Meet Abby Wren

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Wren.

Abby, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up a happy, red headed mountain girl in a tiny town on a Native American reservation in rural Montana, but my story really unfolded after losing all of my hair to the autoimmune disease Alopecia Totalis. I had always been interested in makeup, but unwillingly losing my hair as a young teenage girl was the catalyst for teaching myself how to use things like eyeshadow, liner and lashes to express my femininity. I went on to earn a B.A in Psychology and Fine Arts from the University of Alaska, then continued on to makeup artistry training at John Casablancas Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia, where I studied Fashion and Beauty makeup. I specifically focused on runway and editorial makeup, which led to working beside so many talented designers, photographers and production teams, and ultimately the runways of New York Fashion Week and the 2019 Emmy Awards.

Those years were filled with so much frustration, practice, more practice, successes, failures, and patience, all of which were so necessary to lead me to where I am today. I’m so fortunate to create inspirational content with my life partner Wade, through our creative production shop here in Los Angeles. Now as a digital creator, I work in close collaboration with brands all over the world to advocate for inclusivity within the beauty industry and fight to break down conventional beauty standards. As a bald woman in today’s beauty world, I experience firsthand just how underrepresented people with “abnormalities” are across all platforms and campaigns. I’m so grateful to work with brands who stand for inclusivity and diversity, and I’m so excited to create my own line of inclusive cosmetics down the road.

Has it been a smooth road?
Are any of our roads really smooth? I mean, it’s all relative. My path was “smooth” because I grew up with the privilege of being a caucasian woman in a safe community in Montana. It was maybe a little more turbulent than some, having gone through the emotional years of watching my hair fall out in the shower as a teenager, but again, that’s all relative. It was smooth because I grew up with parents who loved me unconditionally, who pushed me to excel in whatever my passions were, and encouraged me to work hard and truly, unapologetically follow my wildest dreams. It was challenging to have three different bartending jobs in order to save up for makeup school, and move to Canada by myself with no money or place to live at first, but again, it was a privilege to even be able to make those decisions. I try to continually remind myself that all struggles and challenges are opportunities to see the world differently, and a chance to find and acknowledge gratitude for the things in life that we are so fortunate to have.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My path has certainly been an ongoing evolution. I started my business after finishing makeup school, with my sights set on becoming a well regarded working makeup artist with high profile client lists and work in film and fashion across all of the big stages. That path shifted after losing my hair for a second time in 2018 after it had been growing back for almost a decade. This time it really rocked me into a different motivation within my career, and I worked hard to turn a frustrating circumstance into a brand that advocates for inclusivity within the makeup community. I decided not to wear wigs to cover up my situation, and shared my experience across social media. I began to embrace my bald head and new look, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the responses ever since.

I work with dozens of organizations and brands that support women and men living with Alopecia, and I’ve been so fortunate to teach workshops and classes for those learning to do makeup through these challenges. Abby Wren Artistry stands for diversity, creativity and inspiration for those struggling through any kind of challenge to see the positive and keep pushing forward. I’m known for bold, colorful makeup that inspires creativity, and breaking the “rules” of makeup.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles is such a wild and magical place and I feel so incredibly grateful to call this my home now for so many different reasons. The air here vibrates with electric energy, and it’s a really powerful thing to be surrounded by people who are all working to build something magical. LA is a great place for my work right now because of the tangible support for unique and original creativity throughout all industries. I really feel such a strong support for diverse beauty standards here, and it’s so motivating to see how much these communities embrace brands and businesses doing things differently.

My view of LA from the outside looking in is complicated, messy and challenging, which I think is fairly accurate. I don’t necessarily think I’d recommend someone to come here to build a business when first starting out, because of how challenging it can be initially. That being said, I do think that it’s an incredible place to bring your business for it to grow deeper, and to foster growth that sometimes can’t be achieved in different environments.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://abbywrenartistry.com/
• Email: abbywrenartistry@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbywrenartistry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbywrenartistry
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@abbywrenartistry

Image Credit:
Kimberlee Peterson, Connor Tieulie

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