June Ambrose Talks Fashion And Design With Jeremiah Brent

Design, in all its forms, offers a means of expression and a window into the personal, particularly when it comes to one’s surroundings. That’s what leads Jeremiah Brent, interior designer and Queer Eye star, to examine the meaning of home as host of Ideas of Order, a California Closets podcast. Hosted on the SURROUND Podcast Network, Brent’s latest episode features June Ambrose, stylist, costume designer, and CEO (to name a few of her roles).

“From the early days of hip-hop to leading creative direction at global brands, [Ambrose’s] work has always been about transformation, identity, and the power of style to tell a story before we even say a word,” says Brent, kicking off the conversation, which gets personal fast as he dives into what it feels like to build a career and evolve in the public eye.

Styling artists like Jay-Z and Missy Elliott while also knowing what it takes to build brand awareness and start a company are part of Ambrose’s multi-faceted experiences, enabling her to continuously innovate. “The title was never just stylist because of the way I entered [the business]. And what I was responsible for was never just about putting clothes together,” she shares, noting that she also views Brent’s role as an expansive one. “You have so many layers,” she tells him.

Like Brent, collaboration is at the heart of Ambrose’s work. “That’s your superpower, June… Being able to align with personalities and make them feel safe but open to your creativity and your voice,” Brent says. “It’s a real superpower.” As is Ambrose’s design language, which she discovered working in theater, where she first learned the importance of character development and the role design plays in that. “I fell in love with it, because I tried it,” she says. “I always tell people: To try something is the best gift you can give yourself, even when you’re in a place of feeling uncomfortable.”

A safe home is part of what builds the foundation needed to take risks, she continues, sharing insights into her childhood as an immigrant from Antigua living in a one-bedroom New York City apartment and the skills she learned from her single mom. But the term ‘home’ holds a deeper meaning as well. “When I think about an artist and that journey that they’re going through—you know, before they put themselves out to the world, the consumer… to consume their creativity, to consume something they find to be so personal—I’m going inside of their home, their soul, their person,” she says. That’s where the magic happens.

Listen to the full Ideas of Order episode on the SURROUND Podcast Network to learn more about how Ambrose approaches design, fashion, and the meaning of home in conversation with Jeremiah Brent.