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Psychology graduate Jenna Menard ’03 didn’t always know what career path she wanted to follow, but once she realized what it was, she went into overdrive, and hasn’t slowed down since.
After internships with Tony & Tina’s Cosmetics and on the set of The Stepford Wives, Menard moved to New York, where she has established herself as a makeup artist.
She has been involved in assignments that include working as an assistant during Fashion Week in both New York City and Paris, and on the set of music videos with talents such as Wyclef Jean, Fabolous, Floetry, and Claudette Ortiz.
While most makeup artists are represented by agencies that find work for them and take care of all administrative responsibilities, Menard is working solo. She is constantly on the move, promoting herself and her talent.
She works with various agencies, assisting different makeup artists. As an assistant, she’s been able to network with the artists, photographers, and other members of the industry, which helps her to land solo assignments.
She recently worked at the Helmut Lang runway show in Paris under head makeup artist Dick Page. She saw many familiar faces backstage from shows she had done in New York City, which made her feel right at home.
“The whole time I was thinking of my next step and what I need to do to make it in this industry,” she says. “When I got back to New York I was able to get appointments with Harpar’s Bazaar, ELLE, and Seventeen magazines. I’m not the type of person that is going to sit and wait for something to happen in my career. I know where I want to be a few years down the road and I am doing everything to get myself there.”
Menard gives much credit to Lafayette for helping to pave the way.
“I took a very non-traditional career path coming out of Lafayette, but while I was there, I had unbelievable support from professors and administrators,” she says. “They all let it be known to me that I would succeed in whatever I wanted to do as long as I was determined. They were right.”