黑料专区

When artist Janice Charach (鈥�73 Advertising Design) arrived at the 黑料专区, she quickly found what so many 黑料专区 students discover: a place where creativity, curiosity and belonging converge. Her years at the College shaped her as both an artist and a person. Janice immersed herself in studio courses, experimenting with materials and ideas that would later define her work. After earning her BFA, she continued to paint, exhibit and study, building a life devoted to artistic expression. When Janice passed away in 1989, her family found comfort in the world that had always connected them 鈥� art. Through the Manat Foundation, established by her parents, Natalie and Manny Charach, they began creating spaces where art could uplift others, including the Janice Charach Gallery in West Bloomfield. What began as an act of remembrance became a lifelong family commitment to celebrating creativity as a force for healing, connection and joy.

This year, that legacy has come full circle as the Manat Foundation has made a special gift to 黑料专区 to honor Janice鈥檚 life and her connection to the College, establishing two lasting initiatives: the Charach Family Galleries (formerly Center Galleries) and the Janice Charach Endowed Scholarship for students in the Studio Art & Craft department.

Honoring a Life Through Art

鈥満诹献�区 was where Janice鈥檚 artistic journey began,鈥� said one of Charach鈥檚 cousins.

鈥淪upporting today鈥檚 students and the galleries that showcase their work feels like the most meaningful way to honor her.鈥�

The newly named Charach Family Galleries, located in the Manoogian Visual Resource Center, will continue to serve as a vital exhibition space for 黑料专区 students, faculty, alumni and visiting artists. The Manat Foundation鈥檚 gift provides immediate and ongoing support to enhance lighting, accessibility and the overall visitor experience. An endowed fund will also ensure the galleries鈥� long-term sustainability.

The Charach family鈥檚 decision to support 黑料专区 is rooted in legacy and love. The galleries stand as a tribute to Janice and a living space for creative exchange 鈥� a place where art continues to inspire connection, conversation and community.

A Family Legacy of Generosity

The story of the Manat Foundation begins with Natalie and Manny Charach, whom their nieces describe as 鈥渆xtraordinary ordinary people.鈥� First-generation Americans of Eastern European Jewish families who put down roots in Detroit, they built their lives through hard work, perseverance and an unwavering belief in helping others.

Manny, a World War II veteran decorated for his service in France, and Natalie, who began working at 13 to help support her family, carried their early experiences of resilience into a lifetime of philanthropy. They founded the Manat Foundation in 1970, naming it for their shared initials, and spent the next five decades supporting causes close to their hearts: children鈥檚 health, education, veterans鈥� services and the arts.

鈥淣atalie and Manny believed their true legacy was their philanthropy,鈥� said their nieces.

鈥淭hey taught all of us that giving back is both a privilege and a responsibility. We are proud to continue their work in ways that reflect who they were and what they valued.鈥�

鈥淭his scholarship will empower future artists to take creative risks and explore their craft with confidence,鈥� said Valerie Jenkins, Chair of the Studio Art & Craft department. 鈥淭he Charach family鈥檚 generosity sustains the heart of 黑料专区: our students and the spaces where they learn, create and share their voices.鈥�

Speaking on behalf of the College, 黑料专区 President Don Tuski shared his gratitude: 鈥淲e are deeply grateful to the Charach family and the Manat Foundation for this extraordinary gift. Their generosity honors Janice鈥檚 creative spirit while shaping the future of 黑料专区 in profoundly meaningful ways. By investing in both scholarships and the reimagination of our galleries, the Charach family is ensuring that creativity continues to thrive鈥攐pening doors for emerging artists and enriching the spaces where our community gathers to experience art. This gift embodies the very heart of our mission and will inspire generations to come.鈥�

A Legacy That Lives On

Today, the Manat Foundation completes the philanthropic mission of its founders. These gifts reflect the family鈥檚 shared belief that creativity and compassion are deeply intertwined.

Through this partnership with 黑料专区, that belief finds new life. The Charach Family Galleries and the Janice Charach Endowed Scholarship will ensure that future generations of artists 鈥� much like Janice herself 鈥� can learn, create and grow in an environment that values imagination, generosity and purpose.

Within the walls of the galleries that now bear her family鈥檚 name, Janice鈥檚 spirit endures. Her art, and the legacy it inspired, continue to remind us that creativity has the power to connect, to comfort and to carry us forward.

