Jenee Naylor has quickly become a refreshing voice in fashion, blending style, culture, and storytelling as the host of the hit YouTube series ‘Style Unlocked.’ Now celebrating three successful seasons, Jenee continues to inspire audiences by highlighting personal style journeys and celebrating Black culture in fun and meaningful ways. In this conversation, Naylor chats with MEF and dives into how she’s elevated the show, stayed true to its core message, and what’s next on her path to educate and entertain.
Can you describe the evolution from the beginning of Style Unlocked to where you are now?
I’ve felt like there hasn’t been much of an evolution with the show. The goal of the show? I’m trying to have unique individuals to share their personal style journey to hopefully help the audience reflect on their journey and show it’s not linear. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. I’m also trying to celebrate black culture. I think that’s the way that we do it with the games the trivia. It’s just putting things at the forefront that don’t typically get the shine. There hasn’t been much of an evolution because I feel like that’s been a constant. feel like that’s what the focus is.
It’s finding bigger and better ways to meet that goal for the audience. We want to leave them inspired and entertained. It’s about figuring out the right games to play, the right questions to ask, and continuing to tweak it. The core message of the show: It’s not about us telling you the right or wrong. It’s about seeing someone’s journey and having a good time. My goal is education and entertainment.
Do you remember when you first fell in love with fashion?
Not specifically. I do remember it being when I was really young. I just remember drawing and sketching clothes. I didn’t know what kind of job that would lead to but, I would always love having fashion magazines. I had my bedroom and the walls were covered and it was just all the magazines, and I would just put them all over the wall for inspo. Then I would try to draw outfits and other ideas. This was, I’m pretty sure, middle school. But, again I had no idea, what the jobs were or the possibilities were, but I just liked fashion. I want to do fashion. I think it was in middle school, maybe, in 7th or 8th grade.
What was it like being a young fashionista in Saint Louis?
It was so fun because I feel like that’s where my freedom comes from. We loved dressing up for everything. I feel like middle school is where I found fashion, and then high school is where I was like, now it’s time to put it on. I dressed up every day at high school. I’m an only child, so I would be like mom, I need a new shirt for tomorrow. Yes. And it was very much w’ell go to the mall and get you a shirt. I’m like, yes. Because I wore this shirt last week, but I need something like this because this is the vibe I want for tomorrow.
When you were younger, did you always have a sense of personal style, or did you feel like your tastes developed over time?
No. I’ve always had a sense of personal style, and I’ve always loved looking at trends and celebrity culture for what was in and what was cool and trying to recreate that. I feel like that’s what inspired my platform. I always tell people I am not a salesman. I’m never trying to sell you things. I’m just trying to do what the magazines used to do for me. Where you see something and you’re like, Oh, I wanna try that color combo. Or I have some cheetah print pants. Or Let me see if I can fit that Gibson’s vibe or I wanna do a monochrome all-white look. I always say my style is still pretty similar to what it used to be. I was always very aware of how I’d like to be perceived. In high school, my superlative was most sophisticated.
So you’ve always had a strong sense of self at such a young age?
Yeah. I think it just comes from those mentors or just understanding. I’ve always looked at certain women and thought, that’s the type of woman I want to be. That’s how I want people to view me. I want to be very classy and chic and smart and powerful.
What would you say to the young aspiring stylist or fashion student who would say that they don’t necessarily have the funds to get into fashion?
I would say we’re in a time and an age where you have so much power at your fingertips. So number 1, I would always say use social media to show your gifts. Another way is networking sideways. I forget who I heard this from, but I think as you come into an industry and as you’re trying to grow, we are always trying to find the people above us who can help us. But there’s so much power when you’re looking at people next to you.
Who are the photographers next to you? Who are the makeup artists next to you? How can you do just, like, fun cool things with them that can get you the practice that you need? Then you can turn that into, you know, work that you could show other people. Then you can turn around and put that on your social media, or use that to pitch people and try to get jobs. I think those are my two tips. Eventually, your work gets seen.

In your opinion, what’s the difference between just wearing clothes versus actually styling them?
I think styling is the understanding of how you want to feel in your clothes. That’s what I use clothes for, and then how you want to be perceived. We can put on the same thing, but I know how I want to feel today. I could be wearing the same thing 2 days in a row, but if one day I want to feel more relaxed and effortless, I might put on the outfit I have on today, which is just, like, a silk top and some pants. I might put it on with loafers, a fluffy jacket, and a cool hat because I want to feel laid back and cool.
