A woman wearing a cowboy hat rests on a motorcycle in a desert landscape, looking off into the distance.

NATHALIE KOSSEK IS A CREATIVE DIRECTOR SPECIALIZING IN CAMPAIGN-LED CREATIVE + VISUALS FOR ESTABLISHED FASHION, LIFESTYLE, AND CULTURAL BRANDS.

BASED ON THE WEST COAST OF CALIFORNIA, NATHALIE BRINGS OVER 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ACROSS CREATIVE DIRECTION, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND CREATIVE PRODUCTION—WORKING AT THE INTERSECTION OF STRATEGY, EXECUTION, AND BRAND EXPRESSION.

SHE IS CURRENTLY LEADING THE ART DIRECTION AND GRAPHIC PRODUCTION FOR MADRE MEZCAL, PARTNERING CLOSELY WITH LEADERSHIP TO SHAPE CAMPAIGN VISION, OVERSEE EXECUTION, AND ENSURE CONSISTENCY ACROSS PHYSICAL, DIGITAL, AND CULTURAL TOUCHPOINTS.

HER WORK SPANS FASHION, SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT, AND LIFESTYLE, WITH EXPERIENCE DIRECTING PHOTOGRAPHY, DESIGN, AND PRODUCTION FOR BRANDS INCLUDING NIKE, ABERCROMBIE BRANDS, WARNER MUSIC, BODY VISION LOS ANGELES + MORE.

OUTSIDE OF CLIENT WORK, NATHALIE DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM SPORT, THE OUTDOORS, TRAVEL, AND PHOTOGRAPHY—INTERESTS THAT CONTINUE TO INFORM HER CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURE.

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  • CHRIS VESTAL, FORMER SR. CREATIVE DIRECTOR HOLLISTER CO.

    I had the pleasure of collaborating with Nathalie at Hollister. Throughout her tenure, she epitomized exceptional creativity, leadership, and an innate understanding the brand's essence. Nathalie seamlessly partnered with cross-functional teams, infusing seasonal concepts with vitality through her remarkable talent for transforming abstract ideas into captivating content. From coordinating model and talent casting to scouting locations and managing a team of freelance crews, she ensured our campaigns were not only flawlessly executed but also visually stunning, perfectly reflecting the brand ethos. We devoted countless weeks to meticulously planning and organizing photoshoots, burning the midnight oil as we strategized each day and tirelessly refined our final edits.

    Nathalie is a true polymath, excelling in photography, art direction, graphic design, and team leadership. Her contributions to our content creation process were marked by an unwavering commitment to detail, fostering a culture of teamwork, innovation, and camaraderie within our team. Nathalie's adept negotiation skills with content creators, coupled with her pivotal role as a creative liaison for influencer and celebrity collaborations, significantly bolstered the brands presence. Managing influencers and their larger-than-life personalities often felt like a full-time job in itself, yet Nathalie led with professionalism, adeptly navigating the complexities of interpersonal dynamics.

    Nathalie is unquestionably a team player whose ability to innovate and execute high-impact creative strategies has left an indelible mark on our collective endeavors. Without reservation, I endorse Nathalie for any role requiring a blend of creative brilliance and strategic acumen. She's a valuable asset poised to excel in any challenge.

  • EMILY CERGOL, COPYWRITER

    She is a unicorn among donkeys. A true creative soul, in and outside the workplace. Her expertise spans too many disciplines to count. But whether she's directing a photoshoot or illustrating a design asset, she brings high taste, depth, uniqueness and sparkle. Most importantly, she's a blast to collaborate with. Any client's dream partner. Hire her, like, yesterday - what are you waiting for!?!?!?!

  • KAREN MASUMOTO, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & FILM MAKER

    Working with Nathalie is a true joy. She possesses a powerful talent for storytelling through imagery, producing visuals that are both clean and infused with the project's heart and soul. Nathalie’s keen instincts in branding coupled with deep technical expertise in design software and photography ensures a precise and clear vision for painless execution on any project. Above all, Nathalie’s empathy, kindness, and genuine care for her team shines in the workplace. She continuously encourages her colleagues with positive reinforcement and leads with a grounded confidence, creating an inspiring and supportive environment on set. She will make an incredible addition to any future team she joins or leads.Quote Source

  • LAURA KAHN, ENERGY COACH & FORMER ANF CHANGE MANAGEMENT LEAD

    Nathalie is a creative here to wake us all up with what is new, fresh and out of the box. She has a strong intuition and eye for style that leads teams and projects to a whole new level. It was such a pleasure working with her and was constantly inspired by her direction.

