While most kids her age were walking through the halls of high school, she was walking through the streets of Paris. Leaving home at the age of 15 to become a model, this is Michella Filipowitz’s story of passion, art, and overcoming adversity. 
At the tender age of 15, Michella Filipowitz packed her bags and left her family home. Without an explanation to her parents, the young dreamer moved to the city of love to pursue a career in modeling.
“I just packed my bags and left. I didn’t even tell my mom,” she says. “Two weeks later she asked me when I’m coming home and I said, ‘Never! You can come and visit me in Paris!”
In Paris, Filipowitz found herself enticed by the city’s glamor and buzzing fashion industry. With an agent by her side, she took on a mirage of campaigns, advertisements, and projects. However, she was unable to ignore the harsh reality of life in the city.
“I saw a lot of things that maybe a 15 year old shouldn’t have seen at that time,” she shares. “I thought to myself back then that it would have been nice to be able to talk to somebody, but there was no one that I could talk to.”
Without her family or a group of friends to confide in, Filipowitz turned to her modeling agent, but they dismissed her concerns telling her that “nothing is wrong.” Filipowitz learned that in order to be seen as unproblematic in the industry, she must keep her concerns to herself.
An environment she describes as “brainwashing,” Filipowitz figured there must be something more she was destined to do.
At 17, she made another bold move. Filipowitz left the modeling industry to pursue a career in art dealing in London. Having been drawn to the works of artists like Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and George Condo, she began her career with HUS Gallery.
No longer a company, Filipowitz credits her experience with HUS as a very pivotal part of her career. It was there that she found her true calling—connecting with the stories behind each piece of art.
“It’s my passion,” she shares.”You have a piece of history in your home that tells a story of someone’s life and what they went through. It’s unbelievable. I love modern contemporary art as well,” she adds, taking artist and activist Banksy by name. “His street art is inspiring, cool, and out of the norm.”
Today, Filipowitz resides in the scenic city of Sydney, Australia, working as a private art dealer for a roster of private clients. “I source art for clients around the world, and I sell off market, old impressionist pieces.”
Looking from the outside in, many may believe that Filipowitz’s story is one of effortless success—An incredible journey from Paris to London to Sydney, from model to art aficionado. However, beneath the surface, Filipowitz’s story is one of great resilience, inner strength and determination.
At the age of 23, Filipowitz became a mother, a role that transformed her life in more ways than one.
“I gave birth at 23 and became a single mother shortly after. Thank God, I had the support of my mother who helped me through those difficult times. I also have a very good community of girlfriends who have helped me, especially when I found out my son was autistic.”
Forced to navigate the challenges of this diagnosis along with putting the pieces of herself back together following a failed relationship, Filipowitz made it her personal mission to help other women and children who have been in a similar situation.
Co-Founder of the DR Family Foundation along with her fiance, Filipowitz’s passion is to provide support to children with disabilities and their families.
“Through the DR Family Foundation, we pay the school fees for some children here in Australia and we’re also going to open up a home for kids that are not in a good situation in their family lives.”
Embodying the saying, “it takes a village,” Filipowitz believes in the importance of working together to build a community that has an opportunity for everyone to succeed despite their ability, disability, background, race, or any other characteristic.
Through the DR Foundation, her goal is to instill positivity in the lives of others despite the challenges they may be going through.
“Even I went through some really bad experiences, those experiences shaped me and made me stronger. They made me the person I am and I wouldn’t change anything about my story.”
To learn more about the DR Family Foundation or the inspiration that is Michella Filipowitz, be sure to visit her on Instagram at @princessmichella.
