Lisa Kulson '83, Distinguished Alumna 2023

Even as a child, Kulson remembers her attraction to and appreciation for beauty, whether in the natural world, in music and dance, or in clothing. “I loved dressing up in my mother’s clothes and changing them, making them into different styles.” 

Coming from an East Coast boarding school, she found that the creative spirit at Kingswood, the dedication to academics and the immersion in the unparalleled aesthetics of the school gave her a real sense of belonging and community. It was also a place that helped inspire and expand her love of beauty.  

“I remember looking at the Kingswood Dining Hall or the Cranbrook Quad,” she says. “I could look around at all of the details, at the brickwork and the windows and I just remember how much I appreciated them. I’m not sure other young people my age felt that same way.”

Kulson had come to Kingswood after an injury cut short a promising pursuit of dance. “When I realized I couldn’t be a dancer, I said, okay, then I’ll be a fashion designer,” she says. 

While exploring her creative side through weaving class, jewelry design and modern dance, Kulson also excelled in academics. She remembers with fondness her literature classes and her French classes, led by Prospero Dagbovie. “I felt like we really got to know the faculty, especially the ones who lived on campus,” Kulson says. “It was a small campus and it always felt like a community.” 

After graduation, Kulson headed west to attend Southern Methodist University in Texas, where she continued to take drawing, literature and other creative courses while at the same time, studying business and marketing. Soon, she left to attend design school in California, where she worked part time at a high-end, French-owned men’s clothing store. “I loved watching the tailors work,” she recalls. 

In Los Angeles, Kulson began working for a clothing designer who soon became her mentor. “She had started her own business in her 50s and had been Anne Klein’s right-hand person alongside Donna Karan,” Kulson says. Her mentor taught her all of the ins-and-outs of the business, from fabric to build to production. “I got a very well-rounded education in fashion design,” she adds. 

Kulson then moved to New York, where she worked for a private-label company that designed for stores such as Ann Taylor and The Limited. That experience led her to Theory, the men’s and women’s clothing retailer that today has global sales of more than $1 billion. 

Kulson joined Theory in 1997, the year it was launched, as its head designer. At Theory, she was able to create high-end, modern women’s designs that reflected her passions for quality and elegance. “Theory was an amazing experience,” she says. 

After five years, Kulson left Theory to launch her own label. She moved to Italy where she focused on bringing her design visions to life, creating the type of high-quality, enduring, classic and modern styles that help women look their best. 

In 2011, Kulson returned to New York where she began consulting, taking on clients such as Theory and Tommy Hilfiger to name just two. In 2013, she returned to Theory full-time as senior vice president and creative director. In 2021, she joined Spanx, where today she is helping the brand find greater creative expression for its loyal base of consumers. 

As a business woman, Kulson has centered her management style on something she first felt and found at Cranbrook. “I always lead with community,” she says. “At Cranbrook, it was just the right size to feel like a family, like a community. I’m a big believer in smaller, stronger teams.”

Throughout her career, Kulson has remained dedicated and devoted to high standards, classic tastes and an ability to add the kind of distinguishing creative flourish to a piece that makes it an indispensable element of a woman’s wardrobe. It all goes back to her ability to find beauty in the details.

And when she thinks of beauty, she thinks of Cranbrook and Kingswood and all the tiny elements that added up to such aesthetic grace. For the students walking the halls today, Kulson hopes they too find purpose in beauty and understand that everyone’s path forward is different. 

“Following your passion is not always a straight line. Everything you learn has value, every experience shapes you. And everyone should be exposed to the arts as part of their education. It’s how you educate the whole person. That’s always been one of the best things about Cranbrook.” 

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