Monica Khemsurov
Co-founder of Sight Unseen / Creative Director / Creative Consultant / Aesthetic Guru
Los Angeles, CA / Berlin
sightunseen.com / monicakhemsurov.com
instagram @_sightunseen_
Q What do you do?
“When people ask me what I do, I can’t help but laugh — err, how much time do you have?”
I'm a trained journalist who, as the co-founder of the online design magazine Sight Unseen, has spent the last 13 years working as an editor, an internationally recognized design expert, a curator, an event producer, a head of partnerships, and a creative director collaborating with brands on events, installations, collaborations, editorial series, photo shoots, and more. Outside of Sight Unseen, I'm also a freelancer who consults for brands on marketing strategy and design decisions, partnerships, events, and photo shoots. And I'm on the masthead of T Magazine in the New York Times as a contributing design editor. What I'm most interested in doing more of is creative direction and creative production for experiential projects — coming up with unique ideas, bringing in collaborators, and making sure things get executed in the most strategic, effective, and beautiful way — and on-set art direction for still and video shoots. I'm not a trained designer, but I can direct a design team under my vision. I'm not a prop stylist, but when I'm on-set, I know how to fine-tune every visual element of a shoot until it looks perfect in camera and meets a client's objectives. Basically I'm an aesthetic guru, ideas person, and problem-solver all in one.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I studied journalism in college and simultaneously worked on an indie/emo online music magazine for a few years. When I graduated I thought I'd spend my life as a music journalist; my first job was at New York Magazine, where I took every opportunity I could to write concert listings and interview bands. Then someone hooked me up with a freelance design-writing gig, and even though I knew nothing about furniture, I needed the money, so I said yes. I fell in love, though — seven years later I was leaving a full-time design-magazine job to start Sight Unseen, which is now one of the preeminent design magazines in the world. It's through Sight Unseen that I began producing our annual Offsite trade fairs and working with brand partners to create and execute experiential and marketing projects, bringing designers into the process and collaborating with them to make sure the results brought the brand's brief to life in a way that would have the most impact on our audiences. I also art-directed half of the photo shoots for Sight Unseen's newly released book, How to Live With Objects. Always being open to new opportunities and collaborations has gotten me to where I am now.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I have an extremely well developed — and extremely public! — aesthetic, and a die-hard dedication to supporting the work of designers and creatives. My talent network is vast, and I have a direct personal or professional relationship to the majority of them. Even if I'm working on the most mass-market, commercial project in the world, you know it's going to be beautiful and relevant, and involve the best talent.
Q What are you working on right now?
As I mentioned Sight Unseen just released a book, so I'm working on partnerships and promotion for it. I just finished producing and helping art-direct a photo shoot for a very prominent home brand, and am starting to plan a possible exhibition during New York Design Week in May. Among other things I can't talk about!
Q What’s your style?
Sight Unseen is the ultimate representation of my taste, because it's literally just a never-ending stream of whatever Jill and I personally love at any given moment. But I also co-founded an accessories brand called Tetra, and I was so heavily involved in developing the identity, website, and photography that it truly represents my creative vision as an individual: shop-tetra.com
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I just love being on the set of a photo shoot and making sure the final shots are perfect. It unites the two side of my personality — the aesthetic side and the editor and perfectionist side — and I also really love the catering, ha! So, I wish I could spend more of my days doing that.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I think the biggest challenge I face is that I have so many interests and play so many roles that when I talk to prospective clients or agencies, they get confused and don't exactly know what to hire me for, so I sometimes fall through the cracks. Whereas if I had one single role and never strayed from it, my professional life would be a lot more streamlined. But that wouldn't be as interesting, right??
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Answer all my emails, of course!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
This is crazy but I would have told myself to move to Los Angeles instead of New York after college, and try to become a film or TV producer. I have a weird fantasy that I would have been amazing at it, but you have to start building those networks early! I just love connecting people and executing projects.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Which lane to pick that will be most likely to allow me to steadily freelance while traveling the world until I'm (at least) 65.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
As a freelancer, I'm looking for non-full-time creative direction or art direction roles that don't involve directly designing. I want to be the creative engine that leads your projects or shoots with a strong aesthetic vision. I'm also here for brand consulting roles, too. If you're a brand looking for larger-scale help, you can hire Sight Unseen either as an agency to produce shoots or experiential projects, or as consultants to bring you the absolute best talents or ideas.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Recently I was tasked with producing three photo shoots in gorgeous homes for an agency, from finding the locations; to hiring the photographer, videographer, and stylist; to overseeing the shoots and deciding how every element should appear on camera. But I've also conceived events for Sonos, installations for Ford, and marketing projects for HotelTonight, which you can read more about if you request a full portfolio from me. Any job or collaboration that involves pulling in and working with incredibly talented creators is my ideal.
Q What is your rate?
Sight Unseen prices everything on a project basis, because every project's scope is so unique. Personally, I charge between $100-$175 an hour, but can also work under day rates or flat fees.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Head to monicakhemsurov.com and drop me a line!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Photographers: Lauren Coleman and Charlie Schuck. Stylists: Tessa Watson. Graphic designers: RoandCo, Natalie Herrera, and Shawn Carney. Experiential design: Jenn Whitney. Other designers: Too many to list!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
My creativity thrives most when I'm collaborating with others, so I do that as much as possible.
This member profile was originally published in February 2023.