#4 - Mathilde Christiansen "I have dared to ask"
Since she was little, Mathilde Christiansen had always been interested in making clothes, but never really considered that maybe it could be a job. But when the choice came to study, she picked a foundation course in fashion, and has worked in the sector ever since. In 2013, Mathilde was senior designer at Kenzo when her boss left the Maison. No one amid the management team had approached her to offer her to replace him at the head of the menswear design team. And she, "as often women" as she said, was too afraid to ask. Then, one day... at the coffee machine, she dared to ask. At first, the Director was not very convinced, so he put her to the test for six months. Six months later, Mathilde had proven she was capable of being Head of Design for menswear at Kenzo, that she could be trusted. She has learnt how to manage a team and in the end, even if the collection she presented was not – in her opinion – the best she had built, she did it and got the job. It was quite a pivotal moment because she also realized that if she had not asked, they probably would never have considered her. Now she's more confident. "It's worth asking. The worst thing that can happen to you is someone saying no”.