Martha Pirrie Wright
We are thrilled to welcome Martha Pirrie Wright to Hai Society! Based in Paris, Martha is the PR & Influence Project Manager at Cartier, where she leads global influence and talent initiatives. Her journey began in New York, where she worked in personal styling at Bergdorf Goodman before going on to lead global influence campaigns at Byredo, shaping how brands cultivate authentic communities in the digital age. With expertise in luxury branding and digital influence, she has built a career at the intersection of fashion, beauty, and storytelling.
In her journal, Martha opens up about her projects and the inspirations behind her style and her thoughts on her hometown, New Orleans. Explore her Hai Society and you'll find yourself transported into Martha’s world.
What's your favourite part about your job?
I love that every single day is different, definitely never a dull moment! Most of all I love that I get to work with people that I can truly call my friends. Working in Influence can feel quite bizarre or transactional at times but the deep relationships that I've been lucky enough to create make it all feel special and important!
Of the projects that you’ve worked on, which do you think you’ve learnt the most from?
Last January I hosted a dinner / showcase in my apartment with my lovely friend Maria. We ambitiously decided to cook a 5 course meal for 10 people (including a fabulous chef) in my small kitchen, and somehow it was a triumph! People love a meal made with love, although behind the scenes we were making things up as we went!
Of everything you’ve worked on, what are you proudest of?
I feel really proud to have created a visual identity that people and brands respond to. I never thought that I would be able to do it professionally, and I feel so proud to get to work with my favorite brands regularly! I'm only beginning, but I can't wait to see where this kind of work takes me!
What would your ‘desert discs’ album be?
It would be the unreleased Buckingham Nicks album - my favorite ever! It's so nostalgic to me as I grew up listening to Stevie Nicks. There's something really raw and special about her album with Lindsay Buckingham that they released before Fleetwood Mac. The vinyl sleeve is also iconic.
Who do you look to in terms of style?
I look up to both my late grandmothers who were the chicest ever! Very different women with very different lives, but both always represented the utmost femininity to me. I recently inherited a travel journal that one of my grandmothers wrote during her European travels and I quickly realized that my shopping addiction must be genetic! I come from a long line of women who just couldn't deny themselves nice things!
How has the way you’ve dressed changed over the past five years?
Oh my - I'm glad there isn't so much photographic evidence of how I dressed five years ago. I would like to pretend that I've always dressed the way I do today! I think 5 years ago I was much more sucked in by micro trends and was constantly searching for a personal style by copying others. Today I feel really happy and comfortable with the way that I dress, regardless of if no one else is wearing it! Sometimes I may teeter on the line of chic and geriatric but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tell us one item or outfit that you love, but would never wear yourself. Why not?
I absolutely love when women wear crisp dress shirts and trousers to formal events but for some reason I just don't look good when I try! It's so chic and feminine to play with masculine cuts, I've just never been able to properly style them on myself.
If you could live in any city in the world, what would it be?
I feel so happy right where I am in Paris! After 5 years here I honestly still have to pinch myself sometimes. I find true wonder in all of the small details that I see in my daily life - I wouldn't give that up for the world.
Where do you feel most at home, and why?
Besides Paris, I feel most at home in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's where my family is from and where I feel the deepest roots. To me it's the most magically special city in the world. There's an old world charm that still lives on in the city, I hope it never disappears! Best music, food, architecture, and spirit!!
For you, what is the best restaurant in the world?
I would have to say Galatoire's in New Orleans. It's the cafeteria of the city, always bursting with festive groups of locals. At the end of the meal, one must order Café Bruleau, a boozy coffee dish that's lit on fire and prepared tableside in a large silver bowl.
What's your favourite part about your job?
I love that every single day is different, definitely never a dull moment! Most of all I love that I get to work with people that I can truly call my friends. Working in Influence can feel quite bizarre or transactional at times but the deep relationships that I've been lucky enough to create make it all feel special and important!
Of the projects that you’ve worked on, which do you think you’ve learnt the most from?
Last January I hosted a dinner / showcase in my apartment with my lovely friend Maria. We ambitiously decided to cook a 5 course meal for 10 people (including a fabulous chef) in my small kitchen, and somehow it was a triumph! People love a meal made with love, although behind the scenes we were making things up as we went!
Of everything you’ve worked on, what are you proudest of?
I feel really proud to have created a visual identity that people and brands respond to. I never thought that I would be able to do it professionally, and I feel so proud to get to work with my favorite brands regularly! I'm only beginning, but I can't wait to see where this kind of work takes me!
What would your ‘desert discs’ album be?
It would be the unreleased Buckingham Nicks album - my favorite ever! It's so nostalgic to me as I grew up listening to Stevie Nicks. There's something really raw and special about her album with Lindsay Buckingham that they released before Fleetwood Mac. The vinyl sleeve is also iconic.
Who do you look to in terms of style?
I look up to both my late grandmothers who were the chicest ever! Very different women with very different lives, but both always represented the utmost femininity to me. I recently inherited a travel journal that one of my grandmothers wrote during her European travels and I quickly realized that my shopping addiction must be genetic! I come from a long line of women who just couldn't deny themselves nice things!
How has the way you’ve dressed changed over the past five years?
Oh my - I'm glad there isn't so much photographic evidence of how I dressed five years ago. I would like to pretend that I've always dressed the way I do today! I think 5 years ago I was much more sucked in by micro trends and was constantly searching for a personal style by copying others. Today I feel really happy and comfortable with the way that I dress, regardless of if no one else is wearing it! Sometimes I may teeter on the line of chic and geriatric but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tell us one item or outfit that you love, but would never wear yourself. Why not?
I absolutely love when women wear crisp dress shirts and trousers to formal events but for some reason I just don't look good when I try! It's so chic and feminine to play with masculine cuts, I've just never been able to properly style them on myself.
If you could live in any city in the world, what would it be?
I feel so happy right where I am in Paris! After 5 years here I honestly still have to pinch myself sometimes. I find true wonder in all of the small details that I see in my daily life - I wouldn't give that up for the world.
Where do you feel most at home, and why?
Besides Paris, I feel most at home in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's where my family is from and where I feel the deepest roots. To me it's the most magically special city in the world. There's an old world charm that still lives on in the city, I hope it never disappears! Best music, food, architecture, and spirit!!
For you, what is the best restaurant in the world?
I would have to say Galatoire's in New Orleans. It's the cafeteria of the city, always bursting with festive groups of locals. At the end of the meal, one must order Café Bruleau, a boozy coffee dish that's lit on fire and prepared tableside in a large silver bowl.