Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karen LaPorte. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Karen , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
After 25 years of working in the fashion industry, my purpose now is to pass on my knowledge and inspire a younger generation of designers to be who they are meant to be, design and live with intention, and to achieve all that they dream of. I worked really hard to do all the things I wanted to do in fashion. I worked on Seventh Avenue, had an indie fashion line and small boutique, worked for a lingerie start up and along the way I was always aware to learn as much as possible. Everything is a learning experience. I was able hone my craft of garment construction, learn business skills, leadership skills and more. I was and am always thirsty to learn more. It wasn’t until I attempted to leave fashion to pursue energy healing (another passion and area of learning) that I was pulled back in to teach sewing. It was then that I knew where I needed to direct my energy. I knew I needed to share my lifelong collection of experiences and enthusiasm for fashion was not to be wasted. That perhaps the best way to heal is to share, connect, and inspire. I’m now studying for an MFA in Fashion Design, learning more with the hopes to be a professor of fashion.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I currently work full time as a technical designer at SCAD while I’m pursuing an MFA in fashion design. My goal is to be a professor of fashion design. It’s both exhilarating and humbling. While I’ve had a very full career in fashion there is still so much to learn. Jumping back into school in middle age was a huge step and something that I never imagined myself doing. At the same time, it is also the perfect time to achieve a higher degree. Keeping your skill set modern and up to date is important in any career path and I’m building confidence with every step. All of this is what I want to pass on to the younger generation. When I was younger and building the blocks of my career I didn’t always have the right kind of support. I want to be that support and cheerleader for ones emerging. I want them to know, appreciate, and utilize the craft of fashion. I want them to inspire the generations behind them.
In my own art I want to convey a narrative of ancestral connection. Of where I am from and my connections to the world and my journey on this earth. There are so many stories to be told and passed on. This keeps the human element and energy in design. We don’t need more clothes but we do need connection.
I share my work on instagram at atelierdelaporte
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Top three qualities that are most impactful:
1. Have an appreciation to learn. Be humble and learn from everything and every situation.
2. Trust your instincts and intuition. This one is hard when you are young. I could always hear my intuition but I didn’t always trust it. Learn to trust.
3. Work with your hands. Digital is great and helpful but knowledge of craft leads to an appreciation of things exceptionally made.
Advice- Keep practicing and stay thirsty. There is an endless scope of what there is to learn and absorb. As a designer, you are never off duty. Inspiration is everywhere. Keep practicing and be curious about how things are made. Make them. And finally, you can achieve what you want. It may look different than you imagine but on some scale you can get there. Envision it.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
100% invest effort in improving areas you are not strong in. This doesn’t mean you have to do it all but it means you have to know something. Admitting where you need to grow is the first step in growing. All of this investment in effort is really an investment in yourself. This is the best kind of investment.
When I opened my small boutique and indie line I did it because I wanted to. I knew that I did not want to live my life without ever having done it. I did not wait for the time to be right. I did not wait until I knew it all or felt super strong with my ability to pull it off. Instead, I decided to learn as I go, to figure things out and I soon realized that my actual strength was having the guts to do it. And through that I knew I could do anything!
Now that I’m in a Graduate program 30 years after earning my BFA, I was faced with having to illustrate again. Over the course of my career I honed my garment construction skills. loved sewing, taught myself how to knit and all of that. But I never really kept up with the illustration side. In fact, I had a voice inside of me that said I couldn’t do it. During my illustration class, I told myself “it is now or never” and this is where my energy healing knowledge comes in because I knew I had to let go of a very old and tired limited belief. I can illustrate. Work of mine was hung on a student wall! After 30 years of putting myself down in my head I invested in the effort to improve. I invested in myself!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: atelierdelaporte
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-laporte-b57a69272
Image Credits
Karen LaPorte
Aeric Meredith Goujon
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