  • DINESH DAVE, CO-FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT WORK IS PLAY STUDIO, LA

    Nathalie is an exceptional creative professional who excels at solving challenging problems with innovative solutions. Her dedication to high craft and quality is evident in every project she undertakes. Passionate and collaborative, Nathalie is a wonderful partner, bringing creativity and excellence to everything she touches.

  • JONATHAN THEISS, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

    Nathalie possesses a rare combination of creativity, pop culture awareness, strategic intelligence, impeccable taste, poise under pressure, persistence, and ability to distill complex product strategies into beautiful content. Her vision is deeply informed by a life pursuing beautiful places and adventure. I’ve been so inspired by her experiences and how those experiences elevate her creative point of view.

    These qualities drove countless successes for global campaigns and product stories at Hollister, Gilly Hicks, and Social Tourist. Her dedication and partnership unlocked some of the most creative, disruptive, and integrated marketing during our time together at the company. Nathalie simply makes everyone around her better.

  • JIAN ALLEN, NIKE BASKETBALL MARKETING

    I’ve had the pleasure of working with Nathalie in multiple chapters of her career. First she led amazing creative work for social media efforts while we were colleagues at Nike. She also brought incredibly amazing ideas and concepts to life working with a creative agency known as Space 150.

    Her brilliance and dedication to detail are crystal clear. She added significant value to our team’s goals of adding inspirational touches to creative extensions during my time leading Nike Basketball marketing efforts in LA. What I particularly appreciated about Nathalie is that she never settled for the idea as briefed. She consistently sought ways to further enhance it and make it even more dynamic that initially requested. That is what you want most from a partner in ideation and execution. I certainly look forward to working with her again in the future and strongly recommend her for what she brings to the table for any prospective opportunity.Description goes here

FAQs

  • My work centers on creative direction and campaign leadership, supported by hands-on experience in photography and design.

    This often includes:

    • Campaign and concept leadership

    • Art direction across photography, video, and design

    • Creative production oversight

    • Talent, casting, and collaborator direction

    • Brand and content system development

  • I am not a budget option. I try to strongly adhere to industry-standard rates in order to keep integrity in my industry as well as keep my level of creative output high. I find low-balling only sets us both back and no one ends up being happy.

    That said, I am experienced working within defined budgets when the creative opportunity, scope, and ambition are strong. Each project is scoped individually.

    I am a true collaborator at heart and am always willing to introduce projects along to other creatives I trust.

  • No.

    I focus on campaign-led creative and visual systems. Website design and development are best handled by specialists, though I’m happy to collaborate or provide creative direction where needed.

  • I work primarily with established fashion, lifestyle, and cultural brands—companies that already have a point of view and are looking to refine, extend, or scale it through strong creative leadership.

    I’m not the right fit for early-stage brands or first-time launches.

  • If your brand already knows who it is—and you’re looking for senior creative leadership to sharpen, elevate, and deliver that vision—we’re likely aligned.

    If you’re still figuring out your foundation, I’m probably not the right partner.

  • Generally, no.

    I’m most effective when stepping into an existing brand ecosystem where creative direction can have immediate impact. Exceptions are rare and based on cultural relevance, ambition, and alignment—not budget alone.

  • Short answer, no.

    I work with brands that already have a foundation in place. My role is to refine, extend, and bring cohesion to existing brand worlds—not build identity systems from the ground up.

    I have done them in the past and would reconsider doing these again if the scope of work can match the budget and the creative ask is compelling enough.

  • I work on a fractional or full-time basis, depending on the scope and duration of the project.

    Many clients engage me as a senior creative partner over several months rather than for one-off deliverables.

  • God bless the internet! I’m based on the West Coast of California and work with clients nationally and internationally.

  • I lead creative at a strategic level, while staying close enough to execution to ensure quality, clarity, and consistency across all outputs.

    The level of hands-on involvement depends on the project.

  • short answer, yes!

    If you have a project that already has a creative team in place, and you’re looking to fill in some gaps; i love being a collaborative partner.

    You can count on me to have a clear POV as well as be able to align with your brand standards or team dynamics.

    • Graphic design scopes depend on project needs - typically on a retainer or project basis. These projects require brand guidelines or creative briefs in place prior to consultation.

    • Photography rates are scoped at a half day or full-day rate and are priced for the DAY OF work (does not include direction, post-processing, location scouting, etc).