"Unpack" with Jessica G. Sanoh

AN ORIGINAL TRAVEL BLOG SERIES

Each year, roughly 200 million international visitors descend upon Paris, the "city of lights," and in June 2023, I was among them. Together, we swarmed some of the city's top attractions, including the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, and of course, the Louvre Museum. However, unlike many of my fellow "infiltrators," I was on a "special mission."

What you ask?

To build connections with leaders in the field of public relations, communications and marketing. This includes some of the top leaders at renowned advertising agencies like McCann, and luxury fashion houses like Chanel. The work of these figureheads are currently on display across the city- on billboards or at extravagant storefronts , much like art.

Needless to say, with the help of the NYU Global Field Intensive, my mission was off to a successful start.

A few days into my GFI experience, my cohort and I participated in an intimate discussion with Julie Bourbon, International Make-up Director at Chanel. Bourbon kicked off the conversation with an engaging presentation which touted the brand's history, mission, values and offered a peak into its future.

According to Bourbon, while the future is ever-changing, Chanel's guiding principles of "singularity, becoming and allure"- remains steadfast. In addition, the idea of working as a collective, where the work of the group is bigger than that of the individual, is still key. This ethos will continue to drive the brand into its next chapter, according to the international make-up director.

With that in mind, I later asked Bourbon about what drives her during a Q&A session. Her response? Yoga. In addition to her work as part of a creative collective at Chanel, Bourbon finds solace in this ancient tradition originating from India. With a smile, she explained that this practice helps to center her, which is especially important given her many titles which include industry leader, mother wife and all around boss. The candidness and vulnerability in her response impressed me just as much as her stellar resume.

Until next time.