In Conversation with Jessica Mayfield
Tell us about your background:
I’m Jessica Mayfield, a wardrobe stylist and creative director. This year, I’m focused on growing my commercial and editorial wardrobe styling work and continuing to build meaningful relationships with brands and creative teams who care about thoughtful, story-driven work.
I came to styling through storytelling, and through an early understanding that aesthetics and fashion are powerful ways of communicating. I started in writing, where I learned how much tone and intention shape meaning, and that sensitivity still guides how I approach visual work. I tend to notice small things — how something hangs, how it moves, when a detail feels right — and those instincts carried naturally into wardrobe.
Styling, for me, is about care, clarity and humanness. I care deeply about how it feels to be in the clothes, what they express and how they help someone show up as themselves. I love the problem-solving side of wardrobe — building looks that support a brand’s voice, hold up on camera and feel natural to wear. I’m known for coming in prepared, offering clear options and helping set days feel calm, collaborative and well-paced.
Along the way, I’ve worked across hospitality, the arts and brand storytelling, including helping shape the visual presence of a property as it joined Marriott’s Design Hotels collection and later received Oklahoma’s first Michelin Key in 2024. That experience reinforced something I return to often: strong visual stories don’t just happen — they’re positioned with intention and told with consistency over time.
Sixteen years into my career, my work spans commercial and editorial styling, hospitality, the arts, nonprofits and brand content. I collaborate closely with creative teams to align wardrobe with the larger narrative, making sure what’s worn supports what’s being said and feels true in the moment.
Clients include Adidas, OKC Thunder, GoodGood, Devon Energy, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Bradford House and select hospitality, arts and nonprofit partners.
What do you wish you’d known when you started out?
I wish I had trusted my inner voice sooner. Early on, I worked hard at being “good,” and it took me time to realize that perfection is often the least interesting thing in the room. What I was missing then — and value deeply now — is the beauty in tension, curiosity and tenderness. The human parts are where the work actually comes alive.
Best career advice you've ever received?
Earlier this year, I was in the middle of my biggest project and feeling a little out of my depth. A close friend of mine — an incredible designer — suggested I listen to The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, not to find answers, but simply to help support my nervous system.
What stayed with me was his emphasis on removing ego, embracing experimentation and finding joy in the process itself. He talks about discipline not as rigidity, but as awareness — built through small habits, attention and making space. After listening, I felt steadier and more trusting of my instincts, less attached to getting everything exactly right. It helped me return to the work with more openness, which ultimately made the work stronger.
What leadership qualities are important to you?
Kindness. Assuming generous intent.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
Being based in Oklahoma has asked me to be more intentional — about relationships, about visibility and about how I show up for work beyond my immediate geography. It’s taught me how to build trust remotely, communicate clearly and stay connected to creative communities outside my zip code. Those skills have become strengths in a global, distributed industry.
How do you define success in your career, and how has that definition evolved over time?
Success used to feel like momentum and approval. Now it feels like connection — the satisfaction of helping someone bring an idea to life in a way that’s clear, grounded and genuinely felt.
How has networking contributed to your professional growth and success?
My work has grown through relationships, plain and simple. I believe tenderness begets tenderness — when people feel cared for and understood, they show up more fully. That shared humanness is what turns collaboration into something meaningful and lasting.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mayfield-20622017/
Website: www.jessicamayfield.com
Instagram: @jessicaraemayfield
