In the new series "MC Muse," experienced women from around the world share their styles, ambitions, and the items they most want to buy right now. [In 2015, Liza Voloshin, now 33, was making professional strides in business development for a fashion brand in New York City.

"Maybe my story is similar to what many immigrant parents tend to encourage their children to do. And my parents were very concerned about me having a stable career. And my parents were very concerned about me having a stable career. Creative things seemed to have very little chance, and my parents never encouraged that," she explains.

Still, Voloshin wanted to find more joy in her work. That summer, Voloshin took on her first short film project, using a Super 8 camera to film her best friend, musician Margot; over the course of a year, she held salons in New York, Paris, New Orleans, and Milan; in 2016, she was the recipient of the Whitney Museum's Dreamlands exhibition (new tab) commissioned her to produce a film in partnership with the museum, and shortly thereafter Voloshin quit her full-time job and turned filmmaking from a hobby to a career. Last summer (five years after his first film project), Voloshin was asked to shoot a music video for Katy Perry's "Daisy" (opens in new tab), an intimate and socially distanced production. The video received over 20 million views on YouTube.

After recently moving from New York to Los Angeles, we had the opportunity to speak with the filmmaker about her work, how she cultivates female empowerment, and some sound advice from a fellow female director she has always followed.

Marie Claire: How do you think the move from the Soviet Union to the United States affected your work as a filmmaker?

Liza Voloshin: I consider myself an American with a diverse background. But as an immigrant, I feel like I have no choice but to fail. For my family in particular, a lot of immigration had to do with fear. Fear of safety, fear of opportunity, fear of the future. So in order to truly blossom, fear must be removed. With fear, you cannot have joy. By removing fear, we can create joy.

MC: Much of your work centers on women's empowerment. How do you empower women through your own lens?

LV: I am deeply inspired by my friendships and the women in my life. I think we need more of us to film women as much as we can through our films. It's really important for me to be able to tell the stories of women, especially those who don't usually see the light of day.

I just did a project with the New York-based Women's Prison Society (open in new tab), and even though it was founded in 1845, not many people know about their work. Talking about women in prison is not very sexy. It is a difficult subject and people tend to shy away from it. Telling the stories of these women is truly an ongoing project. Prison and jail can happen to anyone, it is a matter of socioeconomic status and circumstances. As an economics major, I believe that we as a society can spend $20,000 a year to help women get back on their feet, help their families, find jobs, and secure safe housing, whereas we cannot spend $100,000 a year for someone who is in Rikers (Rikers Island prison complex) for no reason! Women are more likely than men to be mentally and physically challenged. Women are much more likely than men to suffer mental and physical abuse. Such women are much more likely to suffer mental and physical abuse than men.

MC: What is it like being a woman in the film industry?

LV: Tough for sure. I've had a few people on set call me a "bitch." What's up with that? It's hard to get rid of misogyny and patriarchy, but I think there are a lot of great women, especially in Hollywood today, who are taking very beautiful and active roles as directors and producers. Having women in leadership positions and having more women's stories told is something I would like to see more of.

MC: You recently moved from New York to Los Angeles. Has that changed your aesthetic?

LV: I've gotten back to nature. I went back to basics. [In terms of fashion] I became very conscious of the fabrics that touch my body, and I started choosing things that are comfortable and make me happy... When I moved to L.A., I bought my first sweat suit at Restylane. Wow, I never thought I would own sweatpants, but here I am. I wore them to a shoot the other day with a blazer. [MC: Do you always wear those while filming?

LV: I read a great interview with Ava DuVernay giving advice to filmmakers. She said to bring a spare pair of socks with you to the set so you can put on a fresh pair during the shoot or at lunch and freshen up again. I have really taken that advice to heart.

I also really like the [clothing] set, anything that allows me to get up at 6 a.m. and look very sophisticated, yet comfortable, before an early call. I live in pleated pleats. I wear a matching top and bottom and a Walk of Shame blazer over it. They're my favorite designer in Moscow, and I just bought a WTHN earseed. When I go to acupuncture, sometimes the acupuncturist puts little ear seeds in my ears. They have little Swarovski rhinestones on them and they look like little cool decorations on your ears. They help with stress and anxiety. I laughed and said, "Oh my God, this is from L.A., the West Coast."