about kelly

Growing up a Navy brat, I spent most of my childhood moving from one place to another. In the first 17 years of my life, I lived in 12 different cities, but I like to say I grew up at JCrew. I started at the New York corporate office as an intern in design and left as the Senior Fashion Editor. My experience there was invaluable. At a very young age I was running the fashion department, directing and styling the photo shoots as well as conceiving of the stories and choosing locations, photographers and models.

After 8 years at JCrew, I left to pursue my other passion, acting. I have always loved creative expression and found I was at a point in my life where I needed to explore and challenge a different part of myself. I studied full time in NY for 2 years while also managing to work as a freelance stylist.

In 2001, I moved to Los Angeles, where I currently live. I have found a great balance in Southern California between my styling life and my acting life. Styling and acting feed each other, keeping me fresh and excited about each new project. (& who doesn’t love wearing flip flops year round?)

Moving between the two worlds has shaped how I work in each, and so I really consider myself a lifestyle artist, even when shooting in the studio. I have an ability to help clothes & situations look and feel natural, and that ability is reflected in the overall ease and feel of my work.

The variety of skills I’ve picked up over the years serve my clients in all aspects of the shoot. In many cases, I come in early on a project and location scout, as well as hold castings. When manageable, I love doing light propping along with styling the clothes. I understand branding and know how to gear a look toward a particular customer base.

Over the past several years, I have found myself shooting quite a bit with children and have discovered that is a real passion of mine. I love creating a pretend world for them and working with the challenges they present and ultimately capturing the honesty they bring to a moment.