There’s a saying about those overachieving DMV folk, and 28-year-old Nigerian, Montgomery County native Jummy Temidayo exemplifies the definition. Jummy spent the first four years in New York City in Queens studying Public Relations at St. John’s University, thanks to an aptitude test she took while in high school. Speaking of high school – fun fact, she played Lacrosse back then. Though under the guise of college, the move to NYC was really to get her foot in the door in the fashion industry.

Many entering fashion in the early to mid-2010s found their first fashion gig on either Ed2010, Business of Fashion, Craigslist, or Fashionista.com. The latter was Jummy’s saving grace as she landed an internship at agency C&M Media, which was representing Roberto Cavalli, Sally LaPointe, and Missoni. Fast forward half a decade and more, the proud Moco girl is now in a leadership position at LVMH-owned Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe.

Today, we talk about how a few good internships and hard work at Karla Otto NY and KCD led her to a top role as Senior VIP/PR Manager before she even turns 30.

Six months ago, you were named Senior VIP/PR Manager at Loewe. How did this opportunity come about, and how did you know you were prepared for it?

Landing the role at Loewe was quite opportune. I was at a crossroads in my career when this opportunity came about. I had been working at agencies for quite some time with some of the most prestigious luxury brands, including Celine, Alexander McQueen, Balmain, and Tom Ford but I had known for a while that I wanted to make a transition. Julian Labagh, Marketing & Communications Director at Loewe, and my boss, was previously at Prada. We worked together often on their shows and events and had built a great relationship. When he was looking to expand his team, he reached out. It was a no-brainer for me; I knew from the moment we spoke that this was the perfect opportunity and brand to work with.

The preparation came from working with some of the most well-known luxury brands over the years. I spent many days and nights juggling work for those high-level labels, and the responsibilities that came into play elevated my PR skills so the duties that came with this job were things I had the experience of doing already.

What is a day in the life like for you at Loewe?

Anyone who works in Public Relations will tell you that no day is the same, but I can give you a rough idea. I usually start by touching base with the assistant on our team. We spend the first moments going over editorial requests and reports, and things that are the most urgent and apply to her role. I then diligently go through my emails and respond to anything critical or from headquarters. In between meetings, I’m pitching editors on latest collabs and projects. Of course, there’s much more to it, but this helps paint a small picture.

What differentiates working in-house at Loewe vs. agency work. Which do you prefer?

Workflow is one of the main differences. In the agency world, you’ll be pulled in multiple directions by various brands with different initiatives and objectives. Multi-tasking takes on a new meaning. In-house, your entire focus is on the brand, and there’s a complete 360 understanding of the objectives for the year. The involvement level is higher, and you get to make more decisions, understand the budget and what that means for goals you have planned and mapped out. The immersion is different, and you feel fully looped in.

I prefer being in-house. You’re dealing with many clients at an agency, but to be the client is a whole new world. With that being said, I absorbed endless amounts of knowledge and skills working at agencies that has allowed me to have a lot more to offer now that I’m in-house. My mindset is much more expansive now as I ideate and think about the bigger picture.

What type of leader are you? How do you think the individuals who report or have reported to you would describe you if they were asked the same question?

From the feedback that I’ve gotten – ha-ha -, I’m a very involved yet collaborative type of leader. I do not believe in micro-managing; I don’t think that’s an effective approach and frankly, it’s never really worked for me when I was on the other end. I wholeheartedly believe in trusting my team to perform and complete the tasks that are involved. I’m there to support you as well. As cliché as it may sound, no question is a dumb question, ever! When you’re at a junior level, I also understand that you’re completing these tasks and learning simultaneously. We are all constantly learning, especially in PR, so it’s essential for me to teach what I know. I want the individual(s) who work alongside me to feel confident in their role to make decisions as well and to know that’s it’s an open door to come to me. On the flip side, I also want them to know that I trust them to know that they can perform and tackle their responsibilities. I’m supportive for sure, and it’s a collaborative effort in my quarters. I can teach, but I can learn from them as well.

What was the turning point in your career?

Like a lot of people, my turning point was the pandemic. I’d always desired to move in-house, but up until that point, I had only been in the agency world outside of an internship at Altuzarra. So, when 2020 and all its chaos grabbed a hold of the world, it made me sit back and question where I was in my career. I was feeling relatively stagnant, and knew I needed a change. I believe timing is everything, so I began looking for other opportunities. The stars really aligned when Loewe reached out. It felt right, and couldn’t have been more perfect.

From my lens, the life of a publicist seems a bit stressful. How do you balance self-control when things don’t go as planned?

You are not wrong! Being a publicist can indeed be stressful at times. However, I’ve learned that there’s always a way to pivot when things don’t go according to plan. Even if it doesn’t seem like it is in real-time, there’s always some shifting that can take place. I learned a lot from working at agencies and specifically at KCD. We always did a lot of events, and you can’t expect everything to happen like you wanted it to all the time. It’s not about freaking out; it’s about saying, ‘okay, this happened, how do we fix it? Is there a happy medium?’ I take those moments and pocket them away as learned lessons.

Several of your peers have gone on to work for themselves. Do you prefer working for a company, or are there aspirations to start your own firm one day?

It’s been amazing seeing and watching my peers start their own companies. For a long time, we were conditioned to think that we could only work for big reputable agencies or brands and that those were the only two choices. There’s been a significant shift in the changing of the guard but in saying that I’m really enjoying working in-house. It was a goal of mine, and I’m still taking in the moment that I have achieved it. Never say never, though.

What excites you the most when you think about today and where you were a year ago?

That I’m in a position where I can come into my own. There’s a bit more autonomy in my job, and it’s nice to be in a setting where I’m given the freedom to make larger decisions regarding certain things when it comes to Loewe. Also, being a part of those high-level conversations is an exhilarating feeling for me as I get to immerse myself in the brand and brand identity. That was always important to me, that it had to be the right place. Whoever I was going to work for had to speak and be true to me.

In addition to that, the Loewe team is fantastic, and our Creative Director Jonathan Anderson is a genius. Since I’ve joined the company, we’ve dressed a lot of great VIPs in Loewe. I mean, Gal Gadot and Laura Harrier…come on… and also a lot of great male talent. To be a part of the process is incredible, and I’m just happy to be here. We have many wonderful things coming up, and I’m excited to be a part of it all. I’m still soaking up the moment, and it’s been a tremendous six-plus months. I’m so lucky to have joined the team, and I’m excited to push the communication strategies with the brand as I continue to learn and take directives from our headquarters overseas.

IG (personal): @jummy_temidayo

IG: @Loewe

Photo by Jack Casto @Jack_Casto