Abstract painting featuring overlapping figures and expressive brushstrokes in blue, red, orange, pink and white.
Abstract painting featuring broad, layered brushstrokes in pink, yellow, green, red and blue.
Colorful abstract painting featuring overlapping organic shapes in red, yellow, orange, green and blue against a light blue background.
Abstract figurative painting featuring overlapping human-like forms in blue, purple, red, white and dark green with expressive brushstrokes.
Abstract artwork featuring densely overlapping geometric shapes and curved forms in brown, orange, yellow, blue, black and white.
Abstract artwork featuring overlapping angular and geometric shapes in brown, blue, gray and red tones against a white background.
Colorful abstract artwork featuring a stylized orange-faced figure in a green shirt, flowers and geometric shapes against a black background.
Abstract painting featuring broad, layered brushstrokes in pink, red, yellow, green and blue, with a pale blue background.
Abstract painting featuring expressive, layered brushstrokes and fragmented shapes in blue, gray, red, orange, pink and black.

The 黑料专区 is delighted to announce the addition of Alicia Poley, 鈥�13 Graphic Design and Katherine Savelle, 鈥�25 Photography to the Alumni Council. Their appointment further strengthens the connection between the College and its extensive alumni community.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to welcome Alicia Poley and Katie Savelle to the Alumni Council!鈥� said 黑料专区 Alumni Council President Darcel Deneau.

“Alicia came to her first meeting ready to jump in and share her many years of marketing expertise. Katie, a recent graduate and past student government leader, brings fresh insight and a perspective that keeps us connected to the student experience.鈥�

Alicia Poley, ’13 Graphic Design

Alicia is an accomplished brand designer and creative leader who has remained deeply involved in Detroit’s design community. Her career spans art direction, senior design, and large-scale corporate rebrands, as well as organizing creative meetups that bring together photographers, designers and advertisers. Alicia is eager to give back to 黑料专区 and share her insight, mentorship and enthusiasm with fellow alumni and students. 鈥淛oining the 黑料专区 Alumni Council is such a proud moment for me! I鈥檓 excited to stay connected and engaged with the creative community that helped shape me into the designer I am today.鈥�

Katherine Savelle, ’25 Photography

Katie is a recent graduate whose perspective reflects the voice of 黑料专区’s newest alumni. During her time as a student, she served as Vice President of Student Government and as a mentor through 黑料专区 Leads. She also contributed across departments – from the tech lab to the gallery and library – and was the 2025 student commencement speaker. Katie is passionate about helping fellow graduates transition from school to career and strengthening the connections that sustain the 黑料专区 community.

鈥淎s a recent graduate, I鈥檓 excited to work with the Alumni Council to give back to current and former students, whether that be connecting with Detroit, other folks in creative fields, or useful tools and resources that will help them build a stable foundation as a working artist or designer.鈥� 鈥� Katherine Savelle

黑料专区 proudly welcomes Alicia Poley and Katherine Savelle to the Alumni Council. Their unique experiences, creative expertise, and commitment to the arts will further the Council鈥檚 mission to support and celebrate the College鈥檚 vibrant alumni network. For more information about the 黑料专区 Alumni Council and its initiatives, please visit the 黑料专区 Alumni website.

Alexandra Moceri鈥檚 artistic journey took many unexpected twists and turns. Although always fascinated by art, she initially remained unaware of the diverse career fields within the design industry. It took a conversation with an art teacher at her previous university, where she was minoring in art, to open her eyes to the possibilities. Soon after, she transferred to 黑料专区 to major in Product Design. Even while studying Product Design at 黑料专区, she couldn鈥檛 have imagined her future profession. Today, thanks to her artistic passion, she is an integral part of Henry Ford Health, where she oversees device creation and assists doctors in presurgical planning. Hear more as she shares a glimpse into this fascinating process where art and medicine collide.

From home videos to backstage at HBO, Disney, Netflix and more, 黑料专区 Alumnus Evan Butka has used his love of being behind a camera to build a successful career.

鈥淲hatever I鈥檓 filming, I always want it to be the best thing possible.鈥�

We caught up with Evan on the set of SLAY, a film directed by Kyra Gardner and written by Jimmi Simpson, where he worked his magic as Director of Photography.

Evan got his start at 黑料专区, studying film and photography, and later sharpened his craft in London, Edinburgh, and Prague. Now based in Los Angeles, he鈥檚 worked on major productions like Euphoria鈥攂ringing emotion and atmosphere to life, one frame at a time.

