Meet J + D
Jess James,
“Style Girl” columnist for The Star-News and Focus on the Coast Fashion Editor, has continued to seek opportunities intertwining her passion for fashion with her day job.
First in Public Relations / Special Events for the nation’s largest bridal retailer, where she coordinated prom fashion shows nationwide and selected wedding gowns for Modern Bride, In Style and, most memorably, the Oprah Winfrey Show. Before moving South, as Director of Fashion & Beauty at a NY marketing agency, she connected clients with trendsetters and brand ambassadors, coordinating media tours with indie artists (such as Michael Jackson’s nephew), styling photo shoots and developing hot lists for industry insiders.
Shortly after her move to Wilmington, while scouring the streets for trendsetters and buzz-worthy boutiques for Jane Buckingham’s NY-based trend forecasting company, she developed the idea of “Style Girl” and began her column in the pages of Star-News’ CURRENTS before moving to The Star-News TODAY section every Saturday.
Today, Jess can be found at Caffe Phoenix as her husband’s “bar fly,” calming her thunderstorm-phobic dog Buster, styling runway shows with Shannon at Odessa and of course, SHOPPING…
Shannon Dunne,
devoted mother and style maven, has been in the retail fashion industry for almost 20 years. She began her career locally as manager of Island Passage. In her mid-twenties, she moved to San Francisco to pursue her interest in fashion. In 2001, she was offered a management position with the German designer and major fashion house Jil Sander. It was at Jil Sander where
she began her career as a personal shopper. In 2003, she moved to Dublin, Ireland and continued to develop her client list assisting major stylist Lola Simpson. While there, she opened and managed a designer shoe boutique making frequent buying trips throughout Europe.
Shannon’s husband Owen, co-owner of downtown bars Odessa and Pravda, says he’s often addressed with, “Oh, my God I can’t believe you’re going out in that!” He also amusingly recalls that once, after spending a month’s rent on a pair of shoes, Shannon reasoned, “Shoes are the foundation of every woman’s wardrobe.”
When not shopping, this licensed aesthetician can be found at the pool with her kids, watching “Little Bear” or “American Idol,” cooking, gardening or gazing into her closet.