PROFILE / Portfolio / Client List

With more than 14 years of styling experience and a total of 16 years working in fashion, Jano Kimak has recently moved to New York City. Hailing from the Slovak Republic, Jano has worked for several esteemed fashion magazines including Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, and most recently in ELLE magazine as Fashion Director since 2004.

According to the magazine, “The fashion director of Elle magazine is among our most acclaimed stylists. By his refined taste he significantly influences women’s style through fashion editorials; he also commits himself to men’s fashion and collaborates with renowned fashion labels. He achieved outstanding success with his fashion story showcased by top models Denisa Dvorakova and Zuzana Starska presenting trends for year of 2009—the cover of this issue and Jano’s styling was praised by Karl Lagerfield himself in a personal letter.”

Touted as the only stylist in his country who was personally praised by Lagerfeld elevated Jano to the being the top stylist in the Czech Republic. Since the start of his career as a stylist in 1999, he has worked with the top professionals in the industry including supermodels, photographers, advertising agencies, fashion designers, and designer brands who has sought his expert eye. His impressive list of clients include Chanel, Gucci, Dior, Hermes, Burbbery, Leo Burnett, Hearst-Stratosfera, and several film production companies.

When he was 16, he moved to Bratislava to be a fashion designer. He loved sketching and conceptualizing designs, so he designed and made clothes for fashion models. When he was 18, he dressed the participants of the Elite Model Look competition for two consecutive years; creating a whole collection of casual wear for the first year, and swimwear for the second year.

But his true calling was in styling. At the age of 18, Jano moved to Prague to work in fashion. He started as being an assistant stylist to Sandra Zigova, the main fashion stylist at ELLE at the time. He stayed for two years, he moved to Hearst-Stratosfera to work as Fashion Director overseeing titles such as Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Cosmo Girl, Style, and Harper’s Bazaar. After 6 years at Hearst, Jano has come full circle and moved back to ELLE to serve as Fashion Director.

Now that he’s moved to Manhattan, he hopes to be able to work for top fashion magazines, agencies, and celebrities. Why New York? “It’s different, the energy is different, the people. When I got here, I like that I am starting again, to gain new experience.”

Jano has a twin brother who lives in Humenne with his family, and their mother.