Alexandra HumbelIn the picture, this was me around 2000, fully immersed in a corporate career in the fashion industry that I thought I would never leave. The recent passing of the immensely talented Thierry Mugler brought me back to that time, when I served as Director of Public Relations for the company he had created. It was an intense chapter of my life — rich in learning, challenges, and inspiration.
In this photo, I appear calm and confident — the kind of confidence Thierry Mugler wanted for his female clients. His perfectly tailored jackets, elegant with a sharp, sensual edge, had the power to instantly elevate a woman’s presence. That was certainly the effect they had on me — and on the many clients who felt something close to devotion toward him. As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
This role marked a major step in my career: leading the most strategic department of a highly regarded Parisian Maison de Couture. During those two intense years, I had the opportunity to refine my leadership skills in a complex and demanding environment. Here are a few insights I carry with me to this day.
1. Leading people who are more skilled than you
In previous roles, I had been the undisputed expert in my field. I hired junior team members and trained them until they could manage projects independently.
At Thierry Mugler, I stepped into a team of highly skilled, autonomous professionals who did not need me to tell them what to do. When preparing for Paris Fashion Week, they orchestrated flawlessly choreographed shows from A to Z — casting models, negotiating venues, coordinating logistics, technical teams, music, dressers, hair, and makeup — all the way to showtime. Backstage: 100 people. In the audience: 250 top journalists and international TV crews. All delivered on budget and with remarkable agility, despite last-minute creative changes from the designer.
I was deeply impressed.
So I focused on what I could uniquely bring: strengthening international media exposure and optimizing global PR strategy. But you don’t lead experts by trying to out-expert them. My role was to create the conditions for their excellence — helping them grow and feel valued, navigate conflicts, and represent them at the executive level when needed.
2. Stay curious about change — especially when you resist it
As the company underwent significant structural changes, I found myself caught between two realities. The CEO relied on me to communicate decisions and help the team adapt. At the same time, our daily work was directly impacted by choices that, in the short term, compromised performance.
When we relocated offices and showrooms, we risked losing proximity to journalists and stylists who regularly pulled pieces for editorial shoots. I remained loyal to leadership and committed to implementation — but internally, I struggled. I did not hide my doubts very well.
With hindsight, I realize I could have stayed curious longer. Being right in the short term is not always the most constructive stance. Sometimes the wiser move is to leave space for possible positive outcomes to emerge.
Curiosity is not denial. It is allowing time for new dynamics to settle.
More importantly, instead of trying to shield my team from inevitable change, I could have empowered them more actively to co-create solutions.
3. Never underestimate culture — but don’t lose yourself in it
Working for a designer I admired was an extraordinary privilege. Beauty and artistic vision were everywhere — from iconic Haute Couture creations to the futuristic universe surrounding the brand. Thierry Mugler himself was fascinating: cultured, intelligent, magnetic. Journalists, often rushed, would linger longer than planned just to listen to him speak.
Yet I was not prepared for a Maison with such a strong, unspoken culture. Much of it was implicit. It took time to decipher the codes: the intricate communication patterns, the invisible support systems, the subtle dynamics of power.
The pace was driven by passion and urgency — often with little regard for conventional working hours. I invested enormous energy in adapting. But as the mother of two young children, the long hours and emotional intensity gradually weighed on my personal life.
That chapter taught me something essential: culture can elevate you — and it can consume you if you are not attentive to your own boundaries.
Looking back, I feel deep gratitude for having had the chance to “touch the stars” — the emblem of Angel, the iconic perfume by Thierry Mugler.
I am grateful for the growth, the stretch, the lessons, and the privilege of witnessing genius up close.
That chapter shaped me — as a leader, and as a human being.