Jenné Lombardo's vibe is evident the moment she greets you at her Brooklyn apartment (conveniently around the corner from Momofuku's Milk Bar, where we may have made a pit stop). Welcoming us in while wearing a leather corset, striped trousers, and sky-high Louboutins, Lombardo immediately got down to business, assisting us with styling while taking a call on her cell. We expected nothing less from the industry powerhouse, whose style manifests itself inside her closet, filled with rare pieces from now-big-name labels' early days—including a straitjacket-like chainmail Proenza dress from their first season. (It probably weighs more than it costs; picture that.)
As the founder of MADE Fashion Week (formerly known as Milk) and consulting firm The Terminal Presents, Lombardo's worked with everyone from Lady Gaga to Terence Koh (she says she "won’t rest until I add Dolly Parton and Howard Johnson hotels to my roster!"). After getting her start at Interview Magazine, she moved to M.A.C Cosmetics, where she helped to instate the M.A.C + Milk program, which has given a platform to designers like Rodarte, Alexander Wang and the aforementioned Proenza Schouler. Did we mention Lombardo's since added 'Fashion Director'—at Playboy Magazine, no less—to her CV? Meet you at the mansion, Lombardo!
The ultimate mom-trepreneur has never lost her edge, with the names of her kids (Valentino, Roxy and Bowie) among her many tats. She also showed us her Hermès whip (it's for um, decoration?) and custom grills, done up at a spot recommended to her by the one and only Theophilus London. And while Lombardo often puts her hard edge on display, it's the dichotomy created by Lombardo's soft-side that really won us over: her obsession with sheer vintage lace dresses and her coded pager messages with boyfriend and fellow Cov Morgan Collett. Like we say, there's always more than meets the eye.