Then the next day, I may want to feel powerful and confident. Then I might throw a blazer on top of strong shoulders and a pointy heel. I think styling is the part of here’s how I want to see me today. Here’s how I want to feel today, and it’s the artistic piece of dressing when you want your clothes to speak for you.
If you could go back in time and attend any runway show, who would you pick?
Immediately, it’s anything from the nineties. Beautiful. It was a beautiful time. I very much love the era of the supermodel. So probably Versace. Something in that world or nineties Gucci. 1991 Versace or any nineties Gucci when Tom Ford was there. It was sexy. It was the woman I wanted to be. It was diva. It was confident. It was sexy. It was all the things! I was like, I can’t wait to be a grown-up.
Speaking of the runway, do you have a top 3 designers of all time?
Top 3? I’m probably going to base this on the impact on my personal style, and I think culturally, and who I think resonates with me. I would have to say, for my overall style, I would have to say Thierry Mugler. The structure and the silhouette, when you talk about a confident, sexy woman, that’s the clothes he made.
When it comes to who is currently inspiring her right now she gave a top-tier answer. Daniel Rosenberry at Schiaparelli.
Art Personified. I don’t appreciate anyone’s runway as much as his. When you see it in person, it’s equally as moving.
You’ve had some major heavy hitters and industry titans on Style Unlocked. Do you have a favorite moment from filming that stands out?
I promise, in every episode, there is a favorite moment. But overall, the biggest takeaway or most impactful thing for me is these very busy people taking their time to do this very small thing in the grand scheme of their priorities. People taking the time, but also, showing up 100%. They’re giving me their very best as if this was a syndicated talk show. People who are not just like “I’m here. I’ll do your little thing”, but very much, like, I get what you’re trying to do here very seriously and when I’m at the end of almost every episode, the person looks at me and is like, I loved this. “This was so fun.”
I get it. Because a lot of people come in a little hesitant. More of just so, you know, you’re being interviewed. It can just unnerve you a bit. You don’t know what I’m gonna ask. My favorite was telling someone, ‘Oh, I’m so surprised you’re so outgoing.’ And they’re like, ‘I’m not that outgoing. You created such a safe space. It was just so easy.’
Her Interview with ‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Janelle James was Her Favorite to film this season on ‘Style Unlocked’
I met her at a fashion show, and she followed me and she watched my YouTube videos. So, we started talking and, you know, she told me about her past, and she went to fashion school. I was like, oh my god. Okay. That’s a story that we need to tell. So I kinda had an angle going into her episode, and then she just unleashed so much more of her story around, you know, losing her kind of, like, self-confidence, and going through COVID and kind of losing her style and a sense of who she was. Then she got this great opportunity on this show and threw herself into that. She was still not being her true self. She just became her character. Now she’s in this phase of trying to find herself again outside of this humongous role and find her style and what she likes.
Check out Jenee’s phenomenal interview with Janelle James in the clip below.
Do you have one piece of advice that you can share with the young black girls who are looking to get into the fashion industry?
Yes. I think doing your research and just exploring all the options. This is something I hit on, in a recent episode. I interviewed Nikki Ogunnaike from Marie Claire. She’s their Editor-in-Chief. This was one of the questions I asked her because I felt like when I was younger, I was so limited in my view of what was possible. I knew of 2 or 3 jobs. I was like I guess I’ll be an editor or a stylist. That was something I picked her brain about.
I feel that if you’re interested in fashion, know what your options are, and then what makes sense with your strengths, and what you would be passionate about getting up and doing every day. If you can find a mentor, do internships. Explore all of your options. There are so many jobs under the fashion umbrella that I feel like 90% of people have no idea what they are. So I think, exploring all of your options so that you find what works for you so you’re not trying to fit yourself into a specific box.
Jenee Naylor’s passion for style, storytelling, and celebrating culture shines through in every episode of Style Unlocked. Her commitment to inspiring others to embrace their unique journeys while keeping things fun and authentic is what makes her work so impactful. As she continues to elevate the show and expand her reach, it’s clear that Jenee is just getting started—and we can’t wait to see where her creativity takes her next.
Follow MEFeater on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for more interviews and articles.