Life & Work with Nina Moutrie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nina Moutrie.

Hi Nina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Ten-year-old Nina would be surprised but stoked to see where I’m at now. Surprised because I grew up with no idea of what I wanted to do. Even after graduating high school from my hometown of Gillispe, Illinois, I had no idea what to do next. Luckily, while going to school full-time for my associates, I happened to land a job as a senior assistant manager at a local boutique. This is where I found my passion for fashion.

I later attended Columbia College Chicago, majoring in fashion studies with a concentration in product development. I fell in love with pattern making and all things product development. I had hats that I created displayed in boutique hotels, products I designed displayed in our school windows on Michigan Ave, and even had some of my designs recently launched with a company that my senior capstone class collaborated with.

After school, my childhood friend (an interior designer) and I decided that to make it in our fields, we had to move to Los Angeles. It wasn’t easy, but with some help from a Columbia professor, I got my dream job in account management at Lefty Production Co., a one-stop shop for fashion production. Fast forward to today, and I now manage Lefty’s offshore production projects and have also started a new job as a luxury account manager for TheRealReal.

I never imagined I would end up where I am now.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This road has been challenging. Half the battle is the hard work I’ve been putting in every day since I started – at school, internships, freelance gigs, jobs, etc. The other half of the battle, which is surprisingly hard, is networking. Hard work alone is never enough. I’ve always needed to be ready to make connections and strong first impressions.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am lucky enough to work in two distinct sectors of the fashion industry – fashion production and luxury product sales.

At Lefty Production Co., I am currently serving as an overseas account manager. Lefty is a full-service production company, one of the only companies of its kind in Southern California. In this role, I manage multiple clients and oversee every aspect of product development, from initial consultation to production.

At TheRealReal, I ventured into the world of product resale as an account luxury manager. I have had previous experience in retail, most notably during my time as Assistant General Manager at Zadig&Voltaire, but this is my first exposure to resale.

What does success mean to you?
Ten-year-old Nina would have a very different answer to that question. So would eleven-year-old Nina, and twelve-year-old Nina, and so on. I think that’s the point. Goals, hopes, dreams, and aspirations all change constantly. To be successful, you have to be brave enough to pursue whatever you feel in your heart to be the right path for you at that moment, regardless of what you might have felt before and regardless of what you might think in the future. I didn’t necessarily follow the path that Miss Black Diamond Days Nina planned or fresh Columbia Arts College graduate Nina had anticipated, but I am proud that I have always followed my heart and never been afraid to change course.