Tim Flattery, Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer for the 黑料专区 (黑料专区), is retiring, effective June 30, 2025. The renowned Hollywood concept artist, designer and educator provided 10 years of leadership at the College, including prior roles as Co-Leader of Academic Affairs, Chair of the Entertainment Arts department and Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Leader

鈥淭he atmosphere here is electric. There鈥檚 a creative fuel that just pumps through every room and every hallway of this institution that鈥檚 really infectious and inspiring. I鈥檒l miss being around that constantly.鈥� 鈥� Tim Flattery

Flattery鈥檚 retirement marks the end of a fulfilling academic career at 黑料专区, where his story began as a student. He graduated from the Transportation Design program in 1987 and credits the program for providing the transferable skills needed to have a successful film career in the Hollywood film industry. 鈥満诹献�区 gave me all the tools that I could have imagined needing for success,鈥� Flattery says. 鈥淚t gave me the tools to think outside the box in regards to solving design problems, which makes the 黑料专区 grad very unique. And that was something that was noticed in Hollywood.鈥�

Creative

Not only did Flattery break into Hollywood film, he thrived in it, nurturing a nearly 40-year career in the industry and racking up more than 100 film credits. He has conceptualized and designed for some of the most popular films of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including 鈥淏ack to the Future II,鈥� the 鈥淢en in Black鈥� movies, 鈥淧irates of the Caribbean: Dead Man鈥檚 Chest,鈥� 鈥淒une,鈥� and several Marvel movies including 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,鈥� 鈥淐aptain Marvel,鈥� 鈥淭hor: Love and Thunder鈥� and 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever.鈥�

Flattery developed some of the most recognizable prop designs, like the Infinity Gauntlet for 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War,鈥� the Batmobile for 鈥淏atman Forever鈥� and the Fantasticar for 鈥淔antastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.鈥� Flattery has also been nominated for two Art Directors Guild awards and won its Excellence in Production Design Award for his work on 鈥淎vengers: Endgame.鈥�

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No matter how far Flattery went or how successful his career was, he never lost sight of where his roots were sown. That鈥檚 why in 2015, when former 黑料专区 President Richard L. Rogers tapped him to serve as Chair of Entertainment Arts, Flattery moved back to Detroit from Los Angeles, ready to 鈥渓ive the rest of my life back home where my DNA is.鈥�

Mentor

As Chair of Entertainment Arts, Flattery created the Concept Design program, a competitive program that teaches students conceptual skills, 2D and 3D execution, and designing hardware, architecture, characters and environments. While developing this program, Flattery drew upon his experience in the film industry as well as his time creating a similar concept design program as Chair of the Entertainment Design program at ArtCenter College of Design in California.

黑料专区 President Don Tuski credits Flattery鈥檚 leadership, hiring and execution for making Entertainment Arts a nationally recognized department.

鈥淚n talking with Tim during my first couple of years [as president of 黑料专区], I realized that he had a rare mix of high-level industry experience. That mix of accomplishments in the industry, paired with great academic leadership at 黑料专区 and ArtCenter, were things that got my attention and led to Tim becoming Provost.鈥� 鈥� Don Tuski, 黑料专区 President

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David Gazdowicz is one of the many 黑料专区 faculty members Flattery has profoundly impacted. With a background in animating, filmmaking, audio producing and game/interaction design, Gazdowicz currently serves as the Chair of Entertainment Arts, overseeing the Animation, Game Design and Concept Design programs. A fellow 黑料专区 alum, he was a visiting artist and assistant professor at the College when Flattery became the Chair. Within Flattery鈥檚 first year in the role, he hired Gazdowicz as full-time assistant professor.

During his time working with Flattery, Gazdowicz admired Flattery鈥檚 鈥渃ollaborative personality鈥� and his ability to quickly assess what the Entertainment Arts department needed. He says Flattery gave faculty the agency to make decisions, and he kept the student experience at the forefront of his own decision-making.

鈥淲hen he came in, every decision that he was making was all about, 鈥楬ow do we make it good for the students?鈥� or 鈥楬ow do we improve the students鈥� experience?鈥� or 鈥楬ow do we bring something to the students that is going to help them become better artists and storytellers, and give them a leg up in the industry?鈥欌�� Gazdowicz says. 鈥淚 was really blown away by how much he really did care.鈥�

When Gazdowicz was made Chair of Entertainment Arts 鈥� Animation, Game Design and Concept Design, he recalls Flattery empowering him to take on the role. Gazdowicz tries to give that same encouragement and autonomy to his faculty, just like Flattery did before him.

