widely published writer on travel, trends, fashion, design, beauty and badass women. My work has appeared in numerous outlets, including Blackbook, Travel + Leisure, Vanity Fair, Interior Design, Dwell, Ageist, Surface (contributing editor), Soma (style editor), Clear, Corduroy, Theme, Hintmag, Let Them Eat Cake, The Fader, BPM, Florida InsideOut, Prophecy, Death + Taxes, Sportswear International, Coolhunting, and more.