Many coincidences led me to my much-anticipated sit-down with Jason Rembert. Last fall, at The Crosby Hotel in SoHo, my dream became reality, and I finally had the pleasure to get up close and personal.

The fashion stylist is responsible for some of the most memorable red carpet moments from  Hollywood A-listers to music celebs and sports icons, including Issa Rae, Rita Ora, and Odell Beckham Jr. He rarely conducts interviews, creating an enigma of sorts. If there is one word to describe his contribution to the culture and his effervescent disposition, it is, simply put without a shadow of a doubt, passion.

Last year alone, he was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 25 Stylists in Hollywood, and received the Stylist of the Year award from New York’s Harlem’s Fashion Row. He collaborated on 19 editorial covers to his credit, including The New York Times Magazine, Billboard, Variety, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN.

He broke through barriers, making it to the top of our industry with the odds stacked against him. As a young Black male from a disenfranchised part of inner-city Queens, the path to the front row of top fashion shows and working with A-list celebrities – that keep his name hot in the press – is not a path well-traveled. But with his expertise and modern approach to style, he more than defied the odds and surpassed them.

Ladies and gentleman, his name is Jason Rembert. And if you don’t already know him, you will now!

You’re a Queens native. How did growing up in Queens influence your love for fashion?

Queens helped to cultivate the love. I hail from a really amazing family, and my family members inspired me. My uncle was super-fashionable. He would rock Cartier and Cazal frames, or Burberry slacks with a Burberry trench coat, and accessorize with a Louis Vuitton duffel. My aunt’s wardrobe was filled with crazy colors, which mimicked something from a 1980s hip hop film. My older brother went through a phase like rapper Fabolous, and wore a different sports jersey every day. As a youth growing up in public housing, I would watch every kid with one pair of sneakers that matched everything they had. They kept them clean, because it was all they had. In high school, I discovered thrift stores and Century 21, and all of that inspired me.

As a Black male stylist in this industry, what obstacles did you have to overcome to gain success?

Understanding that I’m not the only anomaly and being ok with that; also understanding we are all great, and some are afforded opportunities that others are not, but to help the ones who don’t have these opportunities become great. I’m nothing if I turn around and no one looks like me. It’s my responsibility to send the elevator back down. I have to. There are kids from my old neighborhood that I have inspired that reach out to me, and that now want to be stylists and ask how they can make it. I give them hope. They now have hope beyond acquiring a city job or aspirations of being a drug dealer or a ball player. Where I grew up, those were the only options.

Who do you pay homage and respect to for giving you opportunity?

Many people. My first big opportunity was with Rita Ora; Jana Fleishman at Roc Nation and Tai Beauchamp, who introduced me to Jana, and saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself; Carline Balan, my former agent; Wouri Vice, who instilled in me so many styling attributes that I still use to this day, and Memsor Kamarake, who taught me how to be a young, astute stylist in the game, and how being professional is the one thing you should always rely on.

You started your journey in 2005 as a stylist. What is a development area or deficit you identified within your career that needed improvement? If so, what did you do to improve it?

Professionalism. I always assumed my outspoken nature was the way to get things done, but this is not just my world. We have to be respectful and accountable for the feelings of others, and that is the way I teach my team. Professionalism is something I had to learn, and I’m grateful to have mentors that continue to guide me.

Thus far, you’ve styled clients for the Emmys, AMAs, Grammys, and Oscars – including Angela Rye, Odell Beckham Jr., Steph Curry, Mary J. Blige, Winnie Harlow, Lil’Yachty, Anderson Paak, Tracee Ellis Ross, 21 Savage, LaLa Anthony, and Daniel Kaluuya. Are there any “once in a lifetime” dream clients you’d like to work for?

Yes, yes! There are actually two. Mariah Carey would be a dream! That is my dream!

She embodies 90s style. She is an icon living. The second one, who is no longer with us, is Whitney Houston. She was the epitome of a woman; a class act, genuine, and just real!

What are some satisfying accomplishments of your career that you are most proud of?

I have many, but recently, I was proud of being able to collaborate with Issa Rae on the CFDA Awards and to highlight designers of color, Black designers, African American designers, and showcase them in a way beyond a box of how they are identified as…“urban”, “ghetto,” or “street wear.” She wore designers that deserve the recognition. I am so proud I was a part of that.

What piece of advice would you share to a young, Black, aspiring stylist interested in following in your footsteps?

Be uncomfortable, and be ok with being uncomfortable. Be consistent, committed, happy, and professional.

What is the Jason Rembert mantra?

To just be happy, no matter where the happiness comes from.

What legacy would you like to leave behind?

The same legacy my mom left behind. I loved everyone, I wanted everyone to win. I helped some, and paid it forward.