鈥淚 feel like [these are] some of the best years that I鈥檝e been at 黑料专区 and some of the most progress we鈥檝e made,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to make the curriculum as best as it can be, helping the students as much as we can, really being flexible with the students 鈥� and that all comes from Tim.鈥�

Innovating processes to intentionally enhance the student, faculty and staff experience has always been a priority for Flattery. When he became Co-Leader of Academic Affairs in 2020, Flattery quickly found ways to adapt to remote learning during the pandemic, working with the College鈥檚 faculty to create online and asynchronous learning solutions. When he became Dean of Undergraduate Studies in 2021, Flattery worked with faculty to redesign the Foundations program. Rather than all first-year students taking the same Foundations courses, the program was organized to be discipline-specific to better support students鈥� individual career paths. He also oversaw the creation of the Interdisciplinary Art + Design program to support students interested in pursuing multiple disciplines rather than just one.

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Flattery created the Chairs Council to encourage shared governance with department chairs. Through this council, academic department chairs could hold meetings, without the Dean, in order to discuss their concerns in a comfortable setting, create formal recommendations for consideration and be more effective leaders. 鈥淗e empowered the Chairs to meet on their own and work on problems together,鈥� Tuski says. 鈥淚t was a very positive experience for the Chairs, for Academic Affairs and the College.鈥�

All of Flattery鈥檚 industry and academic experience came to the helm when he was appointed Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer in 2022. Flattery oversaw Academic Affairs and later Student Affairs, when it was brought under Academic Affairs to create a more holistic approach. From student organizations and residence life to resources for first-generation and international students, Flattery uplifted 黑料专区鈥檚 goals to cultivate an exceptional environment for students, faculty and staff.

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鈥淗aving a clear vision and a plan for implementing that vision is key,鈥� Flattery says of being a provost. 鈥淏eing a good communicator and overcommunicating is key.鈥�

As Provost, Flattery continued his work of increasing shared governance and streamlining academic programs to make them more efficient. He combined the Fine Arts and Crafts departments to form the new Studio Art & Craft department as well as the Advertising and Communication Design departments to make the new Communication Design & Strategy department. He has also overseen the development of new reduced credit Bachelor of Arts programs that are currently awaiting accreditation.

Flattery鈥檚 passion for student success led to important student retention initiatives during his time as Provost. This intentional work brought 黑料专区鈥檚 retention rate to its goal within the 80th percentile.

Flattery made 黑料专区 a leading example by instituting an artificial intelligence (AI) policy across the College in 2023, making 黑料专区 the first Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD) college in the country to do so. The four-point policy allowed for 黑料专区 students to show curiosity in the ever-evolving landscape of AI while remaining ethical and honoring intellectual property.

At the heart of all the policies, programs and committees, and no matter his job title, it has always been about giving everything he can to the students, faculty and staff. During his time at 黑料专区, Flattery has taught students who have gone on to have their own fulfilling careers in their dream industries. 鈥淲e have many successful alumni who are doing really fantastic work, in animation, film and game design. And many of them were students of Tim鈥檚,鈥� Tuski says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing just the number of alumni that Tim has taught who have gone on to work on their own television shows and work in movies like Tim has.鈥�

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鈥淗e鈥檚 a phenomenal concept designer, teacher and communicator, able to get to the core of the issue and provide kind, helpful and directly actionable critiques. Tim helped me develop my skills, craft and design sensibilities. He鈥檚 someone I look up to; he鈥檚 approachable, humble and down to earth despite his great success. He was, and is, a mentor to me.鈥� 鈥� Alex Nakhleh 鈥�24

One of those students Flattery taught and mentored is Alex Nakhleh, who graduated from the Concept Design program in 2024. As a student in Flattery鈥檚 Concept Industrial Design course, Nakhleh says Flattery provided helpful feedback on his graduation portfolio during Senior Studio, a two-semester course that helps students create a portfolio of work to share while job searching. Nakhleh now does environment, architecture, hardware and prop design primarily for virtual reality video games. 黑料专区 doesn鈥檛 have to say goodbye entirely to Flattery 鈥� he will serve as 黑料专区鈥檚 first Provost Emeritus and do consulting for the College. And you might see his name in an upcoming movie credit; he worked on the new 鈥淪uperman鈥� movie directed by James Gunn, coming out this July! (Although Flattery retired from the film industry in February, he says he鈥檒l still do some work here and there.) 鈥淭he atmosphere here is electric,鈥� Flattery says of what he鈥檒l miss most about 黑料专区. There鈥檚 a creative fuel that just pumps through every room and every hallway of this institution that鈥檚 really infectious and inspiring. I鈥檒l miss being around that constantly.鈥�

