I have prepared an interview with Natalia Kotrlova for you. Natalie works as a PR manager, is a passionate traveler, runner. She inspires me not only with the determination with which she runs at six in the morning, but also with her outfits, with the ease and playfulness with which she combines them, I enjoy following it. Whether she is in Prague or on the road. Natalie's Instagram account is one of the few that I really enjoy following. You can often see Natalia on our Instagram, which she has been managing for us since May and also writes a blog for us. This connection was born from the first piece of jewelry she bought a year ago and I am very happy that our paths intertwined.
Natálka, you work in PR, how did you get started? How did you get into PR?
I always wanted to work in marketing. When I was growing up, my parents had an advertising agency and I really enjoyed being in the office with them, watching them and pretending to work too. The closest thing to me was television and I always thought I would do something in that environment. But when I was growing up, I used to lie around ELLE and imagine working in a magazine one day. But instead of journalism, after the entrance exams, I decided to stay in marketing and PR seemed like the ideal focus for me. For a few years, I did a mix of different marketing activities, I went through Puma, my dream job at Pietro Filipi and Kara, or the Bistro Social agency. And then four years ago I joined Ambiente in PR and that was it.
What does your day look like, do you have any rituals?
I wake up early in the morning, usually after 5 am. I like to do the first work things in the morning, then I have my inner feeling that I'm already a little done and I'm waiting for the other side. Mornings are usually for running or exercising, during the day it's work - I either go to the office or run somewhere after meetings. Around 5 am I try to close the computer, go home and go for a run - if I didn't manage to do it in the morning. But every day of my week is actually different, so it's hard to describe it. But it's always work, work, work, so that I can then fly somewhere and not work. Oh, and dinner together is kind of my anchor of the day, it's probably the only thing that's really constant in my day and maybe it's just one of the rituals.
Otherwise, I start every day with water with lemon and Utopia vinegar, which we carry with us everywhere. My boyfriend always makes filter coffee, so the sound of a manual coffee grinder accompanies the morning. And every morning I also listen to Radiožurnál!
I know you run a lot. I feel like we girls have a love&hate relationship with running. How did you get started in running and what is your motivation?
I've been doing sports since I was a little girl, everyone in our house is close to sports. During elementary school, I ran, among other things, but honestly - my real running beginnings only began after I had a breast reduction. In September 2023, I experienced the Berlin Marathon as a spectator and I said to myself that next time I want to feel the emotions on the other side. And so I started running more and more. In races, I enjoy pushing the boundaries of what I can do. One day I would like to manage a really long, multi-day run. But otherwise, I run because I want to - if I had to, I would stop enjoying it a long time ago.
"At the finish line of the Paris Marathon, an older couple complimented my earrings and ring. They said they had noticed me during the race and were impressed that someone was so elegant while running."
You travel a lot, what are your top 3 (most favorite) destinations? Do you have any core memories associated with any of them?
New York, Paris, Milan. And London. I love Milan so much, I chose it for my first marathon and I would like to live here one day – at least for a while. I had my suitcase stolen in Paris for the first time (and maybe the last time!), but otherwise we already have favorite places here that we like to return to. And New York, that's love. I'll never forget the first time I ran across the Brooklyn Bridge, with Foals and Oasis playing in our ears, the first sunset over Manhattan, or my first solo vacation outside of Europe. It sounds really cheesy, but it's true. Coming back to all these cities is a bit like coming home.
I like watching your outfit checks, you have great taste, which I really enjoy. Who do you enjoy? Who do you like to watch?
Thank you! I definitely get the most inspiration abroad, from old photos and books. I also like to look for inspiration in men's brands and men's "influencers", which I follow much more than women's ones. I like Drake's, Nathaniel Asseraf from Broadway & Sons and Casatlantic or Ghiaia Cashmere. For girls, I like to look at ex-fashion buyer Laura Vidrequin Roso or Blanca Miro. The older I get, the less I shop in chains. I really hate wearing what everyone else is wearing. I enjoy buying vintage, I look at the material and the cut. I think I already know what suits me and what I won't wear. And I also feel like I'm someone different every day - sometimes I feel like being a little more boyish, sometimes I'm in the mood for women's clothes. What I'm wearing definitely reflects my mood.
The last question will obviously be about jewelry. Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry? A talisman? What does it mean to you?
I love jewelry! I enjoy combining them, playing with them. I don't take them off at home or when I'm exercising. At the finish line of the Paris Marathon, an older couple complimented my earrings and ring. They said they noticed me during the race and were impressed that someone was so elegant even while running (not that I feel that way). I don't take my favorite Zirkon off my neck, which you at Du Coeur know very well because I've torn it several times. I also don't take off my Cendrillon bracelet. My favorite piece of jewelry is a vintage ring from a Paris market.
