Kate Machtiger: The MBA who dresses like an artist

Press

“‘Elegant extraterrestrial explorer’ isn’t the first phrase you’d expect a business consultant to use when describing her personal style. But Kate Machtiger likes to push the limits of what it means to be creative in an otherwise stuffy industry.

“After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in civil engineering, Machtiger went into banking at Goldman Sachs. There, she worked on real estate deals before getting her MBA at Oxford University. Following her degree, Machtiger returned to New York, where she now works as a design strategist for Luminary Labs. The firm’s clients range from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to the FDA. Machtiger’s own clients include the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security. For them, she does everything from analyzing data to thinking up challenges to encourage students to enter the tech world.

“The Cut caught up with Machtiger at her office, where she talked to us about her unique approach to dressing for work. Read on to hear about her pared-down shoe collection, her love of jumpsuits, and how she can make a good suit look super cool.”

See more from The Cut’s interview with Kate (November 15, 2017).