As Ford Motor Company’s global design and brand director and head of retail design, Jennifer Kolstad is the first design executive to establish a unified vision for brand experience and environmental design across the enterprise. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Kolstad has served as chair of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and was inducted into the ASID College of Fellows. After collecting fashion for decades, she is now focused on shopping her own closet.
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How does your style shift depending on the different roles you play in life: at work, at events, at home?
As an architect and designer, my personal style has always mirrored my design philosophy. What began as a serious, purist pursuit of architecture has evolved into a human-centered practice that is approachable and comfortable. This directly parallels my work today.
What do you think your closet says about you?
My closet tells the story of a chaptered life — some chapters lived abroad, others grounded at home. Some are loud, others quiet. Some extravagant, others restrained. It is my own unique story of creativity and curiosity.
What is your thought process when putting together an outfit?
How many minutes have we got to put this together? An outfit is generally the byproduct of coffee, instinct, and laundry.
Do you have a guilty pleasure fashion item?
I bought my only Louis Vuitton bag when I had my daughter. It seemed a worthy indulgence at the time. For the most part, that bag has sat on a shelf, but she loves the origin story and mutually shared birth date and plans to make good use of “her” bag.
Who is your favorite designer or brand?
I don’t have one. As a designer myself, I love discovering emerging artists and designers, learning their stories, remembering where and when pieces were found. I can pull out a jacket and be transported back to an alley in Prague and the discovery of a tiny atelier.
If you could raid anyone’s closet, whose would it be?
Joan of Arc. I would make good use of her armor.
This story originally appeared in the November 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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