Muses #4: Kerstina Renee
Creative partner and producer
Today’s episode of Muses is a fun one—and honestly, one I’ve been geeking out over. Kerstina is a woman of many talents. I found her Instagram earlier this year during a season where I was trying to figure out who I am and what I actually like—and then boom, I come across someone who defines herself on her own terms. She’s carved out a lane that reflects her tastes, her passions and her pace.
In many ways, she was the reminder I didn’t know I needed: being multi-passionate isn’t a problem. You’re not scattered. Sometimes you just have to follow where the thread leads, whether it all clicks or not—and that’s okay too.
Kerstina Renee is that girl behind the scenes—producing shoots, casting shows, managing the moving parts, and somehow making it all look effortless. With a background in business and operations, she pivoted into fashion over five years ago and never looked back. From NYFW runways to intimate editorials, she brings order to the chaos with a calm confidence that says, “I’ve got it.” Her personal philosophy? Make everyone else’s job easier. And when I read that, I was like—wait, wow, she’s so cool. The rest is history.
So everyone, say hi Kerstina!
Your have such a lovely name. Do people ever spell or pronounce it wrong? And does your name have a special meaning or story behind it?
KR : Omg thank you! Yes, people normally end up spelling it Kirstin or Kirstina sometimes. The most I’ve ever had is someone who has called me Kirstin or Christina. But I rarely ever notice because by the time you say my name out loud or fast enough it sounds like Christina regardless if you’re saying it correctly or not. My Godmother suggested that my parents remix my dad’s name since he wanted a junior and I ended up being a girl. His name is Renwrick Kerstin Wilson so I got Kerstina Renee Wilson which I love and have decided I’ll keep going with my daughter and/or son as well just to keep his name alive.
What’s a recent musing that’s been on your mind? (A thought process you keep circling back to)
KR: Hmmm that’s actually a really good question. There’s so many things that I can think of. I think mostly as I get older, I think about the ups and downs of life and how we’re consistently in a space of learning. Whether it be a lesson life is teaching you or just a new habit you’re picking up to become better we’re always changing. At your core, in your heart you are always the same person. Your morals are your base but you're continuously put in positions that offer you new ways to elevate the good within you. I love the idea that at 80 I’ll be learning new ways to adapt to my environment…the world and that I’ll spend the rest of my life becoming better.
What’s something you recently consumed—be it a book, article, song, or even a meal—that left an impression?
KR: Oh that’s easy! Ryan Coogler recently did a ten minute video with Kodak Film where he’s discussing the different types of film used to shoot his new movie “Sinner” and I love love love sitting and watching movies. It's my favorite pastime. He’s from Oakland, California and has this accent and he doesn’t switch it off. I think that’s one of the flyest things ever. It helped me stay locked in and after watching it it made me even more excited to go watch the movie obviously. But I’m obsessed with us being in spaces and not changing the way we speak in order to appear more worthy of being in a space. As a New Yorker and growing up in a Jamaican household, that accent goes with me wherever. I don’t switch off the Brooklyn in me in order for you to feel more comfortable with me in a space or to appear more “intelligent.” And watching that video just helped validate that for me.
You call yourself a “creative partner.” Where did that come from, and how does it define the way you work?
KR: Interestingly enough that came from one of my clients. I’m a Jane of all trades and I think playing supportive roles is a major part of my calling within this industry. And one of my clients one day was just like you’re not my assistant you’re really my partner in this and for me it stuck. Then I realized that there’s actually a slew of “creative partners” like it’s an actual career. Mostly it allows for people to recognize that I’m not someone going and grabbing you coffee or running your errands. As a creative partner, it allows for me to tap into multiple avenues under one umbrella. I’m a creative director, I produce, content strategy, content management, project management, the list goes on so as a creative partner it just allows for me to have a title that sums up everything I do within one.
Okay Jane of all trades, working across multiple creative roles! Do you feel like you've found your niche, or are you still letting things evolve?
KR: My niche is support. What does this client need support with? How can I help? I kind of move like a liaison between departments depending on my role in a project. I love what I get to be a part of and I’m just always figuring out how I can help everyone here. That’s why “assisting” became so natural to me. I just hate seeing people doing what they love to do and being stressed out because they're overwhelmed by having to wear so many hats. So for me it’s always just “what can I take off your plate?”
Your resume is incredibly layered, but let’s take it back—when did your creative journey truly begin? Looking back now, does your current path feel like a natural evolution, or did it take unexpected turns?
