Influential Woman · Fashion Styling and Production
Denise Leon
Designer Relations & Recruitment, GENESYA
Miami, FL
Her Story
About Denise
Denise Leon serves as Department Manager at H&M in Naples, Florida. She entered the fashion industry in 2012 and has built experience across multiple areas including luxury sales and merchandising at retailers such as Neiman Marcus and for designers like Zimmerman, as well as roles as an e-commerce stylist, editorial stylist, personal stylist, and retail merchandiser. She earned a degree in fashion merchandising from Miami Dade College and a bachelor's degree in the business of fashion from LIM College. She is a member of Storyline Collection and works as a fashion designer scout for a runway production company, where she researches and connects with emerging talent through social media and digital publications. Denise attributes her professional success to her tenacity and drive. She values authenticity and integrity in both her work and personal life, and she advises aspiring professionals in fashion to dedicate themselves fully, build meaningful relationships, and be willing to start from the bottom.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Denise
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say never giving up on my dream. There has been a lot of roadblocks along the way, a lot of losses and redirecting that has happened, but I still no matter if I get put off course, I always find myself coming back to the same road. For me, it's always been I know that I want to make it to a certain position and I won't stop until I get there. So if it wasn't for my tenacity and my drive it would be really hard.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Breaking into the fashion industry is the hardest part. It takes a lot of dedication, it takes commitment, and it takes ambition. The biggest thing to be successful in this industry is to work very hard, and to fall in love with the work you do along the way. Also relationship building is important in any industry, but most definitely in the entertainment industries. Just building meaningful relationships in the industry along the way, and being willing to work hard and start from the very bottom. Because I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't offered to work for free many, many times and offered to take maybe less than I wanted to make before I got to where I am.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Authenticity and integrity. Authenticity allows you to be more to live life with integrity, and I think it's easy to be a person with integrity when you have empathy for others. You want to do things the right way, you want to live life with dignity and morals. When you live life that way, great things will naturally unfold in your life.
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