Jenna Ortega’s Stylist Shares How He Landed His Big Break

Can you tell me a little bit about how you found your way into celebrity styling?

I actually was meeting a friend of mine—late friend of mine—AJ Crimson. He’s a makeup artist. He was like, “So what are you doing? What are you going to be doing next?”

I was like, “Oh, I’m gonna go to a real estate school, and I’m going to study to become a real estate agent, and I’m gonna sell properties.” He was like, “Really? That’s nice, but do you find a thrill in that?”

I’m like, “No, but I figured it’s gonna pay the bills, pay my rent.” He’s like, “Well, what are you passionate about?” Then I’m like, “Um, I don’t know.” I honestly couldn’t give him an answer. 

He’s like, “Well, you seem to love fashion. You seem to always dress up and you’re always reading the fashion magazines. Every time I see you, you’re talking about clothing.”

I’m like, “Yeah, I guess I’m passionate about it. I love it.” He’s like, “Well, why don’t you become a stylist?”

He [Crimson] connected me with his friend, Lor-e Phillips, who was working for the Black Eyed Peas at the time in about 2007. I just started interning under her, and that’s kind of where it all began.