Although they matriculated through Morehouse College during different times, their alma mater would be only one of many times where Llewellyn Jenkins’ and Chad Groom’s paths would intersect. Both traveled in the same social circle and had even shared the same city of residence multiple times before they actually met. As fate would have it, they eventually got on each other’s radar and decided to form an unflappable styling team, where they would work tirelessly to eventually be recognized as arbiters (dare we say, Monsters?) of style.
Llewellyn forged his way into the fashion industry with a vengeance, with the fashion gods setting up his first styling industry job styling then-supermodel B. Smith on the first ever beauty cover of Ebony magazine. There would be four more beauty covers to follow with Llewellyn’s imprint on them. Thereafter there was no stopping him, working with all of the top runway models and styling several international advertising campaigns and several editorials for fashion bibles such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan. When the dust cleared, he eventually found himself ensconced as the fashion director of the BET (Black Entertainment Television) network, styling all of their on-air personalities for regular programming as well as special telecasts.
Chad fell into the doors of fashion backward, as his first job out of college was working at the Smithsonian Institution performing statistical analysis. While at the Smithsonian, he began working with teams setting up exhibits at the cultural mecca. It was then that the styling bug would bite him as well. While still at The Smithsonian, he eventually found himself image-consulting with some of Washington DC’s elite, in addition to serving as the creative consultant for DC-based menswear designer Andrew Nowell.
The hands of fate would point both of them toward the masthead of the now- defunct PULSE magazine, with Llewellyn serving as Fashion Director and Chad doing editorials as the in-house stylist. Recognizing the power of their undeniable synergistic creative energy, it didn’t take long for the two to decide to follow in the footsteps of dynamic styling teams and creative dynamos like Malcolm and Kazumi, Mathu and Zaldy, and Inez and Vinoodh —-. Hence, THE STYLEMONSTERS were borne!
Between the two of them, they have collectively styled many an A-list celebrity and fashion icon- from Iman, Pat Cleveland and Tyson Beckford to Tichina Arnold, Chrissy Teigen, Tracy Morgan and Will Smith. Their television stints included a return to BET, outfitting every personality on the BET Network. On the advertising side, they’ve done everything from the Procter & Gamble “My Black is Beautiful” advertising campaigns to print/video campaigns for Clairol, Pantene, WalMart, Creme of Nature, Ebony Fashion Fair , as well as commercial spots for The Ford Motor Company and Dr. Miracle’s..
Currently (in addition to personal clients and their ongoing editorial, advertising and television projects), Llewellyn is the Creative Director for the Pulley Denim line, and Chad serves as Fashion Editor for XEX Magazine.
Their creative mantra (Peace. Love. STYLE!!!) not only describes their attitude toward life, but what every one of their clients expects (and receives) of them.