We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Makayla Pirghibi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Makayla , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

I think my biggest inhibition as an individual is that I’ve always felt misunderstood. You don’t need a reason to do what you do. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. As long as what you’re doing makes sense to you and fulfills you, that’s what matters. I stopped seeking to feel understood once I realized that I, as well as so many creatives, will never quite feel fully understood. There are so many boxes I have tried to fit myself into, but rarely succeeded because most of my interests and works are very niche. It wasn’t until recently, when I was engaging in a conversation with a counterpart, that I accepted I do not easily fit into boxes, because I am the niche, and my taste is the niche. It grounds me to know that the experience of feeling misunderstood is not only something us as artists encounter, but a feeling all humans share.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

A couple of years after high school, I moved to LA to intern for a NYC-based stylist and worked under her for 10 months. Starting your day on east coast time, and ending on pacific time was an experience. I then moved on to assisting where I got the opportunity to assist Paris Fashion week. I assisted remotely in Los Angeles, but this time I worked on Central European time—which is nine hours ahead of Los Angeles… Experience and observation are invaluable in this industry. You need to put in the 10,000 hours if you want to master your craft and thrive here.

Fast forward to now, where I specialize in dressing high profile clients, styling brand campaigns, personal shopping, and image consultation. I also recently took on a role in product development as a design consultant for a clothing brand. I enjoy being able to challenge myself creatively in other areas.

The most rewarding part of my job is being able to make people feel really confident and comfortable through clothing. You’re taking the best parts of their personality and brand, curating and refining it, and creating an image for them. Seeing my client be able to express themself in a way they couldn’t before makes it all worth it.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In the fashion world people are very polarizing. They either hate you or they love you, there is really no in-between. I think many don’t quite take into consideration the purpose behind why an artist creates what they do, and because of that, it is so easy to judge the work. Or perhaps, there is no reason, yet the audience wants them to come up with some amazing purpose. But sometimes art is just art, and there is nothing behind it, or sometimes there is. I think if more people can understand that, we could focus more on appreciation over assessment.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I think naturally it’s easy to compare yourself, especially when there are so many talented creatives constantly putting out amazing work. I live by this piece of advice by writer Amie McNee:
“Artists are not like athletes. We cannot win gold. We cannot ‘beat’ other creatives. We cannot come first. Sport is objective. Our craft is subjective. Creating to ‘be the best’ is a waste of energy. Instead, create to connect to the people who need you. Because they’re out there. Create in your way, because there is no right way. Take the pressure off, and focus on your unique brand of magic.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Makaylapirghibi.com
• Instagram: @makaylapirghibi
• Linkedin: @makaylapirghibi

Image Credits

Chris Martin. Jasmine Marie Rutledge. Christian Henry Smith. Sean Behr.