Interview with Fashion Influencer Calynn M. Lawrence

Calynn Lawrence is a 21 year old TV Host and Published Fashion/Beauty/Entertainment Writer with over 6 years of industry experience. Her newly published ebook "Memoirs of a Fashion Industry Fighter" has already moved hundreds of copies in just a few weeks! She is also the Founder of the Fresh Faces Project which is a non profit campaign that focuses on giving young talent in the fashion and artistic industry free exposure on her website and her social media. She currently has a collective following of about 35 thousand across the board and her list of partnered businesses is quite extensive ranging from all walks of the creative industry.

- Fashion industry is often associated with glamour and media exposure! What is your perspective?

I feel that the fashion industry certainly has its bits of glamour and papparazzi. However, I believe that sometimes onlookers only see a certain visual that is put before them without knowing the grind work behind it. For example, much of my job now is spent on the red carpet, going to events as VIP Media. Thus, it is often that the VIP's will be treated quite well with front row seats at Fashion Week, free food and drinks, care gifts from the designers etc.

But, I still have not forgotten what it's like to be on the other side working tirelessly recruiting people, dressing models, scouring to find the other shoe that Model Ryan lost etc because that's how I began. And, I still do this for friends who may need some help with their shows now and then. I go into depth about this in my book, especially in my interning days.

I think that is why so many people don't take me seriously as a businesswoman because they feel like I am no more than a nuance socialite, when in fact I work harder than many of them may know.

- What are the main skills required for a successful career in fashion?

I feel that there are a couple of skills that prove to be rudimentary to being successful in fashion. One of them is the fact that you must be very diligent. Because it is such a competitive industry, you need to have immense drive in order to reach your goals. Also, I believe that having an artistic side is fundamental because fashion is an art. Unless you have creative nature then I feel like your ability to truly delve into fashion is negated. Lastly, you need to be studious and willing to learn. It is salient for you to know the history, present and future of all things fashion.

- What would be your advice for a young girl interested in a career in fashion? Good looking is enough?

No. Good looks are certainly not enough if you are trying to really get somewhere in your career. Even with modeling, many of them are beautiful but they endure such heavy training and long rehearsals, photo shoots, speaking engagements etc. Their hours tend to be very long. Plus, it rewires them to practically kill themselves in the gym and eating extremely healthy to stay at the smallest measurements.That is why they need to have a rooted passion for what they do because honestly modeling is a lot less glitzy than most imagine.

My advice for a young girl interested in pursuing a fashion career is to start as young as possible. If you know that you want to work in fashion as a young teen, start looking into classes or internships that you could take in the fashion industry. This will give you hands on experience to narrow the scope of what it is that you want to pursue in fashion. Quite frankly, I feel that if I had not started as a Nordstrom Intern at 15 that I would not be anywhere near where I am now.

- What does fashion mean to you?

"Fashion" to me means a myriad of things. I thing "fashion" is the collective embodiment of many aspects of life. Just to name a few. Fashion is art in psychology because of the crafty garment construction and strategic use of colors and patterns to evoke emotion, style and set demeanor. Fashion is trend in the fact that it is ever-changing based upon the wants of the consumer. Fashion is a shining beacon of zeal for some who make it their lives. Fashion is a melting pot for so many different things that I find it hard to denominate into a singular definition.

- What are your lessons learned from a career in fashion?

There are so many lessons that I have learned while working in fashion and I'm not even going to give too much depth. All I will say is that each one has to be ready for many humbling experiences, disappointments and failures in their stride to a prosperous career. That's not to sound defeatist in the sense that everyone is bound to fall flat. But, it is meant to prepare you to look at failures as a learning curve and a strengthening encounter as opposed to an automatic sign that you aren't fit for the industry.

- What are your professional plans for 2017?