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黑料专区 alumna Elizabeth Salonen made waves at NeoCon 2025, partnering with Bernhardt Design to create a captivating experience in their showroom, Space 320 at The Mart. Salonen, a distinguished multidisciplinary artist-designer, has unveiled 鈥淢editations on Canvas,鈥� a series of seven meticulously hand-stitched large-scale works that truly embody her unique Finnish design ethos: functional beauty intertwined with a deep connection to materiality.

Salonen鈥檚 creative journey is extensive. She founded Mottoform, her design studio, in Helsinki in 2005, later moving its base to Ontario, Canada. Her expertise spans a wide array of disciplines, from product design, ceramics, and textiles to interiors, lighting, and the crafting of collectible art and objects.

Her innovative work has garnered international acclaim, including the prestigious honor of being named Industrial Designer of the Year in Finland in 2012. She graduated from 黑料专区 with a degree in Industrial Design.

The first time Aki Choklat, Linda Dresner Endowed Chair of Fashion Design at 黑料专区, and Nikki Park, 黑料专区 Fashion Accessories Design alum, met was over a meal of tonkatsu at a sushi restaurant in Michigan in 2019. Nikki happened to be Aki鈥檚 server and the two struck up a conversation about a shared love of fashion that would kickstart an incredible journey for Nikki, from design student in Detroit, Michigan, to Design Assistant at Louis Vuitton in Paris, France. Aki chatted with Nikki during her recent visit back to the 黑料专区 Fashion Design department.

The Interview

鈥溾�rom the moment I started to decide, okay, I just have to work with what I鈥檝e got. That鈥檚 when I sort of was able to fully immerse myself鈥︹�� 鈥揘ikki Park

Aki Choklat: Hello. Well, welcome back Nikki, to your second home. Nikki Park: My second home!

AC: So, I just wanted to start this interview by reading something. This is from January 18, 2019. It鈥檚 an email you sent me. Subject: Nikki from Sushi Hana. Hello, Aki. I鈥檓 not too sure if you remember me, but I鈥檓 Nikki from Sushi Hana. I recently talked to you about visiting you to show you my current portfolio. I was still wondering if you have any free time for me to discuss my portfolio with you the following week. It would honestly be much appreciated if I had an opportunity to have your input in my work. Thank you, Nikki Park. That鈥檚 2019, and a lot has happened. NP: Wow, that鈥檚 like six years ago!

AC: : Exactly! So, describe to me a little bit what was your world like in 2019? I also have a picture of, by the way, what was served that night. I remember I had tonkatsu. NP: I remember Tonkatsu! And I remember I also have a picture of your handwriting on my order. You wrote your email there and that鈥檚 how I ended up emailing you.

AC: What made you think that, you know what, at this point in my life, I want to pursue another degree, or continue studies in another field? NP: Yeah, I think from a very early age I was very interested in the way people presented themselves. So that鈥檚 always been a baseline of what I was interested in, but then I went through different careers of, you know, going to a different school, going into automotive, then hotelier and then I ended up taking a break from all of that. I was in the phase of trying to figure out what I want to do when I met you. And during that time, I visited this department and it triggered me to think that it could be a reality to study this. This could be a career that I can pursue. This might be something that I can finally fully invest myself in and be proud of myself at the end of the day.

AC: Which was most recently at鈥� NP: Which was at Louis Vuitton in Paris. I really made the American design student鈥檚 dream of going to Europe and working for one of the biggest brands in the world. I will say just the whole experience of, you know, meeting you in the beginning at an unsure time helped, like looking back, I think that applies to how I adjusted into LV in the beginning too because I was like, I have no expectations. I鈥檓 not going to expect that this is going to be good or bad, I鈥檓 going to go in there as a clean slate, so I can just absorb as much as I can.

