Your name, age?
My name is Lauren Gennardo and I am 21 years old.
Where are you from?
I am from Long Island, New York.
Educational background?
I graduated from Massapequa High school in 2017 and was involved in a technical program at Nassau BOCES Joseph M. Barry Career and Technical Education Center for Fashion Design. This is where my interest in the fashion industry first began. I now am a full time student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, in New York City.
Current College?
I graduated with an Associate Degree in Fashion Design last spring and just finished my junior year in the Bachelor’s Sportswear program at FIT.
When the pandemic hit, what were you working on and how did it affect you?
My internship program for this summer was canceled due to COVID-19. However, last summer I was a design intern at an intimate apparel company called Dreamwear, in New York City. As a design intern I had the opportunity to help the design team with tasks such as garment detail sheets, print artwork sheets, organizing color libraries, and recoloring design CADS. I also completed an intern project consisting of designing a collection for a specific brand within the company and presented it to the design team and director.
Official accounts to connect with you?
My personal Instagram is @laurengennardo, and I hope to start an official design account very soon featuring my work.
When the pandemic hit, what were you working on and how did it affect you?
When the pandemic hit, I was in the middle of my spring semester. I was working on term projects for all of my design classes. The FIT dorms closed as well as the campus, so I had to move back home. This was a very difficult time to be a student, especially at an art school. We had to move and adjust to online learning while making changes to our projects as we now had very limited resources and supplies. I was fortunate enough to have a personal sewing machine, however I had to wait weeks to order fabric which left me rushing to complete my garment in the end. Not having access to the garment district and my school’s studios was challenging, and at times I felt uninspired and unmotivated. But, despite all of the challenges I would say that it made me appreciate all of the opportunities that I have had for the past 3 years at FIT and living in New York City even more. In the end I was able to get back into my creative mindset and make a garment that I was proud of using what little resources I had.
What positive changes have you made in the past few months in your routine or yourself?
In the past few months of this pandemic and quarantine, I have definitely focused on bettering myself and allowing myself to slow down. Living in a big city I feel like I am always going somewhere or doing something at all times. Staying at home was a big change for me, but I have come to accept that it is okay to relax and that I don't have to constantly be working or doing something productive to feel accomplished. I have taken this time to better my self-care and have been doing more exercising, reading, and just enjoying this extra time with my family.
What strategies are you using to keep yourself busy and creative? What creative tasks irrespective of fashion have you been able to do this lock down? any hobbies you picked up?
To keep myself motivated and inspired, I would say that I have definitely been using social media as my biggest resource. I am constantly on Instagram and Pinterest saving ideas that I love or am inspired by for future projects. Seeing other people still expressing their creativity during this hard time has really helped when I have unmotivated days. As far as new hobbies, I have done a lot of baking and maybe too much online shopping. I have also made face masks for my entire family as well as many of my friends' families. It was important to me that they all have durable masks for when they go out in public so they can stay safe and protect others as well.
What do you think of your future career? How are you coping with that?
To be completely honest, I am nervous for my future career. I am so in love with the fashion industry and want nothing more than to be a designer one day. I had plans to work in the industry for different brands for many years to gain experience and then hopefully branch out and start my own line. I know that the pandemic has hit this industry hard, and I am worried that it is going to be a while before new jobs and opportunities open up. But, i am optimistic and have a lot of hope for what the future holds. I know that there will always be hardships in any industry, but what really matters is how we come together to bounce back.
What is your opinion about fashion weeks in the future and the fashion industry?
I think that Fashion weeks are going to look very different in the future. Whether that means that they are all virtual or that they limit occupancy for social distancing, I am not sure but I know that since they are so important there will definitely be some sort of alternative.
What problems do you see on a global fashion level and what solution would you like to propose?
On a global fashion level, a very serious issue that I would like to see change is “fast fashion” in regards to sustainability. Not only is it hurting the planet tremendously but there is unfair labor as well. I think that in general if the consumer is better educated about fast fashion, they will be less inclined to participate and may consider investing in sustainable brands instead.
As an integral part of fashion's future, what change/s do you plan to make in yourself and your work?
Personally, I plan to make my fashion choices more sustainable. As more stores open back up I want to start thrifting rather than buying new or when I do buy new I want to try to buy mostly from sustainable brands.
Lastly, what positive advice would you like to give to your fellow fashion lovers?
For my fellow fashion lovers, I would say that you can never go wrong as long as you stay true to yourself and your unique creativity. Also give yourself more credit! This is not an easy industry to keep up with, so be proud of yourself and the hard work in all of your endeavors.
