Conversations with Marina Micanovic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Micanovic.

Hi Marina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My professional journey began in the beauty industry, where I built my career as a makeup artist before expanding into education and establishing my own makeup school in Serbia. As my career developed, my long-standing interest in fashion led me to become a fashion designer and stylist, allowing me to approach beauty from a much broader and more creative perspective.

Over the years, my team and I have worked across beauty, fashion, editorial projects, and fashion weeks in different European countries. Many of my students also had the opportunity to gain valuable industry experience by participating in professional projects alongside us.

After moving to New York City, I continued developing my expertise and became a licensed esthetician. By combining professional makeup artistry, skin knowledge, fashion design, and styling, I created an educational approach that helps students understand beauty on a deeper level—not only as a technique, but as a complete visual language.

Today, my business brings together a fashion brand, professional beauty services, and an online education platform offering professional certificate programs to students beyond New York and around the world. I continue to develop each program by introducing new techniques, industry innovations, and current trends, ensuring that students receive relevant, modern, and practical education.

At the heart of everything I create is the same vision: to bring beauty, fashion, creativity, and professional knowledge together while helping the next generation of artists build confidence, develop their own artistic identity, and grow within the industry.

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 would not describe the journey as completely smooth, because there were certainly many challenges along the way. However, looking back from where I am today, I believe that everything happened in the way—and at the time—it was meant to happen. Sometimes, the timing life chooses for us can be more valuable than the timing we originally planned.

Working closely with people is a challenge in itself. Every client, whether in the beauty or fashion industry, comes with a different personality, vision, and set of expectations. When our visions naturally align, the creative process can be wonderful. When they do not, it requires patience, flexibility, strong communication, and sometimes an entirely different approach. Yet those experiences have expanded my perspective and helped me grow both personally and professionally.

I have also built much of my career independently, without significant financial support and, at times, without the emotional or moral support that can make such a journey easier. Managing multiple projects, clients, and team members simultaneously carries a great deal of responsibility. Even when another person is responsible for part of a project, I understand that, ultimately, I am accountable for the final result.

There were personal moments when I genuinely wanted to give up. Some projects felt extremely difficult to complete, while others seemed almost impossible to bring to life. At times, I considered stepping away and returning to something simpler and more predictable. Somehow, however, giving up was never truly an option for me.

Those moments taught me one of my most important lessons: we sometimes need to release control, trust the process, and allow things to unfold. Not everything that appears to be working against us actually is. Sometimes, a delay, disappointment, or unexpected change is quietly redirecting us toward something better.

For me, this journey has never been only about working, creating, or building a business. It has also been an ongoing process of learning. Every client has brought a new task, a new perspective, and an opportunity to improve. My passion for beauty and fashion, together with my desire to create at the highest possible level, continues to move me forward. The challenges have not diminished that passion—they have helped shape it into what it is today.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work exists at the intersection of beauty, fashion, and education. I am a fashion designer, beauty specialist, makeup artist, licensed esthetician, stylist, and educator. Although beauty and fashion are often viewed as separate industries, I have always experienced them as part of the same creative language. Together, they allow me to understand and create a complete visual identity.

With nearly two decades of professional experience, I am known for combining technical expertise with creativity and a highly personalized approach. Whether I am designing a fashion piece, working with a beauty client, or educating future makeup artists, I never approach two people—or two projects—in exactly the same way.

I am especially proud of the knowledge and experience I have been able to pass on to others. Seeing my students develop their skills, build confidence, and find their own artistic identities is one of the most meaningful parts of my work. I am equally proud of creating fashion products that carry a distinct identity and allow each customer to express her individuality.

What sets my work apart is the amount of personal energy, care, and intention behind everything I create. Every detail and every stitch in one of my designs, as well as every minute I dedicate to teaching, comes from a genuine passion for what I do. Even as my business continues to grow, maintaining that individual connection will always remain essential to me.

In a world where so much is available and so many things can begin to look and feel the same, I want to offer something with a soul—something created with knowledge, individuality, heart, and a true sense of purpose.

What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is seeing the positive impact my work has on others. Whether I am educating a student, working with a beauty client, or creating a fashion product, the greatest reward is seeing how the knowledge, experience, and energy I have invested become meaningful to someone else.

That impact can take many forms. It may be a student gaining confidence and expanding her knowledge, a client seeing herself from a new perspective, or a customer experiencing a special feeling while wearing one of my designs. Seeing that transformation—and knowing that something I created has become part of someone else’s experience—is what makes my work truly fulfilling.

I also value the experiences that challenge me. Not every reaction is immediately positive, particularly when someone encounters an approach that feels new or unfamiliar. However, I have had clients who were initially uncertain and later contacted me to say how much they appreciated the result and understood the value of what we created together. Those moments are especially meaningful because they confirm that I am offering something authentic rather than simply repeating what already exists.

I do not view constructive criticism as something negative or as a reason to stop. I see it as an opportunity to improve, expand my knowledge, and become even better at what I do. After overcoming many challenges and building my career step by step, I can say that creating meaningful results, having satisfied clients and students, and remaining authentic are what make me feel both happy and successful.

What makes me happiest is knowing that I am not simply creating a service, a lesson, or a product—I am creating an experience that can positively influence how someone feels, learns, and sees herself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://makeupartcourse.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautyglownyc/?igsh=dTM0bG1rcWt1cGll
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Face-Style-Studio-100040378464683/
• Other: https://marinamicanovicfashion.com/

Image Credits
Ilija Ristic
Nebojsa Perkovic
Mike Steidley