In high school, Michal Kurtis thought she wanted to be a fashion designer, which made the Fashion Institute of Technology her obvious next step. When she learned that their design program required submitting a completed collection, Kurtis took up private sewing lessons, but quickly learned that design wasn’t for her. She decided to apply to the business program instead as what she thought would be her ‘way in,’ but ended up realizing that was the place for her all along.
Michal Kurtis went on to become the Director of the Fashion Office at Barneys and a self-titled ‘caption queen’. After five years with the company, twenty-nine year old Kurtis recently moved to Berlin where she’s now a Luxury Brand Consultant, all while still serving the best looks, career advice, and witty captions via her Instagram.
Who were you at twenty?
At twenty I was enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, studying buying & planning full time while also working full time at the flagship Dior store in Manhattan. The rent wasn’t going to pay itself.
I would say I was living somewhat on auto-pilot, given my full schedule. I only had one day off a week, which was reserved for laundry and homework, and went to school mostly at night after work hours. I grew up in Texas, where life moves in slow motion. I’m a natural hustler, and love the buzz of the city. I thrived at the idea that I was “making it” (though barely!) in a city that doesn’t have a lot of mercy on newcomers. The rush of always having somewhere to be, something to do, and someone to meet kept me going and still excites me to this day.
How have you evolved since?
I now live more purposefully. My twenties were fleeting, and I’ve learned to appreciate every experience that I have and get to live. I make more thoughtful decisions, and also think more long term. When you’re 20, you don’t necessarily have to consider the long term impacts of accepting a certain job, or taking a year out to live in a new city. I also have a decade of professional work experience, so I’ve definitely matured on that front. Corporate America is a professional boot camp.
On five years at Barneys
I was most recently the Director of the Fashion Office at Barneys New York. There wasn’t much I didn’t do, but in essence my work involved partnerships with our brands and enhancing sales....that’s the Cliff Notes version! Considering I have been at Barneys for over 5 years, I felt like I was an ambassador, or even a mascot for the company. Being at one retailer for a while meant I learned the ins and outs of buying and merchandising. I partnered with the different departments daily, including PR, marketing, finance, production, IT, you name it. Through this collaboration I learned how a company runs, what works and what doesn’t.
What advice would you give to yourself at twenty?
Take risks! Though you can still take chances later on, they’re much easier to make earlier in your professional life or while you’re still in school. If you try and fail, it’s much easier to recover when there is less to lose. And you’ll only learn from the experience and can apply those lessons later on. Start a side hustle. Move to a new country for a while.
On finding your calling
The best way to find your calling is to just try. Consider your top three interests, and learn as much about them as possible. Read industry publications. Take a class, attend a panel. Slowly you’ll build blocks of understanding until something clicks. Don’t think anything you do at twenty is a commitment for life. Industries change as do the jobs within them. Consider social media. You might not have considered a job in social media 15 years ago, and now I meet so many women who are interested in working in social media in different capacities.