Daily Inspiration: Meet McKenna Matus

Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenna Matus.

Hi McKenna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with my parents and three siblings. I was blessed to grow up in an environment that fostered creativity; I can still look back on moments from my ​​childhood and distinctly remember the way I looked at dust particles dancing in light beams as they shined through my front door windows. My parents supported all my endeavors, whatever they might be, and ensured that I was surrounded by love, support, and the beauty of nature. My dad used to take me on hikes in the woods to look for shedded deer antlers and animal tracks. He taught me how to look with intention and trust. This gentle gaze, my own pair of ruby red rose-colored goggles, has stayed at the forefront of my artistic endeavors into my adulthood. My curiosity and drive inform my work as a photographer, writer, stylist, and designer.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I moved to Los Angeles in 2019 as a student intent on creating. I wanted to write and direct and tell stories and help people. My dreams always seemed so clear to me, but I was held back by scars of my past and daily battles with mental illness. I started showing symptoms of depression when I was 14. When I was 17, I learned that I had been rejected from my dream college over a rusty landline phone in a psychiatric hospital where I was a patient. At 19, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 Disorder and PTSD. Two days before my Occidental College classmates were sent home in 2020 at the very beginning of the pandemic, I admitted myself to a residential psychiatric hospital. I learned about COVID for the first time when I was there, having no other connection to the outside world except for the news that the nurses would relay to us.

I spent the next however many years fighting hard to stay in Los Angeles, work some sort of job, and keep myself alive through ample modalities of therapy. At 19, I began working as a corporate salesperson and was promoted by the time I was 20. I tried to go back to school, I got jobs, I lost jobs, I got internships, I got played, and I also got really lucky. I continued to sharpen my videography, photography, and writing skills while simultaneously falling in love with myself.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I began (officially) working in fashion as a Creative Assistant for designer Ayanna Henderson-Baldry of a.Bohemia & The Wolves. This role allowed me to grow as an artist and pursue my creative ideas. I began producing my best work and submitted it to publications, internships, and mentors. I was promoted to Creative Strategist and helped put on a.Bohemia’s Resort 2022 fashion show, LA WOMAN. LA WOMAN was inspired by my favorite author, Eve Babitz, and the groupies, fashionistas, and rock stars from the late 1960s. The event was a huge success, and I proved to myself that I could organize large-scale events to bring wonderful artists, musicians, and beautiful people together. Using the knowledge I gathered from my internship at CLD PR (as well as extensive research), I was able to land a.Bohemia & The Wolves features in Vanity Fair UK, Glamour UK, and Tatler Magazine. All of the features were photographed, styled, creative directed, and written by me. This year, I began working at Flaunt Magazine as a Fashion Intern.

I am currently in development for my own brand, Knee Surgery, and am so excited to finally launch sometime in the Spring of 2023. My co-Founders, Kierra Stanek and Kira Lee-Mundschau, and I have been working hard behind the scenes to create a brand inspired by the reclamation of beauty, and being unapologetically feminine and bold. I want to use the brand as a vessel of storytelling by highlighting and giving a platform to inspiring humans who shine light on the world through their art and being. I chose the name Knee Surgery because some of my biggest insecurities are the scars on my knees from my three knee surgeries. I want to write a love letter to my younger self through the brand, telling her that everything is going to be okay. Hell is a teenage girl. We aim to inspire, empower, and celebrate battles won. And we can’t wait to officially begin our very own cult!

Though I love working in fashion, I am still very intent on exploring a career in film. I am the Production Designer, Wardrobe Designer, and Art Director for an upcoming afro-psychedelic slasher by Holland Malone entitled ULTRAVIOLENCE. I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing and inspiring project with some truly exceptional and talented people. I’ve been taking screenwriting classes at Santa Monica College, and am also looking to produce independent narrative shorts with individual/small group talent if anyone reading this is looking to collaborate on something special!

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is when my family and I built an igloo during a snowy winter day. My dog, Sarge, looked like a polar bear, and I was young and small enough to ride on his back.

Contact Info:

• Website: mckennamatus.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennamatus/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenna-matus-34b343187/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KENNAdian_bacon
• Other: https://www.shopkneesurgery.com/

Image Credits
First image credit of my portrait is Francisco Hudson