This story originally appeared in September/October 2024 issue of ESSENCE magazine, on newsstands August 26.
There’s an inner glow that seems to emanate from June Ambrose when we meet at a tea shop in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. It’s a spring afternoon, and we’re the only guests. The image architect, who has worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, emits a joyous energy. And for 30 years, with a distinctive eye, she has brought that vivacity to rap through her creative direction.
Ambrose continues to toil away artistically, proving her relevance as a style savant. This is because, aside from her husband and her two children, fashion remains one of her greatest passions. It’s refreshing to witness her growth as a significant contributor to hip-hop culture; and it’s especially remarkable considering that at one time in her life, people thought she might be destined for a career in the clergy.
Born in Antigua, and raised in St. Croix for her first three years, Ambrose says she used to run through the village in St. Croix saying, “Jesus is coming!” while waving a Bible. “I used to emulate anyone who was doing good,” she remembers. “That’s who I wanted to be.” But her interests would soon shift to the sartorial field.
After immigrating to the United States with her family at age three, Ambrose grew up in the Bronx, known as hip-hop’s birthplace, alongside her older sister, Wynell “Winnie” Jeffrey. The girls were raised by their mother, Eurydice—a nurse who had previously owned a retail store in Antigua—and their mother’s step-grandmother, who Ambrose says evoked glamour. Ambrose fell in love with fashion; she used to cut up her step-grandmother’s curtains to make outfits for her dolls. She and her sister also served as their mother’s muses: Eurydice would design and create clothing for them, ensuring that her girls were impeccably attired. Stylish from the beginning, Ambrose in the first grade asked her teacher if she could host a fashion show. It served as a preview of what would define Ambrose’s adult years—her passion for creating grand and impactful fashion experiences.
“All the parents dressed up their kids in suits and dresses, and then they walked down the hallway,” she recalls. The event is one of her most cherished memories, and she considers that first production “a big hit.”
Ambrose spent her childhood people-watching as she rode the subway—and became street-savvy and ambitious. By junior high, she had decided to pursue theater. She later auditioned for and enrolled at Talent Unlimited, a high school within the Julia Richman Education Complex, where she studied theater with peers such as Tamara George of the R&B singing trio SWV and rapper Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def. During her time at Talent Unlimited, she chose costume design as an elective, to better understand how characters were developed through clothing. Such experiences allowed her to grow without creative limitations. After high school, she accepted a position in investment banking, where she stayed for two years. She considers this role a necessary step in her journey, as it instilled skills such as fiscal responsibility that she still uses today.
“As someone who had an entrepreneurial spirit, I needed to be informed in that way,” says Ambrose. “I was nurtured in that space, and I was taught so many things that helped me when I decided I wanted to go into business for myself.”
By this time, many of her friends from high school were working in the music or the television industries, while others were involved in theater in New York City. “I was still a performer,” says Ambrose.”I was a dancer. I was doing theater productions. And I studied acting. I wanted it all. And then I realized, there’s an opportunity here.” An urge to fill what she calls a white space in her life led her to pursue what she yearned for: a more hands-on approach to making money, outside of working in finance.
Ambrose decided to leave investment banking to assist a high school classmate, who was working in the marketing department at Uptown MCA Records. She saw it as an opportunity to enter the fashion industry as a professional—and it worked. An internship for the same label followed, and her career bloomed organically just as hip-hop was becoming more mainstream. Back then, she predicted the music genre would balloon into a major force within the pop-culture lexicon.
A marketing position with the clothing brand Cross Colours was another important stepping stone along her path. The brand’s cofounders, Carl Jones and Thomas “TJ” Walker, didn’t have anyone handling advertising, product placement and marketing strategy on the East Coast; so they offered Ambrose the job. “It really helped,” she says, “because I was able to connect with artists and have some money coming in. Because my mom was like, ‘You quit your job to take an internship at a record company? What’s going on?’”
What followed was a run that exemplifies Ambrose’s unique trajectory. Working with other creatives, she incorporated her background in costume design into the world of rap, creating historic visual moments for the genre. She collaborated with Jay-Z on his lavish “Feelin’ It” music video—a single from his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. “I’ve been working with Jay from inception,” Ambrose says. “That is very telling. It’s a long, long relationship.”
