Whitney Michel is a multidisciplinary creative whose storytelling through advertising, fashion, and interiors are united by a belief in design’s power to shape how we live and feel.

A Parsons–trained designer, Michel founded her American menswear brand, MICHEL MEN, as a senior thesis—launching a decade-long career in fashion with work featured in The New York Times, Vogue, GQ, and Esquire, all while styling icons like Tom Brady and Derek Jeter

Her creative path later expanded into advertising, where as Chief Creative Officer she inspired and led award-winning campaigns for Cadillac, Ford, Lincoln, Chase, Coca-Cola, and Smartwater.

In 2025, Michel founded Blackbird Theory, a creative evolution exploring how space becomes sanctuary—where bold interiors quiet the mind, awaken inner power, and invite transformation.

Michel resides in Upstate New York with her husband, Artist & Sculptor Dan Shaughnessy IV, DSIV.

Dan Shaughnessy IV, born in 1988 in Stavanger, Norway, is a contemporary artist and sculptor. Raised in Houston, Texas, he was introduced to metalworking at a young age, experimenting with stick welding. This early exposure sparked a deep curiosity about the structural forces shaping both natural and man made environments.

This fascination with form led Shaughnessy to The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, where he further refined his artistic vision, merging technical proficiency with conceptual depth. In 2011, Shaughnessy began a formative apprenticeship with a trio of established sculptors—Boyan Marinov, Mike Helbing, and Terry Karpowicz—whose mentorship helped him hone his craft and solidified his path as a professional sculptor. Over the years, Shaughnessy has created sculptures that have continued to push the boundaries of traditional sculpture through the innovative use of modern technology.

Shaughnessy divides his time between Brooklyn and the Catskill Mountains, where he continues to explore new ways to push the boundaries of sculpture.