Jenne Lombardo

 — founder of The Terminal Presents
"I am visually drawn to and inspired by the grit and underbelly of cultures and art. I like things to be a bit filthy, uncomfortable and controversial." Jenne Lombardo

In a black leather hat with studs, tights shredded with keys for the perfect tears, a ’30s ankle length peach dress from No.6, lots of her friend Pamela Love’s haunting jewelry, a Topshop chunky over-sized cardigan falling off her shoulders and ferocious Camilla Skovgaard heels, Jenne feels that fashion is a celebration of life. “You don’t have to look cool at all you just have to be confident and be happy with who you are and love yourself. That’s what I try to teach my children. That’s what I’m trying to do with myself. It’s okay if you’re not edgy you can be conservative in your dress and be proud of that.” Her sense of impartiality when coming from someone who is so breathtakingly edgy, is exactly what makes Jenne so cool. Leaning in high school a little more towards the “Sonic Youth” crowd in baby tees and big pants as opposed to the “Patagonia group in Range Rovers,” she feels to this day that she is not part of any one clique or genre. Her fondness for the equality of school uniforms and its blurring of social classes mimics her just and non partisan answer to what she loves most about fashion, creating and then not being afraid to make mistakes. It takes this kind of steely inner freedom to shave half of your head spontaneously while on a shoot and look so uncommonly chic that all who cross your path would want to experience a dramatic metamorphosis of their own.

Not afraid to admit that she has a fear of flying, Jenne is steadfast in taking risks despite any anxiety and is confident that they have led her to greater successes. The mother of three under the age of five whose names – Roxy, Valentino and Bowie – are tattooed in beautiful script on her arm, has her own rapidly growing business where she consults with companies on trends and pop culture. Knowing what is next is her basic instinct and it has only failed her when she has listened to anyone but herself. She feels that Rick Pipino, the father of her children and a legendary hair dresser, truly loves women and has taught her to celebrate a lot of her individuality. “He’s not the kind of guy who wants you to have long hair.”

Hanging at home, where she loves to cook and nurture, Jenne makes the moment her own in a fake DIY Gucci sweatshirt, a fake dollar bill “Biggie Small” necklace and slouching vintage long johns with visible plaid boxers unapologetically sticking way out. Her kids are her priority, but what I love is how she doesn’t lose herself in the process. Her signature touches of punk, with safety pins in one ear, hip hop, with one large diamond stud on the other, gothic, with a cross tattooed on the back of her neck make a demure high waisted skirt, YSL stacked pumps, an Isabel Marant net top, thigh high stockings, studded cuffs and belt, a melange so eclectic that it crosses all classifications. Her signature touches of punk with safety pins in one ear, hip hop with one large diamond stud on the other, and gothic with a cross tattooed on the back of her neck make a demure high-waisted skirt, stacked YSL pumps, an Isabel Marant net top, thigh high stockings, studded cuffs and belt, an eclectic melange that defies all classifications, somewhere between Body Heat meets the Upper East Side. A double layer of tattered Victorian skirts with a leather jacket, her favorite vintage black fedora and distressed army boots are unmistakably personal to her and make Jenne as tough as she is feminine.

The teenager obsessed with Led Zeppelin and Cream who wanted to be Lady Miss Kier from Deee-lite when she came to NYC says that her life is driven by goals, but the ultimate one is to be a grandmother. No doubt Jenne will be looking like the baddest matriarch in the unusual combination of her vintage leather jacket with an English punk band’s name across the back and the chunkiest ikat print Julian Louis for Aldo wedges, when in actuality she is the most embracing.

If you love Jenne, you may also like Shae Detar, Rebecca Weinberg and Stephanie Niedospial.

  • http://www.facebook.com/meaculpa Christi Gravett-Carrington

    About .26 in, she says she’s “afraid” with her children. I don’t think I understand the context.

  • http://www.facebook.com/danibaum23 Dani Baum

    @ Christi, I think she just meant that she is afraid for her children in the way most parents are afraid for their children… Especially when you make the choice to raise them in NYC. I am not sure where you live, but if you happen to live in the city, I am sure you can imagine it being really difficult and scary to raise kids here. Just going to the supermarket here feels like an extreme sport.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001113977228 S.f. Perrius

    I LOVE HER! I have been a fan since I saw her in I think Marie Claire a while back. I love that she has three kids and is just a total badass. Definitely a heroine of mine, thank you Stylelikeu.

    http://www.motherofallstyle.blogspot.com

  • anonymous

    Please stop featuring so many hipsters on here. Of course her clothes are cool, but I can’t seem to recognize any kind of red line in them. It seems like she’s just wearing what’s in style, and I don’t think that’s the purpose of this site..

  • andrea

    I agree with her philosophy that you don’t have to look cool, you have to be happy with who you are and love yourself (my life’s journey), but isn’t her company, Terminal Productions the antithesis of what she espouses? She says that she works with conservative companies to make them cool. Sort of hypocritical, wouldn’t you say?

  • http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.vandersteen Rebecca Vandersteen

    as a mother of 2 and works in fashion myself..i totally relate to her.she is so rad.two thumbs up for her…big time

  • http://ninteeneightythree.tumblr.com/ maille noonan

    wow, i think i just found my new role model. i love her sense of fashion and we have the same hair style, much love. <3

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