What was the key lesson you learned from your experience?
They key lesson I learned from my experience is to always add value to whatever it is you are pursuing. To always be completely present in conversations and meetings. To listen to your instincts and don’t be afraid to pursue something, even if many people tell you otherwise. There is always a reason for curiosity, so never turn a blind eye to it.
What did you learn from Kenneth Cole personally? Any advice or wisdom he passed along to you?
I learned an abundance of things from Kenneth himself. He always supported my vision and offered his wisdom and experience to help me learn. He taught me how to sketch a shoe in perfect perspective from memory and practice. I feel lucky because he let me keep a few originals and I was told he doesn’t normally allow that.
As cliché as it may sound, I learned [how important it is] to stay true to your brand and aesthetic. In various meetings, Kenneth always pushed to stay on brand, no matter where the market was going. It was inspiring to witness, because I have always believed the same –that you should never alter your vision to meet anybody’s wants along with the ever-changing market.
How has this year long program changed your approach to design and your perspective on the fashion industry?
The real design world is much different from school. As many times as you can be told what to expect, you can’t fully understand until you are experiencing it yourself. A great idea is nothing without great product development and innovation. Many ideas fall off along the way, but you must keep adapting in order to produce functional and desirable products.
Now that you have concluded the program, what’s next for you?
Now that the program is over for me, I have taken a design position at Kate Spade working under Nicola Glass. It has been an amazing next step for me in my design career.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I hope to be sketching footwear concepts beachside in Italy, or Greece, but maybe that’s further down the road. I have always had extreme patience and want to continue my pursuit in learning the business from multiple different fashion houses, large and small, in order to get a wholesome understanding of the industry, instead of jumping into a business of my own right away.
For more information on the program, click here.