KR: Funny enough I’ve probably been at this since I was a teenager. I went to college and majored in Journalism - Print Media with the goal of becoming a writer at VIBE or Source magazine (mostly VIBE lol). After graduating with my associates degree I just couldn’t see myself going back to school because throughout my journalism program I actually found that creative writing was more the lane I preferred. Throughout my years in school I was obsessed with reading and writing and just love storytelling in general. I loved the way you could fall in love with a character or hate them just based on how someone wrote their story. I grew up in the true media era so you had to go dig for answers and spend time really reading to be informed on topics. Hours upon hours in youtube rabbit holes just gaining information. I started out in the industry as a style assistant and being on set that quickly turned into production assistant then to casting assistant because I just always was interested in everyone's job on set. I’m obsessed with how things run and how you can make them run smoother. The progression in my career is a direct result of just intrigue. I don’t think people truly understand how those roles all roll into each other. But when you think about it most photographers are creative directors, producers and stylists. The same goes for stylists, they sometimes even creative direct, do hair + makeup and even produce most of their shoots. Working in this industry it is rare to ever meet someone who only does one thing.
Are there any creative roles you never imagined yourself doing but have grown to love?
KR: Hmm. I think social media management. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Because I’m really good at the creative side of it but creativity and the algorithm don’t always align. So sometimes depending on the client they get caught up in the numbers and it makes it tough so I avoid it as much as I can until someone NEEDS my support with it but I also make it very clear that “I’m here to curate content if you want to play the number game I’m not your girl!” I’ve been lucky to work with people who understand that creativity comes first and the numbers are just a dance that you can’t really base your whole career around.
What’s a skill you had to develop as your career grew?
KR: How to showcase the idea. I’ve gotten better at creating moodboards, shotlist, concepts, etc. I want to get better at sketching as well. There are times when there’s something I want but it would be amazing if I could just draw it out.
What are some challenges you face in your work?
KR: My biggest challenge, funny enough, is SHUTTING UP! Ha. I get so excited and people talk to me about something they want to do and immediately ideas start dancing in my head. I’ve had to learn to not give too much away right away. I never used to charge for consultations and people would reach out to “pick my brain” and I get on the call and just start yapping. They’d take my concept or the play by play and run with it and then I’d see my whole thing bar for bar being used and no credit. NOW! I charge for folks to pick my brain because even if I don’t get the credit I got the coin!
Do you prefer collaborating with teams, or do you thrive more when working solo?
KR: It depends. I love working on a team where everyone understands their job and we do what needs to be done individually so that collectively we all win. Working solo is my day to day. It’s really 50/50 and just depends on the project. I love working by myself and getting to zone out but I also love working with a team because you gain insights and perspectives that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.
What are the foundational steps you take to ensure a project’s success?
KR: Communication, communication, communication. I’m very hands-on start to finish. I like knowing what’s happening across the board. So if I can, I’m talking to everyone involved as much as I need to. If something is delayed or any kind of issue comes up I don’t stall on communicating that to everyone involved. Sometimes you realize the reason why things are falling apart is because you’re on a team where too many people want to be head honcho. I understand my role on a project and I come in egoless. I’ve been in rooms with people who like to throw out how many years they’ve been doing something in order to validate why their way is the best way so in turn it leads to a lot of miscommunication or no communication at all. Which then results in a lot of mistakes being made that need to be cleaned up and sometimes we’re at the finish line and BOOM everything collapses. So I leave my ego at the door and communicate as much as necessary.
Your work requires a lot of adaptability. How do you handle unexpected challenges while keeping a project on track?
KR: I thrive in chaos. I worked as a Business and Operations manager in retail so a lot of my job was adapting to the environment. You’re consistently putting out fires throughout your shift. Someone has to take a break and the fitting room is piled up with racks of clothing. I have to replace that person and figure out how to take someone off the sale floor to cover here and then also have their section covered while also hitting my numbers and knowing what my KPI’s are so when your store manager checks in you can give them a run down of the business while being able to make sure your floor doesn’t fall apart. That’s how I move on a project. I don’t panic. I take a moment and think about what’s happening and figure it out. I also don’t let someone else panicking make me panic because that throws you off further. It’s just okay this is happening. How do we fix it and then you do it. A lot of this job is being adaptable.
What’s something you wish more people understood about the behind-the-scenes work in fashion?
KR: LAWD where do I begin? It is not easy at all. It’s fun, yes but it can also be heartbreaking. Sometimes you can feel very alone. It’s something that you genuinely have to love unconditionally because it doesn’t always feel like it loves you back. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else though. It took some years of hard work but I’m seeing the fruits of my labor and it makes all the difference.
How do you approach creating for yourself vs. creating for others? Do you see a distinction, or do they naturally feed into each other?
KR: It actually goes hand in hand. A part of my job is keeping my clients on trend with what’s happening online and figuring out how to do it so that it’s a reflection of them. That’s actually the biggest part. I’ve gotten to a point where I normally test out practices on myself. How I organize ideas, how much time it takes to shoot, edit and then go live with content, etc. It’s a process that you’re continuously trying to get better at. Sometimes I’m creating something for a client and then in the midst realize OH I could also do this for myself in this way.
What has been a defining highlight in your creative journey so far?
KR: That I’m here and people continue to trust me with them, their businesses, their careers.
Every single time someone reaches out it is a highlight for me. Every time someone tells me how proud of me they are is a highlight. The fact that I’m able to be in a position to provide insight is a highlight. Becoming better at owning my position in this industry is a highlight.
How would you describe your style—whether in fashion, work, or life?
KR: Effortless. That’s how I’d describe them all.
What are things you naturally gravitate towards?
KR: Color. I love seeing the way color comes through in the most rugged environments. There’s that one scene in Do The Right Thing where the old men are sitting in front of that red wall. Naturally my eyes gravitate to stuff like that.
What’s a non-negotiable for you when it comes to creating?
KR: Freedom. If I can’t take that idea or that moodboard and put my twist on it you lost me.
What’s something you’re currently working on and hoping to bring to life this year?
KR: LAWD! I don’t know so many things for this year but I like to keep things tucked. Before I leave this earth I want to write a book and direct a music video and/or film.
Would you say you’re more introverted or extroverted, and how does that impact your creativity?
KR: BOTH! I love being by myself. I can go days… sometimes weeks without talking to anyone at all. I’ve taken vacation time from work just to do that. Phone on DND and no one has heard a peep out of me. It’s one of my favorite things. I spend a lot of time in my head and I think it keeps me grounded. I overthink and allow for things to play out in my head so being introverted helps that. It also allows for me to be still and allow for those ideas to come to the forefront. I can’t be anywhere where people are and not talking to anyone. I love connecting with people and yapping depending on the setting. That side allows for me to hear people’s stories and understand that I’m not alone in the world. It’s a balance which feeds my creativity in ways I can’t always pinpoint. But I may have a conversation with someone and immediately some idea pops into my head or I’m referencing something that I didn’t even have a clue that I knew about.
What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the industry you’re in?
KR: My advice would be networking is cool but having true genuine friendship is even better. I love the friendships I’ve created throughout my years in the industry. They are what keeps that fire in me ignited when the work slows down and I feel lost. I think people go into spaces thinking that they have to come out of this room with someone’s contact information because that person can get them to that room. When you move like that you get nothing but a bunch of contacts. You’ll get in a room or two yeah but you won’t have any genuine support. There are so many people who I’ve become cool with and I had no clue what their actual job was and they had no clue what mine was either and we just click then an opportunity presents and they're like “oh you know who would be great for this” and it’s vice versa. You have to build a community but work can’t be at the center. Support has to be. That’s how you grow. That’s how your name stays in the room. You show genuine love and you get it back. That’s what keeps you from quitting during November to January when it feels like nothing is happening or going to ever happen again.
Finally, anything you’d say to a younger Kerstina?
KR: “RELAX SWEETHEART!” Lol. I was so obsessed with the future growing up. When I was in elementary school I was thinking about junior high. In junior high I was thinking about high school. In high school I was thinking about college. Just obsessed with what would come next and if my dreams would come true. I spent a lot of time depressed when I was younger because my life didn’t look the way I imagined it by whatever age I was. When I didn’t go back to school and instead decided to go to work in retail I spent so much of my time tryna figure out how am I going to get rich here? It’s really funny to think about how obsessed we are at those ages with making goals and checking them off in the timeframe we created. God doesn't work that way. So my advice to the younger me is to “just relax, beloved. Let everything play out. You’ll get exactly where you need to be when you need to be there.”
@kerstinarenee_ if you want to connect with her!