Nathalie Tessier

I attribute my success to having anxiety about being behind - and I mean that in a positive way. I tell my students they need to have this anxiety to be behind, because in the fashion business, everything changes in a minute. You need to be super curious. I wake up in the morning and say, what? I don't want to miss anything. Technology is going super fast, and nobody is teaching it because it's too new - you have to learn by yourself. We are all at the same level with new things, but if we try more and we are very curious, we will be better than the other. That's my motto today: I have the anxiety to be behind with technology, and I was not born to be a tech person. It was not my career - I was in fashion. But that's the world of today. I also believe that my success comes from all my past experiences working in the fashion industry in France and Shanghai. All these experiments built me to be a good faculty and a good teacher and leader in my college. Without that background, I couldn't do what I'm doing now.

The best advice I've received is something that grew organically through my own experience. I never thought I would be a faculty member or educator - when I was first asked to teach one class at my former school in Paris, I was petrified because I didn't know how to do that. But I learned how to teach, I became better, and then I loved it. It's something that grew. What I learned and now share with my students is that you need to be extremely curious. In the fashion business, everything changes in a minute, so you have to have the anxiety to be behind. You need to work a lot - teaching and being in this field requires tremendous effort. Curiosity is also very important, and I'm extremely curious. I tell my students they need to have this anxiety because technology is moving super fast, and nobody is teaching it because it's too new. You have to learn by yourself, and if you try more and are very curious, you will be better than others.

You need to be curious and bold, because we have to understand that we don't know anything and everything is coming. You need to listen to people - this is very important. I meet a lot of people, and I always say you never know - maybe you can meet one person who will tell you one thing, just one thing, that would change your life. You never know. So curiosity is a keyword. Connection and networking are also key - don't think you will waste your time networking, because your next job will be in your network, exclusively. Try to network a lot. Everyone has a story, and it's important to have this voice. Try to empower the older generation and not to dismiss them. I really believe that the more we are digital, the more we need human connection. It's not because you send an email or a text that people will connect with you - it's more than that. We do connecting around the coffee. It's easy to think that everything can be done online, but not everything. We need human connection.

The biggest challenge right now is that it's not easy to find a job in fashion. The fashion industry is very difficult, and there are so many people applying for positions. With AI now sorting resumes in a certain way, it makes it even more challenging. That's why I really believe in networking - I believe that more than anything. The more we are digital, the more we need human connection. Young people need to understand that it's not because they send an email or text that people will connect with them - it's more than that. We do connecting around the coffee. It's easy to think that everything can be done online, but not everything. We need human connection. For those entering fashion education specifically, you need to have experience to share - you can't just become a professor when you're very young in this field. You need to have experience working first, and then after, you can teach. The next job will be in your network, exclusively, so don't think networking is a waste of time.

I think it's important to have a balance in my personal life between everything. My personal life and my work life feed each other. If I'm comfortable in my personal life and very balanced, it will be good in my job. And if I'm not feeling good in my job, I will not be strong or comfortable in my personal life either. I think everything is linked. I know we talk about making a separation between work and personal life, but I think there is no separation. My family is aware of what happens with my students, and my students sometimes hear things about my life - there is boundary, but there is no complete separation. We need balance between the two worlds, but it's not two separate worlds. I think it's a lie to think that we have to separate those two worlds. I was inspired by a woman I saw in 2016, a CEO of a big communication company in France who had 5 kids. She was an example for all my generation because she always balanced everything. She didn't want to give up her personal life or her work life. That's what I did in my life - when I was working for a company in France, my son was very young and I was traveling all the time, but I found this balance.