The 7th Annual Vulture Festival, a week of high-profile events bringing the entertainment site to life, is currently taking place virtually. This year, fans are experiencing an incredible array of actors in conversation, screenings, cast reunions — right in their living rooms.
To close out the three nights of the festival on October 28, HBO Max gave fans a look at its new series Stylish With Jenna Lyons. The fashion icon, who helmed J.Crew for almost a decade, is starting a new business in the home, beauty, and fashion space aimed at helping people from all walks of life find their own style, and she’s documenting the journey on her upcoming show. Fans got a first look at the series’ first episode and conversations between the cast members.
Lyons, her chief of staff Kyle DeFord and stylist Sarah Clary, who are all quarantining together, arrived in matching luxurious white bathrobes setting the fun tone of the team’s dynamic (Lyons’ dog even tried to join in on the fun during the conversation). Although the premise of the series is that Lyons and her team are auditioning new creative members, they’re proud not to be another example of mean fashion folks.
“You can give someone constructive criticism or feedback,” Lyons told Vulture. “But if you don’t ever say, like, ‘Here’s what I love about you’ or ‘Here’s what you do well,’ then they kind of sometimes can get demotivated and then you don’t actually get anything.”
“Also, you’re never gonna get the best out of a person by being mean to them,” DeFord added. “I think that the tropes of being really mean and rude is just something that we’re not into.”
Clary jumped in to emphasize that “Jenna doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”
The trio teased that they did end up hiring someone for the show, so clearly the process worked.
To rewatch the full event, head to VultureFestival.com and check it out before the festival ends on November 1. The show premieres on HBO Max on November 26.
