How Fashion Force Aya Kanai Continues to Evolve Her Career Beyond Editorial

Renowned for her unique point of view and keen editorial eye, Aya Kanai has become a force in the fashion industry over the last 20 years. Kanai has styled hundreds of

photo shoots for major media publications and has dedicated her work to empowering her readers through visuals and the art of style. Today, Kanai is the head of content and editorial partnerships at Pinterest, one of the world’s largest visual-discovery and creator platforms. At Pinterest, Kanai uses her voice and iconic perspective to determine what the creators want to ultimately inspire the audience. 

Before landing a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Pinterest, Kanai worked her way up in the media industry, approaching every new role as an invaluable learning experience. Kanai began her media career as the fashion assistant at Teen Vogue during the magazine’s inception, where she quickly realized that she wanted to become a stylist. “I had the opportunity to assist the Vogue stylists who were truly putting together the aesthetic of Teen Vogue as it launched,” reveals Kanai. “It’s definitely, without a doubt, what made me realize what the job of a stylist can be and that I wanted to be one—seeing the way that a truly excellent stylist is able to craft to the world of what the pictures are or the video or whatever it is. To shape and influence, the total look and feel, was something that really spoke to me.”