In the ongoing Shondaland series Head Turners, we meet interesting women from every facet of life who are crushing it in their careers. From artists and tech mavens to titans of the boardroom, these women are breaking barriers, and they’ll share how you can, too.
Ukrainian fashion designer Mary Furtas is excellent at making friends. In fact, she credits the success of her hugely popular fashion brand CultNaked — a fan favorite of celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Kendall Jenner, and Megan Fox — to her love of people and her knack for connection.
“It’s probably the thing I enjoy most,” she says, “and your friends support you. I’ve experienced that support in my business.”
Last week, Russian troops invaded Furtas’ home country, Ukraine. Furtas and her 1-year-old baby escaped to nearby Poland. She spoke to Shondaland this week about the effect the invasion is having on her life and what will happen next.
ANNE McCARTHY: How would you describe CultNaked?
MARY FURTAS: We’re a contemporary women’s fashion brand that does usual things in an unusual way, turning the stuff you know and love into more comfortable, more fitting, more powerful clothes.
AM: What were your experiences like trying to flee Ukraine? How did it feel to leave your home in Lviv?
MF: I heard a bomb near our house. I was like, “We gotta go.” And that was on my baby’s first birthday. It’s so unfair. We waited in line for 16 hours at the Polish border, and we’re now in Poland near the border. Sixteen hours is considered lucky. Some people waited for three days [to leave]. It’s hard to get out of Ukraine because the roads are narrow, and there’s limited capabilities of border control. [My family] was already packed because we knew what was coming, so we got in the car and went to the border. My husband went with me, but they didn’t let him leave.
AM: When do you think you’ll be reunited with your husband?
MF: I hope as soon as possible because I want to see my man, and this is getting wild. The Russians are already showing weakness. They didn’t expect this to be so difficult. And it’s not just our army fighting but also the civilians. Everyone [in Ukraine] is fighting, and this is so inspiring. Tragic but inspiring. Our army has shown resistance and resilience. [The Russians] should be held accountable by the world for their actions.
AM: How will the invasion affect you?
MF: We’re not taking orders now. We can’t do shipments because no logistics companies are operating. On our website, we’re collecting money for the Ukrainian army because those are the people who can save our business.
I hope the war ends soon, and when it does, I’m going to go back and rebuild. Because of the downfall of Ukrainian currency, we’ve lost pretty much half our assets in one day. It’s going to be tough. I’ve told my team I’m going to keep paying salaries until the money runs out. I paid everybody an extra salary. My team is the most amazing and the most valuable thing I have in terms of my business.
AM: When did you start CultNaked, and what inspired you to create it?
MF: I started CultNaked in 2017. I wanted to create clothing and re-form the usual items — like a skort instead of a skirt — to make everything more comfortable. I also wanted things to wear that are flattering to my body. I would find designer stuff and alter it to make it look prettier and fit better. Basically, it emerged from a need. I wanted to solve my problems. Then I found out women all over the world are also having these same clothing problems.
I went to Paris Fashion Week, met people there, and everything took off. I gifted people with my work, who loved it. Then, we started targeting celebrities and fashion influencers that align with our vibe. We know exactly what we are and what we’re not, so it’s easy to figure out who to connect with.
AM: What is your background in fashion?
MF: I’ve been a fashion photographer since I was 16, but I don’t have any formal training in fashion. I just always loved clothes and putting my touch on the clothes I was wearing. I was always entrepreneurial and involved in media. I had my little following on Instagram, and I wanted a way to monetize that.
AM: How big is your team, and is everyone on it based in Ukraine?
MF: We’re a team of 16 people, all local to Ukraine, and we also outsource things like IT for the website and a PR agency. And we work with local factories that make our clothes.
AM: Stars like Ariana Grande and Megan Fox are now wearing your clothes. How does it feel?
MF: I always think of my team when things like that happen. They’re so proud when that happens. We’re not a small country, but Ukraine is not in competition with the U.K. or America in terms of trade. We’re from this small town, and we’re doing this big stuff. It always makes me super-happy, and it’s always a big surprise.
AM: Is it important to celebrate those wins?
MF: It’s very important to me and the team that we celebrate our small and big wins. It makes me feel so happy because we created something from nothing. We started this business from scratch. My team is family to me. With this situation right now, it’s going to throw us so much further away from our goals, and that’s hard. It’s a tragedy. But I hope everything’s going to be fine, and we can start working again soon.
AM: What’s it like having a baby and managing a successful business?
MF: When I became pregnant, I realized how time moves around you, and you start to realize that you have limited time. When I was pregnant, I was working in the office until 10 p.m. I thought I was going to have some downtime after the baby, then Kendall Jenner wears us, and I was like, oh, okay. I need to get back into the office.
Before the invasion, I’d spend around five hours in the office every day. Time management is key when it comes to being pregnant or having a baby and managing a business. Because my priorities became different with motherhood, my business — and the clothes we created — reflected that. Now, we have pants and tube tops — more for adults.
AM: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
MF: Own your authenticity. Think of what you like — what you love the most — and think of what you can translate into a business. Then create the business out of your passion. It has to feel like you. Everything has to feel like you. Then you’re going to know exactly what you have to do, what every single next step will be, because you’ll be guiding yourself. It comes from within. You must be your own North Star.
Anne McCarthy is a freelance writer who splits her time between the U.S. and Europe. She has contributed to the BBC, The Guardian, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and Business Insider. Find her on Twitter @annemitchmcc.
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