Jolie Hunt’s Outfits Are Her Own Best Press

Discovering and defining one’s unique way of getting dressed is a deeply introspective business. So it says a lot about mega-connector Jolie Hunt’s sense of self that she has no trouble summing up the sartorial impression she leaves on the world in three evocative words. “Vixen boss lady,” she says matter-of-factly with a knowing smile. Then she stands to show me her current outfit via Zoom: a flirty Balmain minidress and sheer Saint Sass hosiery. “That’s where I am in this moment in time.”

Hunt’s wardrobe has received much attention as of late, including a profile in Business Insider. “I’m in my fashion era for sure,” she says, sounding both introspective and bemused. Her sharply tuned perspective on clothing has been decades in the making — she’s always taken the time to put effort into creating a memorable look, right down to the sparkle-embellished caftans she wore throughout her pregnancies. However, she says, there have been times that her style predilections have been forced to sit on the back burner.

“When I was running communications at the Financial Times at 25, I would’ve never shown my arms at the office,” she says. In many respects, she thinks age 47 is the ideal time to find one’s fashion footing because you’re more likely to have the financial means to support it — and the take-no-prisoners self-assurance that comes with age and life experience.

“I definitely spent my earlier career trying to play down ever being mistaken for being too sexy or in the room because of anything other than intellect and grit,” she says of her start, which included stints at Thomson Reuters and IBM before she became chief marketing and communications officer for AOL. This past hesitation has made her fearless outfit choices all the more satisfying. “I can take more risks, and I think doing that in my mid-40s is so interesting.”

For all her cool and collected confidence, Hunt is well-acquainted with the psychic overwhelm that comes from managing both a demanding job and a busy family. She begins to tell me about the transformative last decade of her life: the ways she felt like her body wasn’t her own after she began having children; how she was diagnosed with breast cancer right after the birth of her second baby, a theft of physical autonomy in its own right.

All the while, she was busy steering the helm of the rapidly growing strategic communications firm she launched in 2014, Hunt & Gather, which advises some of the most influential companies in the world (including Google, Weight Watchers, Hermès, and Cisco). After going through treatment and getting a clean bill of health — and seeing her son and daughter, now 11 and 8, respectively, through their baby and toddler years — she is ready to prioritize herself.

“I turned 45 and was like, ‘I’ve been taking care of everyone else. I’ve been building my business. I’ve been building my family. I’ve been building my home,” she tells me reflectively. “All of a sudden I was like, ‘I’m now going to focus that kind of energy and care inward.’”

Enter a daily fitness routine Hunt puts on hold for no one, with an emphasis on protecting her mind and bodily well-being at all costs. “I got in really good shape,” she says. “And without sounding twee, it’s a powerful journey to [realize] if you invest enough time, energy, and resources to prioritize your health, beautiful things can happen.” One obvious benefit of her fitness routine was that clothes began to fit Hunt differently. But the real fashion transformation came from a newfound self-possession to dress as extravagantly as she wanted without fear of judgment.

Balmain, Pucci, Fendi, Balenciaga: These are just a few of the bold statement brands that dominate Hunt’s closet. While she’s always appreciated a designer moment, Hunt says this is the first time in her life that she’s fully felt free to indulge in a label’s sauciest offerings. A self-described dress devotee who lives and dies by theme and color coordination, she leans into all things bright, short, and fitted, finished with heels — always. (“Flats make me sad,” she tells me via email a few days later.) These sensibilities were on full display for Hunt’s photo shoot, which spotlights some of her favorite pieces, including a belted body-con Balmain LBD and crystal-encrusted Fleur du Mal mesh set, as well as a satisfying sampling of her extensive designer bag collection.

Although the shoot was a fun celebration of sultry, look-at-me fashion, the affair carried significant emotional weight for Hunt. “It was kind of [weird] for me because it was the anniversary of the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer after my daughter was born,” says Hunt. These types of dates can make one reflective of how far they’ve come, and the things they’ve endured. In Hunt’s case, the correlation on the calendar elevated the experience of being photographed for something so fun and playful to reflect the strong and beautiful place — mentally and physically — she’s in now.

“It wound up being so joyous, and I felt like the whole crew was rooting for me, in a weird way,” Hunt says, recalling that she had a bit of impostor syndrome before arriving on set. “At first I was like, ‘Who do I think I am? Am I trying to pretend I’m someone that I’m not?’ And I’m definitely a kind of self-evolved, confident person, so I rarely [feel that way].”

In many respects, getting dressed just the way she pleases is an outward representation of how Hunt’s living the rest of her life: with an emphasis on delight and an embrace of all things pleasurable… because who knows what tomorrow holds? This mindset permeates every detail of how she presents to the world, right down to coordinating her workout outfits, which range from bold tangerine sets to Lurex gold separates, and working with a professional team every morning on hair and makeup.

At this last detail, I audibly gasp. I’m both envious of the sheer luxury of daily at-home glam and impressed by the way Hunt doesn’t feel a need to downplay it. As she points out herself during our talk, she is “not a famous person” who spends the majority of her time in front of a camera. But she counsels some of the world’s most prominent CEOs, founders, and editors, and has worked extraordinarily hard to have the means to afford this small everyday indulgence… so why should she not enjoy it? As women, we are often expected to show our worth through suffering or apologize for putting ourselves first, and to blatantly flout these norms is a small but radical act. She laughs at my expression of shock and starts to explain how it helps her save time. I cut her off to say there’s no explanation needed — I’m a bit jealous, and also aspire to channel the same “vixen boss lady” energy in my life.

Moments later, Hunt explains that she has to run to another meeting she’s scheduled for right after our chat. We both have deadlines and travel coming up in the next few weeks, so we smile and wave, wishing each other the best with our ever-present to-do lists. The next morning, I wake up early and crack open my laptop to email Hunt a thank-you for her time. A few minutes later, her response pings through from an airport on the other side of the world, where she is country-hopping in Asia with her family for spring break. Over the course of her flight, she’s thought a bit more about why her style resonates with others.

“I say the thing that people wouldn’t dare say; I wear the thing you wish you could but don’t have the courage to pull off; and I think above all else I use humor and absolute candor in my everyday, always,” she writes, continuing to explain that she thinks that perhaps the real charm of her signature look is that she doesn’t take it — or herself — too seriously.

“Fashion, as it was historically presented, always signaled restraint or meanness or unreachable wealth, and I’ve definitely tried to redefine how it can be bold and whimsical, joyous, and fierce,” she says.

“It’s armor, but sometimes that armor is pliable, pink, and completely extra.”