Janell M. Hickman-Kirby began her career in fashion when she left her hometown of Minnetonka, Minnesota to join the team at WWD as an intern in New York. Since then, she has held editorial titles at Essence, Ebony, GILT, and BET. Currently, she is a freelance communication strategist, copywriter, and beauty editor with a focus on strategy/branding.
Experience
Janell has worked in the fashion and beauty industry for over a decade, blending together her PR, marketing, and editorial experience to craft a unique perspective. Her work history includes roles at Victoria’s Secret, Essence, HL Group, Ebony, GILT, and BET.
As a freelancer, her work has appeared both in print and digitally across Brides, Cosmopolitan, O, The Oprah Magazine; ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Refinery 29, Coveteur, Well + Good, Allure, Doré, Marie Claire, WeddingWire and others. Her freelance brand clients include Sol de Janeiro, HeyDay, Revlon, Birchbox, Mizani, OLEHENRIKSEN, and INTERMIX.
Education
Janell is a proud HBCU alum and graduated from Hampton University with degrees in Print Journalism and Marketing. In college, she had internships at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Norfolk Botanical Garden, and WWD.
Awards & Associations
- Janell has been interviewed on several podcasts discussing her career including Naked Beauty, Skincare Anarchy, Scandalous Beauty, and others.
