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There is perhaps no one who has made a greater impact on the fashion of hiphop and the music industry at large than June Ambrose. Known for taking chances and creating some of the most iconic and memorable looks of all time, Ambrose was able to draw on her formal training \u2013 while adding some of her own personal style and flair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started off with formal education\u2014I was a theater major and costume design was my elective,\u201d costume designer & creative director Ambrose tells Grazia USA<\/em>. But after finishing school, Ambrose chose a career in investment banking instead of fashion. After two years in finance, Ambrose interned at a record company\u2014\u201cit was very short-lived,\u201d she admits\u2014and then returned to her roots and passion: costume design. \u201cI incorporated my company in 1994, nearly 30 years ago,\u201d Ambrose says. \u201cI saw the opportunity and white space in the industry and really understood what I needed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Ambrose realized that she excelled at developing characters within the music space using her training. \u201cI really started to focus on costume design and music videos,\u201d Ambrose recalls. After reconnecting with legendary music video producer and director HypeWilliams, Ambrose used skills to develop artists and create iconic moments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started to really disrupt things,\u201d she says. Case in point: styling Missy Elliott in a puffy suit for \u201cThe Rain\u201d video, still one of the most memorable moments in hip-hop history. \u201cThe work I did with Missy specifically and what we were able to do in terms of females in the space with Missy as the muse was unmatched,\u201d Ambrose explains, adding that she dropped little \u201cbreadcrumbs\u201d of her own personal style into this and many of her projects including the oversized sunglasses Elliott dons in the video. \u201cDid we know that Missy suit would be in every write up about iconic fashion moments\u2014yes!\u201d quips Ambrose. \u201cWe were taking no prisoners, we had nothing to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n Ambrose immediately became the go-to for the biggest names in the industry including newcomers Jay-Z and Sean \u201cDiddy\u201d Combs aka Puff Daddy. \u201cFor Puff, it was high fashion sportswear and disrupting the hip-hop expectation,\u201d Ambrose recalls. \u201cWe were doing something really glossy and not so \u2018hip-hop.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Ambrose has also worked with rapper, record executive, and entrepreneur Jay-Z since inception of his career. \u201cI worked with all his Rockafella artists and me and Jay are still working together,\u201d Ambrose says. \u201cSeeing that this one individual who was able to inspire so much and being so close to it was so inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n Another standout experience for Ambrose was her work on 1998 movie “Belly” starring DMX and Nas. \u201cI learned so much, mainly about not judging a book by its cover,\u201d admits Ambrose. \u201cBecause when I met DMX I assumed, and he proved wrong every stereotype cast upon him.\u201d<\/p>\n Just before the start of the pandemic, Ambrose was tapped by Puma to launch a women\u2019s basketball line. \u201cThis wasn\u2019t really a thing so that was a huge responsibility for so many reasons,\u201d Ambrose explains. \u201cBut I knew the task was to shift culture once again and find lightening in the bottle.With this line, I was able to infuse high fashion and I\u2019m really proud of what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n The release of her 2006 book “Effortless Style” was a true gamechanger for Ambrose. \u201cTo be a published author was a huge milestone and career highlight,\u201d says Ambrose. \u201cI always knew it was bigger than me but now as an author, I can\u2019t be erased from history.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42712,"featured_media":86530,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[23,17,16],"yoast_head":"\n