Arm Candy is a series in partnership with Samsung Gear S2. We’re spending a day in the life with talented women on the rise, from self-made YouTube celebrities to budding athletes to visual artists to our fellow editors.
If you already follow our Bustle Studios Instagram account, you’ve gotten a behind-the-scenes peek at the inner workings of Bustle. Along with our main account, it’s a pretty good representation of things we love, which are mostly pizza and feminism. (Just kidding! We have other interests, we swear.) But even if you’re an avid follower, you probably don’t know much about the sharp-eyed editor behind the Studios account, our very own Jenna Wexler.
Jenna, an associate editor for the branded arm of Bustle Studios, wears many hats: lifestyle and fashion writer, on-set stylist, DIY queen, and inadvertent hand model for many of our food projects.
As an LA native, she has a pleasingly "LA" story. The daughter of an actress and a photographer, she grew up on sets and acted professionally until she was 13 years old. (There was once an office rumor that she vied with Lindsay Lohan for the lead role in the 1998 Parent Trap reboot. Sadly, we will have to debunk that here. )
It was through her time on sets that she developed a love for fashion. “Acting was fun,” she says, “but having a custom wardrobe selected specifically for your character was always my favorite part. It really transforms the way you see and carry yourself, and can make a show or film feel that much more authentic.”
Eventually, she left the sunnier coast for NYU’s Gallatin School, where she worked fashion into her individualized major. “I spent my last year at school working with Zanna Roberts Rassi, the senior fashion editor at Marie Claire and jack of many fashion trades,” she says. “Since then, I’ve tried to find a styling outlet in every job I’ve tackled — whether I’m styling menswear editorials or custom branded campaigns at Bustle.”
Here’s a bit more about how Jenna spends her days, in her own words.
Where She Calls Home: Currently Brooklyn Heights, but born and raised in Los Angeles.
Where You’ve Seen Her: On Bustle.com and as the editor behind the Bustle Studios Instagram.
In 1 Word: *hand-flip emoji girl*
"I’m definitely guilty of checking all social accounts and email on my phone before I even get out of bed. Then I shower, do my makeup, get dressed, and head to the office where I’ll grab coffee (trying to switch to green tea...) and something to tide me over until lunch."
"My style has been streamlined as I’ve gotten older. I’ve always loved clothes and dressing up, but my daily uniform is skinny jeans (black or blue — but I hate whiskering!), black leather booties, and a button-up or extra-soft tee. That said, I do love an excuse for fun heels and a great dress… even if they are still mostly black."
"I’ve always loved making things. It could be food or crafts or clothes, but I love making something out of nothing and being able to share it when it’s done."
"I got super into embroidery this year, and I've been making a ton of patches and customized shirts. It's fun to de-stress and make these patches while catching up with my DVR. They also happen to make for cute little gifts."
"I’m on a *secret* committee at work, and we plan fun events and activities for the office. We had a great ‘90s back-to-school day recently, complete with Lisa Frank stickers, Dunkaroos, Capri Sun cocktails, and a class photo. Our Halloween party was also pretty epic."
"We recently celebrated 'Cheesegiving,' which was just our office pre-Thanksgiving… with a heavy focus on cheese."
"Each day is different. I could be in meetings and writing up articles all day, organizing a shoot, or prepping a DIY video. Yesterday I was on set in Boston for literally five hours, and today I’m catching up on emails before heading to the airport for LA."
"I grew up on sets and interacting with stylists. When I wasn’t doing that, I was costuming my friends and little brother (blackmail pics for days), or starting DIY T-shirt lines with my best friend. I started assisting stylists after high school, working on projects ranging from commercial advertising to live TV, music videos, red carpet, and everything in between."
"I still feel like a tourist in New York. Some of my favorite restaurants are Pepolino, Periyali, Beron Beron (the best udon soup), River Deli (the cutest Italian place tucked into my neighborhood), Long Island Bar (the BEST burger and ginger-lime gimlet), and old standbys like Cafe Gitane and Cafe Habana."
“In LA, the vibe is way more laid back. There’s so much more space, and you have the beach, the mountains, and the desert accessible on any given day. Also, the Mexican food is undeniably superior.”
Would she ever go back to LA? (Edit: Never leave us, Jenna!) "The cliche is real: the weather is unbeatable," she says. "My whole family (and my cats!) are out there, so it will always feel like my real home." In the meantime, NYC — and Bustle — is more than happy to have her.
This post is sponsored by Samsung Gear S2. Featured above: Modern Utility watch face, calendar app, and Yelp for Gear S2.
Photos: Lauren Perlstein and courtesy of Jenna Wexler and Bustle Studios; Hair: Bennett Grey; Makeup: Joy Fennell; Location: Bustle HQ.
