The Elegance Edit: Issue 22

Olga’s Note
Dear Ladies,

Welcome to Issue 22 of The Elegance Edit – your weekly guide to body language, elegance, and timeless style. Each edition offers thoughtful insights to help you feel more poised, confident, and graceful in every part of your life.

As we close in to the end of the year, this week I will take the opportunity to tell some of my own story. The beginning of my journey, and of L’elegance as you all know it today.

Past Events
CONFIDENT ELEGANCE: ONLINE FREE MASTERCLASS

Confident Elegance – A Free Live Webinar

This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure of hosting a live webinar titled Confident Elegance, where I shared personal reflections on my journey — from a shy young woman in Solikamsk, Russia, to founding L’Elegance in New York City — and introduced the 3 Pillars of the Modern Elegant Woman.

Together, we explored how Presence, Posture, and Poise are not innate traits, but learnable skills every woman can cultivate. These pillars form the essence of L’Elegance’s teaching, helping you align your inner confidence with your outer presence.

I also introduced our signature program — The Elegance Refinement Mentorship: Cohort #3 — a transformational path for those ready to go deeper.

As a special gift to you, my dear newsletter readers, I’m sharing the full replay of this live masterclass.

👉 Click here to watch the recording.

Let it be a moment of reflection and renewal as you step into the new year with grace.

The Beginning
 Past, Present and Future of L’Elegance

My journey to founding L'Elegance School in September 2023 started long before I ever imagined teaching elegance would become my life's work. Growing up in Solikamsk, a small town in Russia, I struggled with my own insecurities. I understand intimately what it feels like to question your presence, to wish your body matched the confidence in your mind. That early struggle became the foundation for everything I would later build.

Before moving to New York in 2016, I had already built a family business in Russia and developed years of modeling experience. When I came to America I thought to myself this is a country of big dreams and I had better use this opportunity of building something more meaningful in this city that rewards bold vision. I walked in fashion shows, worked with prestigious brands like Miu Miu and Moncler, and eventually concluded my luxury fashion career as a Senior Client Advisor at Moncler on Madison Avenue.

When I was 16 years old I was a very shy and insecure person. I wanted to study psychology in order to understand the secret of charismatic and confident people – I wanted to be like them! I wanted to be them…

In 2011 I graduated with a Master's degree in Psychology with a specialization in Nonverbal Communication, going on to complete my certification as an Executive Coach from Columbia University. Everything then quickly came into place – my academic knowledge about confidence as well as practical model experience joined, and in one fail swoop I cracked the code. I understood how and why specific postures communicated authority, and how the principles I  learned on runways translated so powerfully to boardroom presence.

After receiving my certification as Executive Coach in 2021 I began working with female clients on career progression through goal setting, planning, and innovative thinking. The work was fulfilling, but something felt incomplete. I was helping women think strategically about their careers, yet I could see them struggling with something more fundamental—their physical presence in professional spaces.

The secret I'd discovered through years of runway work? The less you do, the more confident you look. This principle, backed by psychology and nonverbal communication research, became the foundation of everything L'Elegance School would become.

The Present: Building Something Extraordinary

Today, L'Elegance School has grown beyond what I imagined in those early days. Our classes have garnered millions of views on TikTok and attracted millions of Instagram followers. We've expanded from intimate in-person sessions in New York to U.S. tours and global Zoom classes that welcome students from around the world.

Through in-person masterclasses, touring programs, and international mentorship, we've now helped more than 3,500 women worldwide strengthen their confidence, elevate their communication, and embody elegance as both a professional and personal advantage.

Each two-hour class accommodates up to twelve students, creating an environment where individual attention meets collective learning. We cover everything from walking in heels to posing with confidence, from body language fundamentals to the subtle art of commanding space with grace.

In October 2025, I had the honor of leading a TED Speakers Training Masterclass on Nonverbal Communication for Public Speaking at Temple University in Philadelphia. Training speakers to enhance their stage presence and emotional connection through body language mastery brought together everything I've learned—the psychology, the lived experience, the technical precision – into a program that helps people communicate more powerfully in their most important moments.

My students aren't all models. They're lawyers, founders, doctors, accountants – accomplished professionals who excel in their careers but haven't learned to translate their inner strength into physical presence. They come to me saying they feel confident in their minds but their bodies don't match. They wobble in heels, rush when nervous, and never feel like they command the room.

What I've learned through working with these remarkable women is that elegance isn't reserved for runways or red carpets. It's a practical skill that serves you in boardrooms, at networking events, during presentations, and in every moment when you need to show up as your most confident self.

The Vision: Where We're Going

As we move forward, L'Elegance NY is evolving to meet the deeper needs I see in the women I work with. We've launched the Elegance Refinement Mentorship – a comprehensive program organized in cohorts where I work with groups of students weekly on various aspects of elegance.

This program represents everything I've learned about effective teaching. It's 80% live Zoom interaction, ensuring the thoughtful, detailed approach you've experienced in our newsletter extends into more in-depth exploration across distinct areas of elegance tailored to the modern woman.

We're not just teaching techniques anymore. We're building a community of women who understand that elegance is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and mastered.

What drives this work isn't just teaching women to walk in heels or pose for photographs. It's about helping accomplished women claim the physical presence that matches their inner strength and professional achievements. It's ensuring your body speaks clearly and confidently, long before you do.

From growing up with insecurity in a small town to building a family business, from the runways of New York to luxury retail on Madison Avenue, from academic psychology to helping more than 3,500 women worldwide – this journey has taught me that elegance isn't about perfection. It's about intention. It's about understanding that you already possess everything you need to move through the world with confidence and grace. Sometimes you just need someone to show you how to access it.

That's what L'Elegance School has been, is now, and will continue to be: a space where women discover that the elegant, confident version of themselves they've always imagined isn't a distant dream. It's already within them, waiting to be expressed.

Upcoming Events
NYC IN-PERSON HEELS TRAINING

FRIDAY 23 JANUARY, 2026

10:00PM - 12:00PM Business Etiquette
12:30PM - 2:30PM Business Dress Codes and Color Psychology
3:30PM - 5:30PM Business Body Language

SATURDAY 24 JANUARY, 2026

10:00AM - 12:00 PM Heels 1.0 Business Walk
12:20PM - 2:20PM Heels 2.0 Posing for Formal Events

Olga’s Tips
Elegance Tip of the week

Olga’s Recommendations
Cultural Immersion

As the year winds down and your calendar hopefully opens to slower days, I encourage you to do something that has shaped my own understanding of elegance more than any textbook ever could: watch the iconic women of classic cinema. Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe. Notice how Hepburn holds her posture in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," how Kelly navigates a room in "Rear Window," how Monroe commands attention through restrained rather than exaggerated movement in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Pour yourself a tea, settle into a comfortable chair, and enjoy.

The Main Event
 The Holidays!

While I usually spotlight global events attended by cultural leaders and creative minds, this week feels deeply personal. Yes, discovering new exhibitions and performances enriches our conversations and broadens our perspectives. The most elegant thing you can do this season is be genuinely present with your loved ones, finding that balance between polished presence and relaxed joy. After all, elegance that can't survive a chaotic family dinner or a spontaneous gathering of old friends isn't elegance at all. Let this holiday season be where you practice the art of being both graceful and real.

Game
The Elegance Game

In the following week, we will share the answer to this question. Click the answer that you think is right.