Writer · Designer · Photographer · Storyteller
Jo
Dean
Fifteen years of fashion. Two brands built from nothing. Two books written. Infinite words to give.
WRITE
Writer · Designer · Photographer · Storyteller
Fifteen years of fashion. Two brands built from nothing. Two books written. Infinite words to give.
About
I'm Joannah Hillebrandt — Jo to my friends — a multidisciplinary creative based in Houston, Texas, with fifteen years in fashion, two brands built from the ground up, and two published books. My work spans copywriting, brand voice, social media strategy, website design, and photography.
I'm a FIDM graduate — magna cum laude — and I've spent my career at the intersection of storytelling and commerce. Whether I'm crafting product copy that makes a vintage piece feel necessary, or sitting with a blank page writing about grief, I bring the same thing: intention, craft, and a belief that words matter.
My mornings begin with quiet reflection and breathwork, my dog Clover close by. That stillness shows up in everything I write.
"I don't just write content — I find the voice a brand didn't know it had."
Loved Up Vintage was born during one of the hardest seasons of my life — while I was caring for my father through stage four pancreatic cancer. During his nap times, I began mending vintage pieces I'd collected over thirty years in fashion. Bit by bit, a brand took shape. That brand carries his belief that all things are possible.
That experience — caregiving, grief, creation, resilience — became the foundation of my writing. It lives in my memoir. It lives in my devotional. And it lives in every piece of copy I write for clients who want words that actually mean something.
Fiction taught me narrative. Grief taught me depth. Fashion taught me precision. All three show up in everything I do.
Services
Strategy, content creation, scheduling, and community engagement — built around your brand voice and growth goals. Developed and proven through my own brands.
End-to-end website creation — from brand identity and visual design to every word on the page. Built to convert and built to last.
Long-form, short-form, editorial, personal — words shaped for purpose, audience, and impact. Fashion, lifestyle, and retail are my native languages.
Long and short-form inspirational writing for coaches, wellness brands, and thought leaders — fresh topics, new angles, and content that actually moves people. Whether you need a year's worth of daily passages or a complete content overhaul, this is the work that comes from lived experience.
Fashion styling for shoots, editorials, and brand campaigns — on-location and in-studio. A practiced eye for narrative dressing, with thirty years of fashion experience behind every look.
Styled product and model shots for websites, lookbooks, and social media — lighting, composition, and styling handled end-to-end. Clean, considered images that make what you sell look exactly as good as it is.
Portfolio
Real projects. Real results. Built with intention from the ground up.
Built this brand entirely from scratch — from the name and logo concept through to the Shopify website, product copy, and an ongoing social media presence across Instagram and Facebook. Loved Up Vintage is a fully realised e-commerce brand, created and managed solo from June 2021 to present.
The brand was born from thirty years in fashion and a deeply personal season of caregiving. Every caption, every product description, every visual decision reflects a distinct voice built around connection, nostalgia, and sustainable fashion.
Founded and ran Kiki Nass Boutique as owner-operator from 2005–2009 — building the website, brand identity, and all customer-facing messaging from the ground up. Returned as General Merchandise Manager & Buyer from 2014–2021, overseeing all copywriting, social media strategy, influencer partnerships, and website content across both in-store and online channels.
Nearly a decade of combined brand ownership — proof that social equity can be built through voice, vision, and consistency alone.
Contract copywriting across fashion, lifestyle, and retail sectors. Specialties include product descriptions (both technical and narrative), fashion editorial, lifestyle content, and brand storytelling — delivered on-brand, on-brief, and with personality intact.
Developmental writing and ghostwriting on two long-form non-fiction books — from concept through to completed manuscript. Both projects are confidential by agreement, as is standard practice in ghostwriting. References available on request.
"The best ghostwriters are invisible. The work speaks for itself."
Writing
Memoir · Non-Fiction · By Jo Hillebrandt
A Memoir of Caregiving, Grief, and Learning How To Live Again
"There is a before — and an after. This book lives in both, and in everything that happened in between."
A deeply personal memoir about caring for her father through terminal illness, navigating the unspoken realities of grief, and finding a way back to living. Unflinching, tender, and honest — written for everyone who has ever had to learn how to keep going.
Non-Fiction · Devotional · By Jo Dean
small things to help us through the big things
One passage. One day. One takeaway — 365 original reflections paired with Jo's own photography. A year-long companion for difficult seasons.
Illustrated with original photography · Self-published
Short Fiction
"She kept his watch on the nightstand, not to remember the time, but to remember that time had kept moving — with or without her permission. The second hand never hesitated. She envied it."
Short fiction excerpt · emotive literary prose
Short Fiction
"There is a version of this story where everything turns out fine. She told herself that version every morning, until the morning she stopped needing to."
Short fiction excerpt · character-driven narrative
Fashion & Press
From Kiki Nass boutique on 12th Street in Austin to Loved Up Vintage in Houston, TX — a career built on the belief that what we wear tells the world who we are. Featured in Voyage Houston, Shoutout HTX, and Austin Woman Magazine.
As Seen In
Television · KXAN NBC Austin
Studio 512 · Two Segments
Featured on KXAN's Studio 512 — Austin's NBC affiliate — as Kiki Nass's fashion expert, styling wardrobe tips and ACL festival looks alongside Austin 360.
Watch Segment →Canvas Rebel
Feature Interview
A deep-dive feature on creativity, brand building, and the philosophy driving Loved Up Vintage — from thirty years of fashion experience to a new vision for conscious retail.
Read Article →Voyage Houston · June 2024
Feature Interview
A feature interview on the journey from FIDM graduate to boutique founder, the story behind Loved Up Vintage, and a philosophy of conscious consumption.
Read Article →Shoutout HTX
Feature Interview
Featured on the mission behind Loved Up Vintage — bringing integrity and consciousness back to how we consume goods, with sustainability and minimalism at its heart.
Read Article →Austin Woman Magazine · 2017
Fashion Editorial
A fall fashion editorial on Kiki Nass and Jo's curatorial approach — bold, edgy, timeless pieces built on the belief that self-expression has no age limit.
Read Article →KXAN NBC Austin · ACL Festival
Television · Studio 512
Joined Austin 360 on KXAN's Studio 512 to style the season's best festival looks — bringing Kiki Nass's bold, edgy energy to Austin's biggest music event.
Watch Segment →
Photography
Jo's photography is an extension of her writing — quiet observation, the found moment, beauty in the ordinary. These images, shot across Europe, Central America, and the American Southwest, form the visual backbone of her 365-day devotional.
All photographs © Joannah Hillebrandt · Original photography featured in 365 Ways to Keep Going
Fashion Editorial
A long-running creative practice in miniature fashion editorial — styling, dressing, and photographing Blythe dolls in considered environments. Each image is a study in mood, texture, and detail. A small world taken seriously.
Contact
Whether you need words for your brand, a social media partner, or a writer who won't deliver something generic — I'd love to hear from you.