She designed one of his very first suits: a crisp yellow linen two-piece that was hard to ignore amid the tropical backdrop of Negril, Jamaica, where the video was shot. “June Ambrose knocked it out of the park with the linen set in ‘Feelin’ It,’ by focusing on flattering tailoring—something that wasn’t as popular during the era—and luxury details to create a sharp silhouette,” says Sowmya Krishnamurthy, a music journalist and the author of Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion. “She challenged rappers to take sartorial risks. And they—and hip-hop culture at large—are better for it.”
Ambrose lent her vision to other era-defining videos as her entrepreneurial life thrived. This included groundbreaking moments with Hype Williams, whom she calls a creative partner. She reveals they used to finish each other’s sentences when working together. “We kept each other close, we protected each other, we fought for each other. Hype had my back,” says Ambrose.
In her experimental pursuits, she completed extraordinary projects with Williams. Together, they conceptualized iconic looks for videos such as Missy Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” which introduced us to Elliott the solo artist in her iconic bubble suit. “We went crazy on that one,” says Elliott of that moment. “Who would have thought of a black vinyl bubble suit?! It really set the tone for who I am as an artist, musically and visually.”
It was Ambrose’s connectivity with fellow creative geniuses like Elliott, Rhymes and Williams that led to such a fruitful time. “The fact that we’re all still in the game and, I like to say, relevant is a testament to us and something we have to celebrate among each other,” Ambrose says.
Other standout events in Ambrose’s career include working with Elliott on a now-historic partnership with Adidas, sharpening Rhymes’s fashion image and continuing to develop cutting-edge aesthetics. She was also a champion of such eccentric creations as Elliott’s “She’s A B—h” video shoot in Burbank, California, with Williams—which incorporated prosthetics and special effects. “June and I think alike in that we both love to push boundaries and break norms,” says Elliott about her longtime collaborator. “When we come together, it’s always magic, because she understands the way my mind works. Everything does not have to make sense when you are creating art. She is able to understand and elevate my ideas, in a way that always makes our collaborations and creations iconic.”
Ambrose did this at a time when fashion houses and brands weren’t lending their pieces to stylists and costumers like her. It’s now in vogue for rap artists to wear high-end designers—but at the start, Ambrose was creating the designs her clients wore. “We controlled the narrative,” she says. “It wasn’t about waiting for a designer. We took the opportunity and made it our own.”
A significant moment for Ambrose came when sportswear brand Puma appointed her as a creative director in 2020. Although she is no longer in that position, she played a crucial part in the launch of the women’s basketball division in 2021. Her first cobranded collection, titled “Keeping Score,” made waves upon its release in 2023. It was a blend of sporty and girlish styles, reflecting Ambrose’s personal dualities.
The style maven feels that she owes her longevity in the business to her approach to building and evolving characters, plus creating fashion moments that bridge the generational gap. “As people of color,” she says, “when you have a chance to own your own narrative, to rewrite history and open doors, you take it.”
Ambrose is constantly thinking about what’s coming next—much as her prediction that hip-hop would be a dominating force is now a part of her legacy. “What I did in the music business for so many years was forecasting what’s up next and how we can impact the consumer, how we can attract the consumer, how we can continue to grow with the consumer,” she reflects. She reckons that if she can pull off that feat in rap, she can do it in any space.
“June Ambrose is an icon-maker and shape-shifter,” says lauded multidisciplinary artist Mickalene Thomas. “In an industry that often overlooks the contributions of women, I am thrilled to see her receiving the recognition she deserves. June’s genius in fashion is undeniable.”
Though Ambrose is busy figuring out how she can contribute to future generations, those who know her résumé know she’s already made her mark. “June’s talents and gift that she has blessed the culture with through the years have inspired the fashion industry,” notes actress Bresha Webb, a friend of Ambrose. “She effortlessly balances being a wonderful friend, wife and mother. She has proven to me that you can truly have it all.”
Before our tea date ends, Ambrose expresses a simple yet profound summation of her legacy: “Over the years, I’ve helped build out the profiles of people who are smarter than me and people who wish me well. And for those who don’t—we exit them stage left, and we keep moving.” After we part ways, Ambrose heads upstairs to her Chelsea showroom, where she’s in the midst of creating Elliott’s wardrobe for her Out of This World tour with Busta Rhymes, Ciara and Timbaland. The work doesn’t stop. Ambrose keeps moving.
Photo production credits:
Styling: Kutendereza “Tukie” Babumba
Hair: Nicole Newland using Kymm’s Creations Extensions
Makeup: Darline “Dar” Balthazar
Photography Assistant: Chianne Gibbs
Production Assistant: Jordan Santisteban
Location: Rein Studios
