Meeting with Lauren Rodriguez at her Canal Street studio loft, it becomes clear that she’s not interested in creating a typical fashion label. The 25-year old founder of the Lorod brand is slowly building one of New York’s most exciting labels – and she is doing it on her own terms.

Rodriguez sticks to a concise offering, and only produces two collections a year (Resort and Pre-Fall), to allow her to put extra focus on development and design while also maintaining a better timeline for wholesale and production. “There’s so much excess anyways. The stuff I make, I want to believe in,” she explained.

The designer is also committed to building a sustainable business model, citing domestic manufacturing as a top priority.

After attending Parsons, Rodriguez launched her own business by reworking vintage men’s tailoring into softer silhouettes. Infusing traditional workwear silhouettes with a bit of kitsch and a personal touch, her business that has garnered the attention of Opening Ceremony, Bella Hadid, and Manolo Blahnik to name a few.

Lorod is so much more than just fashion, though – it’s about community. Rodriguez has mobilized a close network of creatives to contribute and rally behind her exciting emerging label. In celebration of her participation CFDA’s latest shop at Fred Segal on Sunset Boulevard, the designers talks to us about building her brand.

What’s your earliest fashion memory?

I’m the last of three brothers, so my mom was like, “thank god I have a girl I put in clothes and lacy dresses.” Of course, I always wanted to wear my brother’s clothes, which she hated. My mom taught me how to sew, so I would try to make my own little outfits.

What inspired you to work in fashion and start your own collection?

The fashion world was never appealing to me, but design and the aesthetic and quality of garments always were. I ended up pursuing painting and sculpture at Parsons. Every season, we get inspiration from the palette of a painting; the sleeve could be inspired by like a sculpture that I really love. Everything I do is tied back to the arts. It’s the building block of the brand for me.

I knew I was going to do fashion to some extent, and the idea with Lorod was to start with a collection and build our community around it…with collaborators in the arts, design, architecture, interior designers, musicians, dancers. I wanted to start a platform for everyone to come together and be apart of something.

Construction and producing everything in the U.S. was really important to me. There’s an underlying theme of utility and workwear. These clothes have to last. I want you to be able to change a tire in a pair of pants if you want to. Everything is really made to last. I want it to look like something from your mom’s closet that is perfectly worn in and will live with you.

How would you describe your brand?

It’s still evolving. The person who buys our clothes really knows what they want. It’s a confident person. I want the clothes to feel approachable. I want the customer to feel a sense of strength and ease. You can pair them with a heel or throw on some Converse, and do whatever you want. It’s versatile.

What sets you apart from other designers?

We are like a family here. I want to make something that all of us want to wear. It’s not just about me and my perspective.

We are trying to be conscious of community and bringing people into our space. A lot of [fashion] references are gorgeous images of primarily white men and women. I’m a young Latina woman and I don’t see myself in these references, even if I love the clothes, imagery, lighting, and the palette. We want to bring  people from diverse backgrounds into our team. Casting is super important to me for shows and photo shoots. We bring in men, women, trans, gay. I’ve always wanted it to feel real. I want an artist and a writer and director and a sex therapist. I want real humans.

What has been the most difficult part about starting your business?

So many things. At art school, you have so many resources and facilities to use, and then you graduate and you’re left out in the cold. You think, “how am I going to make two ends meet and find the resources to do what I want to do? Resources meaning finances and individuals.”

I don’t have a background in business. In art school, I found this amazing artist community that I know and love, but I had a really hard time finding someone on the business side to tell me how much I should be spending a year, and which factory I should be using. I literally went to Columbia one day and put up ads for a business manager. Someone who found my clothes at Opening Ceremony sent me a cold email that she wanted to work with me. Now she’s like family. It worked out, but fashion can be really isolating, especially in womenswear which is so competitive.

Describe one career highlight so far.  

There are so many! I’m so grateful every day that I get to come to a space and just create. Seeing people on the street in my clothes is the best feeling. I nerd out so much.

I was walking my dog in Washington Square Park and I got an email saying Manolo Blahnik would love to collaborate. I dropped my coffee and started to cry. It’s such an amazing New York moment to be able to collaborate with such a legendary shoe king.

Where do you see your brand headed? What are your goals for the future?

We are trying to build out our e-commerce platform. It would be great to have the freedom to make what we want. We’ve been talking about expanding into accessories, potentially shoes and bags and some secrete goodies we’re trying to make happen.

Hilary wears Lorod Long Chore Coat, $890.

Model: Hilary Cerezo, Elite Models

Photographer: Sabrina Santiago

Fashion Editor: Nicky Campbell