Stylist June Ambrose helped remake the image of Luther Vandross, Jay-Z and Mariah Carey as they were preparing major comebacks, but there’s one icon she didn’t get to remake — Whitney Houston.
Working with Houston wasn’t a pipe dream for Ambrose. With the singer readying a return to the spotlight with the upcoming movie, “Sparkle,” and new music, it was a real possibility. But she died February 11th on the eve of the Grammy’s at the age of 48 from an accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors as reported by AP.
“There were talks about it,” Ambrose said in an interview Monday. “I really wanted to do Whitney Houston’s comeback. … I just felt like Whitney and I … would have been great together.”
Ambrose has already proven she’s great with other A-listers: Her client list includes: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott and Zoe Saldana, and she also was a stylist for Fox’s “The X-Factor.”
So how does the lovey June ‘Give Back’ aside from giving stars a new look, Ambrose has been a huge supporter of charity efforts of HIV/AIDS including supporting Alicia Key’s Keep a Child Alive Foundation. June has also supported the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Annual Housing Works Design on a Dime Charity Shopping Event to name a few.
“Jay-Z’s been a longtime client and a friend. What I love about Jay is that he has such a natural swagger and charisma, and he’s just as passionate about his music as I am my art, and we have such a mutual respect for what one another does,” Ambrose said. “Mary J. Blige, love working with her. … Alicia Keys, too, especially when she was pregnant. It was such a pure1, personal time.”On her new VH1 show, “Styled by June,” the Antigua native helps struggling celebrities look their best, including actress and one-time fashionista Mischa Barton, female rappers Trina and Da Brat, and reality TV star and singer Aubrey O’Day. The show airs on Mondays (9:30 p.m. EDT) on VH-1.