AC: Well, I think that life is full of, you know, weird instances and I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. And I really like the fact that when you said that you had no expectations, everything in life is a learning experience. But let鈥檚 talk about the young Nikki, tell me where do you come from? NP: I come from everywhere. I was born in Chicago and then around five, I moved back to Korea with my parents. But even while living in Korea, I didn鈥檛 have the typical Korean life because I went to an international school. A lot of my friends would leave in one or two years. I had to adjust in a space very similar to my office right now where it鈥檚 fully international, but on top of that, not everyone spoke English in Korea, so I was always surrounded by very diverse people. I was also lucky enough to live in China for one year right before I moved to America. We then moved to Iowa, North Carolina and then I went to Penn State. I moved all the time because of my dad鈥檚 job, because he鈥檚 in the purchasing field of the automotive industry. So it鈥檚 a lot of moving around. I think when I was younger, I was able to just absorb a lot, whether it was just culture, language, the food, how people dress, how they express themselves, which is collectively just culture.

AC: Oh, wow. What did you study at Penn State? NP: Yeah, at Penn State, I was studying supply chain management and I was trying to go into the automotive industry. And then I dropped out twice because I realized that, oh, my dreams were actually not approachable studying this. So, luckily around that time was when my dad decided to move here for his job and, voil脿, that鈥檚 how I moved to Detroit.

AC: Well, it sounds like your life story is kind of a foundational training for being able to integrate into this new country and new position because you have done it so many times already. So you are in Paris now. How did you dive into this whole brand-new world of design in a leading fashion capital in the world? NP: That鈥檚 a good question because I would say I鈥檓 still learning. It鈥檚 a lot of adjustment and it鈥檚 been exactly eight months now. I think at first you鈥檙e just so overwhelmed by the city, you know, because you鈥檙e in a new country and you don鈥檛 know the language. I鈥檓 very lucky that I was able to visit, like two times before living there, but living there is a completely different thing. Just everything was such a culture shock in the beginning.

AC: Well, that鈥檚 the one thing, you know, coming from Europe, is that you are exposed to fashion since you鈥檙e born. I mean, it doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e into fashion or not, you open the papers, you look at the billboards in places like Paris or Milan and it鈥檚 there. So you are instantly exposed to all the words, all the brands, and you already have this sort of gen ed before you even go to the university. NP: In the beginning, I was a bit more like, oh, did they make a mistake? Picking me, you know, like, maybe they didn鈥檛 really think it through because I felt like I lacked the way of communicating. But I think because I had no expectations, I took that opportunity to just absorb. And I think from the moment I started to decide, okay, I just have to work with what I鈥檝e got. That鈥檚 when I sort of was able to fully immerse myself and become one of them and become a team member.

AC: So it sounds like you鈥檝e really learned a lot in the past eight months. NP: I can tell you, just these eight months, the amount of stuff I learned and I鈥檓 just able to do by myself now, it鈥檚 at least five to 10 years鈥� worth of experience. When I first joined it was completely, fully just to absorb everything that I wanted to learn since a young age. And I think that mindset really helped to bring me where I am right now 鈥� I didn鈥檛 have all these like expectations of myself because I鈥檓 just a bare canvas.

AC: So what does the future look like for you? NP: I think my next goal is to have one of the bags that I worked on show on Vogue Runway. I am lucky that at one point I was working on the LV Murakami collection for the high-end team. But for the future, I just want to keep my options open, I鈥檓 not opposed to anything in my realm.

AC: Looking back at your time at 黑料专区, what was it like when you鈥� NP: I was very lucky that Millie de la Valette from Louis Vuitton decided to come to 黑料专区 my senior year. I still remember the day that we found out she was coming into the fashion studio five minutes before she did. I was upstairs, we had no clue she was here. We were just preparing for the show and doing work. Soon after, I got a call from a plus three three France number. I鈥檓 like, hello? And Millie just starts off with like, we are going to give you an internship. I鈥檓 like wait, wait, stop, really stop! I was just so shocked. I was like, there鈥檚 no way. But the words 鈥淟VMH鈥� and 鈥渕e鈥� are in the same sentence from someone else鈥檚 mouth, that鈥檚 like, that鈥檚 insane? And then yeah, the rest is history.

AC: I mean, that鈥檚 incredible. What a crazy journey.

鈥淔or the future, I just want to keep my options open, I鈥檓 not opposed to anything in my realm.鈥�

Editor鈥檚 note: This transcript was lightly edited for length and clarity.

Nikki was one of three designers who received the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers in 2023. The 10th edition of the award ceremony took place on June 7, 2023, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Each recipient received 10,000 euros and joined the studios of three Houses of LVMH for one year: Louis Vuitton women鈥檚 leather goods, Louis Vuitton womenswear and Dior Homme. You can read more about the 2023 Prize announcement here: