“ In fashion, you have a silhouette and you're expressing a lot with the silhouette, but what I like about architecture or interior design is it's more for yourself — it's about embracing life but not showing it to the world.”
Between Two Classes is an interview series where we explore the diverse worldviews of our HBS classmates.
Our next interviewee for the Class of 2026 is Emma Artigues. Emma grew up in Paris, where she was surrounded by art, museums, and culture. At just 15, her curiosity and determination drove her to sneak into Paris Fashion Week events, sparking a lifelong passion for fashion and design. Emma has since woven together multiple lives: breaking into the fashion industry and working for icons like Dior & Celine, exploring the potential of social entrepreneurship in Bangladesh, and dreaming of one day channeling her creativity through architecture.
Imagine you had “multiple precious lives” and not just one. What would you be doing in those parallel universes?
Artigues: I love this question because it resonates with the way I’ve approached life—intentionally pursuing my dreams. In a way, I’ve already explored three paths that feel like different lives.
The first was breaking into the fashion industry, which I dreamed of when I was just 15. The second was exploring the idea of becoming a social entrepreneur, something I haven’t fully pursued yet but envision as a long-term goal. The third would be embracing creativity more directly, perhaps as an architect.
When I was 15 in high school, I realized Fashion Week was happening right in Paris, the city where I grew up. I would go to the venues and try to sneak into the shows. The energy and intensity captivated me. I started with smaller shows, like Jacquemus, and gradually set my sights higher, dreaming of working for Chanel or visiting Hermès’ Birkin atelier in Paris.
In my early twenties, I started to realize those dreams. Moving to Milan brought me even closer to the fashion world and unlocked more professional opportunities. After my studies, I joined LVMH during my HBS deferral, determined to experience as much as possible in three years. I wanted to rotate through retail merchandising, product development, and strategy roles to understand the entire group. With the support of incredible mentors, I was able to achieve that.
The second life—social entrepreneurship—is radically different. I’m fascinated by the idea of using business as a force for good. During undergrad, I spent a summer in Bangladesh working in microfinance and social business. I went on countless field trips with Grameen Bank to study how their business models address social challenges. It was eye-opening and left me with a deep admiration for this type of impact.
The third life would be as a creative. I’ve always been drawn to the arts, and architecture feels like the perfect blend of art de vivre and technical rigor. While I haven’t had the chance to pursue creative work fully, I sense it could be the most challenging and exhilarating path of all.
I’ve heard that, in a lot of ways, fashion incorporates architecture. The way garments lay, the way that the material is sewn and held together. Is that correct?
Artigues: In fashion, you have a silhouette and you're expressing a lot with the silhouette. It has to do with self-expression and there are similarities to architecture but fashion is more of a social outcome. What I like about architecture or interior design is it's more for yourself. It’s about embracing life but not showing it to the world. It's more focused on the internal sphere. So, they are similar but opposite at the same time. Interior design is still a creative expression, but it's intentionally not something you're sharing with the world. It's something you share with family, close friends, or anyone who you've invited into your private sphere. Fashion is like your private sphere made public.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Artigues: I’ve always had such a personal connection with art. Whenever I visited museums, I would experience deep emotions that could energize me for an entire week. One day, my sister took me to the Hyères’ Fashion Festival in the South of France, which every year showcases the work of ten high caliber emerging designers. That was it. Experiencing my first fashion show in this context was life-changing. I realized how exhilarating it could be to be surrounded by creatives on a daily basis. I was only 12, but I kept coming back and saw the rise of Jacquemus, Marine Serre, Coperni and the likes… A part of me still dreams of transitioning from working with megabrands to building businesses with emerging talent. In the long run, I would love to be a right-hand to outstanding independent creatives. This is what drives my passion to acquire merchandising and general management skills at HBS today!
What is a book, movie, or piece of art that's had a meaningful impact on you?
Artigues: Blue Is the Warmest Color—or La Vie d’Adèle in French. It’s a love story between two women, and when it came out, it was groundbreaking. At the time, there wasn’t much representation of LGBTQ+ relationships, especially for women, in French cinema. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and suddenly, everyone was talking about it. It’s everything I love about French cinema—raw, genuine, and so beautifully detailed. The story focuses on small, everyday moments, and the acting is incredible. I feel there was a before and after La Vie d’Adèle. For a generation of young girls like me, it had a really big impact.
Peter Sykes (MBA ’26) is originally from Calgary, Canada. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2015 with a degree in Economics. Prior to HBS, Peter worked in strategic ops at Reservoir Media, an independent music company in New York, and for Morgan Stanley.
Sam Berube (MBA ’25) is originally from Dover, Massachusetts. He graduated from Brown University in 2019 with a degree in International & Comparative Political Science. Prior to HBS, Sam worked in corporate strategy at McDonald's in Chicago, and for BCG in Boston.