Michelle Lourens - Build your own space, then keep an open chair for the next woman

This year, Women’s Month feels especially important to Michelle Lourens, art director / multimedia designer at IMA. This she says is because of the spaces she has been privileged to step into, like Cannes Lions, through the Open Chair programme (Image supplied)

“The work Suhana Gordhan is doing through Open Chair, as well as women like Roanna Williams, Melina McDonald, and so many others are doing, is exactly what we need more of in this industry: work to make this industry more accessible and equitable for the next generation.”

What inspired you to pursue a career in your field?

She went through a few career options growing up: journalism, law,and politics.

“I’ve always been creative. Before I could write full sentences, I was cutting up magazines and cereal boxes to use the typography and images to make my own little magazine layouts.

"At the time, everyone thought I’d be a writer or go into publishing, à la my favourite movie at the time, The Devil Wears Prada. But I think I was more drawn to the layouts and how things looked."

On the surface, all her career options appear pretty different, but then she realised the common thread was storytelling and wanting to make some kind of impact.

“I eventually realised that advertising had that thread too, just with more creativity, cooler outfits, and way less paperwork.”

Taking design as an elective in high school also changed everything, with her teacher pushing her, and it was he who recommended the university to attend.

At varsity, I majored in graphic design, but kept finding ways to experiment. I even ended up winning a Loerie under my own name when I was 20.

As a woman, what are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career, and how did you/are you overcoming them?

Being underestimated. Constantly. Especially when you’re young, a woman, and look like you still get ID’d at 18-rated movies. I’ve walked into plenty of rooms where people assumed I was there to take notes, not lead the creative.

Where I’ve been ignored, spoken over, or watched as my ideas were repeated and only taken seriously once they came out of an older man’s mouth.

It’s exhausting, but unfortunately not uncommon.

I’ve learnt to push back by being really good at what I do. Sharpening my skills. Knowing my worth. Letting the work speak for itself. And when that hasn’t been enough, I’ve gotten more comfortable with speaking up.

Say the idea out loud. Hit send. Make the call. As I always say: do everything with the confidence of a mediocre white man.

I’m also lucky to work in a female-led agency, IMA, where women aren’t an afterthought; we’re the core of the work and the leadership. Being surrounded by brilliant, loud, talented women helps.

You learn to take up space when you’re reminded daily that you’re supposed to.

As a member of the recent Open Chair delegation to Cannes, what was a highlight of this trip for you?

The people, hands down. Meeting other South Africans who are just as obsessed with creativity, connecting with people from all over the world, and having those in-between conversations that stay with you long after the panels and talks are over.

There’s this idea that Cannes Lions is only for a select few, that it’s this glossy, exclusive world you only get access to if you tick all the right boxes. But being there stripped that away.

You realise the people winning these awards are just like us. They have doubts. They have budget issues.

And still, they make great work. Seeing someone walk down the street casually holding the Lion they just won, really puts into perspective that you’re not as far removed from winning the big awards as you think you are.

You just need to try. Standing in the Palais, in the middle of the chaos, I felt like I belonged. Not because someone told me so, but because I knew I did. I felt like I did. That moment was grounding.

Listening to some of the talks made me realise how far ahead we are in South Africa, in so many ways. What we’re doing here isn’t just keeping up; in many ways, it’s setting the pace for the rest of the world.

That makes me excited, but also reminds me how important it is to keep pushing, to keep creating spaces for others, and to keep showing the world what South African creativity can do.

What was your biggest learning from this trip, both on a personal level and work level?

On a personal level: trust your voice. Travelling alone, leaving the country for the first time, being on a new continent, navigating rooms full of strangers and creative giants, it forces you to grow up a bit.

I had to get comfortable being uncomfortable, learn how to advocate for myself in unfamiliar spaces, introduce myself with confidence, and be present even when I was anxious.

Professionally, the biggest learning was that insight is everything. The best work wasn’t the flashiest or most expensive; it was the work rooted in honesty. Humantruth. The kind of thing you see and immediately feel.

The kind of thing you wish you’d made.

It reminded me that at the centre of advertising are people.

Humanity is the edge. Our job is to bring nuance, emotion, and honesty to the work, and that’s not something a machine can do. Humanity is your superpower.

It’s your ability to connect, to move people, to tell stories that actually matter. The counterculture to a world of uninteresting sameness is something imperfect, real, and human.

What advice would you give to other women aspiring to succeed in this industry?

1. Don’t wait to be invited. If there’s no space at the table, build your own. And when you get there, keep an open chair for the next woman, too.

2. The loudest person in the room isn’t always the smartest; sometimes they’re just loud. So back your own ideas. Say them out loud. Even if you’re scared, especially if you’re scared.

3. Find your people. The ones who hype you up, who help you make your deck the night before a pitch, who remind you what you’re capable of. This industry can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be.

   Your network is your power. Make sure you have people in your corner who will help you push through the doubt.

4. Remember that you’re allowed to take up space. You don’t need to water yourself down to be taken seriously.

   Don’t wait for permission. Pitch the idea. Take the shot. Be cringe. Be brave. Be yourself. There’s no right way to exist in this industry. You don’t have to fit into a specific mould or be a specific type of person to do well.

   You don’t have to wait until you’re “ready.” You’re ready now. You can be great now.

What does Women’s Month mean to you?

To me, Women’s Month is less about branded social posts and themed cupcakes and more about reflection. It’s a moment to look at where we are, where we’ve come from, and how far we still have to go.

It’s a time to honour the women who’ve opened doors, while also acknowledging the doors that are still closed. It’s a time to speak up for those who aren’t in the room yet, and make sure the work we’re doing is making space for them.

Women's Month

#WomensMonth | Open Chair's lioness: Chuma Maqanda - "Be brave, even if your knees are shaking"

Danette Breitenbach  1 day

About the Open Chair Lionesses

This year, 15 young women attended Cannes 2025 through the Open Chair.

Cannes Lions allocated over R700,000 worth of tickets to the local non-profit that aims to nurture and inspire the next generation of women leaders in the industry and agencies and companies in the creative space, sponsored flights and accommodation.

The passes were for “Young Lions”, who must be 30 and under, and for full-time students of 23 and under.

From Cannes’ equity, representation and accessibility programme, the tickets gave the young Lionesses access to the festival’s award shows, talks, networking spaces, daily happy hours and the closing party.

Bizcommunity will profile these young Lionesses throughout #WomensMonth.