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As the saying goes, behind every great man there's a woman. And behind every powerful woman, there's probably another woman. Such is the case with J.Crew pres and creative director Jenna Lyons, whose success must be in part attributed to the die-hard dedication of her longtime assistant Nichole Benavente. Benavente recently spoke with Elle about her boss and in the process, shares some intimates about their nine-years-running relationship.
Benavente says that she is available for Lyons "24/7," even while on vacation, and that the J.Crew honcho's life is dominated by meetings. "She can be in meetings for nine hours straight, from fifteen to thirty minutes for each meeting," says Benavente, who spends most of her time trying to stay on top of Lyons' calendar. Though the job undoubtedly comes with stresses, she says that working with the bespectacled designer is like winning the jackpot. "I think that, without reservation, Jenna is one of the nicest people in the entire industry," she testifies.
So nice that she didn't even fire her when she sent Lyons to the wrong airport in London. "It ended up not being my mistake, so luckily I was saved," she said. "She did not miss the flight. Luckily, she made a different flight."
· Nichole Benavente, Assistant to J.Crew's Jenna Lyons [Elle]
· Jenna Lyon's Secret Advice to Eva Chen: 'Eat Soup' [Racked]
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