I have very many plans. I will be going to NYFW at Gotham Hall with The Society, I have been nominated for a Chicago Oscar (hopefully I'll win), I plan on really amplifying the fresh Faces Project etc. I am going to be a powerhouse this year and I can't wait to make it happen. :)

CALYNN M LAWRENCE

PURCHASE BOOK: http://fashionthunderclap.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-just-published-my-first-real-novel.html

THE FRESH FACES PROJECT: http://fashionthunderclap.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-you-can-contribute-to-fresh-faces.html

www.linkedin.com/in/calynnmlawrence

www.instagram.com/fairytalefacesbycalynn

Photos: Personal archive of Calynn M. Lawrene

Forever elegance by Diane von Furstenberg

In a fashion world predominated by extravagance and screamed-out loud fashion statements, Diane von Furstenberg remains a particular elegant voice, not only as a person, but also through her creations. The creator of the iconic wrap dress, she remains a voice of authority, without anything strident or without making any effort to confirm her message. She succeeds because she is genuine, modest and creative. Every new collection is a new statement for pure elegance, that kind of elegance you are rather born with, instead of trying to attach to your body through glittering and plastic surgery.

At the simple yet elegant store of Diane von Furstenberg in the KaDeWe in Berlin, I recently discovered an interesting collection of long sleeve lace dresses that I instantly fell in love with. They are long enough to fall around knees and with an elegant, simple and modest collar cut. The variants, preferably for evenings and for special occasions, are available in colours for all tastes: from exuberant pink to elegant black. I am personally for the ultra-marine, just to forget how much would love to wear the exuberant pink. At least once. In both cases you can play a lot with the accessories, with the condition to keep it simple. A more colourful bag and high heels are mean to create an unforgettable impression. Like everything this fashion designer creates.

Fashion inspiration from Ted Baker

It is not very easy to find high-end quality British fashion in Berlin. There are many local labels, and the sport and casual trends abund, but sometimes I am more interested to find some extraordinary outfits whose main quality is the modest appearance, and the quality and stylish adornments.

Ted Baker is one of my favourite brands in this respect. Although I can find everything I want online and order it to my Berlin apartment, there is a certain feeling of the texture and a visual encounter that I always miss when it comes to online shopping for clothes or shoes. At the KaDeWe store in the Western side of Berlin, there is a Ted Baker store, where I was able to browse the latest collections and find inspiration for my next black dress. 

The combination between beautiful big butterflies around the collar makes the dress an elegant and stylish outfit, without being too sophisticated. With a long sleeves t-shirt or silk shirt, light blue, it makes a perfect match for the coming holidays. It is elegant all round the day and can be embelished with some simple pearl earrings or bracelet. A big black bag can be also purchased from the same store, so no need to go too far away. It goes with flats or high heels, depends of the mood and the time of the day. For me, it is that kind of dress that you insist to wear it again and again because it is comfy, elegant and makes an elegant statement about yourself.

What you should do for a smart wardrobe

Spring is the right time to start not only a go-through cleaning of the house, but also a close overview of the closet. A couple of weeks ago, while in the middle of the spring reshuffling of almost everything, I discovered, not with a happy smile, that although most of my life I had a nomadic life, with moving all around the globe and back, I gathered so many disparate pieces of clothing, from family memories to presents and various results of impulsive shopping that I can hardly match but carried with me every time. Nonchalantly I decided to make a big pile of not-worn clothes that soon will find their way in new, more friendly closets. My selection of sorts was impulsive, not the result of close calculation anyway, following the raw remark: 'What are these clothes doing into my life?'

It was before I discovered this book, written by the Berlin-based Anuschka Rees, which is more than a decluttering guide, but a step-by-step, mathematically driven advice about how to discover your style - 'not based on trends' - and create 'a wardrobe that's perfectly tailored to your unique personal style and your life'. In Vivienne Westwood's words quoted at the beginning of the book: 'Buy less, choose well, and make it last'.

But until you reach this illuminated level, a lot is to be done: a closet diagnostic, search for authenticity, various checking lists about what suits you well and your current work and personal stage until identifying the patterns and fabrics that represent you. The results are not supposed to take place overnight and a lot of experiments are in sight, such as trying various clothes and checking what clothes you wear and when and how do you match everything. Although not written explicitly in the book, I took this process as a stage of returning to your self and discovering how and who you genuinely are. 

At the end, you can just start anew. 'Your personal style is the result of many different influences, all the people you have met over the years, all the places you have traveled'. It may be an interesting process to go through at least once in a lifetime.
The book is available for pre-orders now, and will be published in September.

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher via NetGalley.com