In Conversation with Lauren Cook

Tell us about your background:

I grew up in a small town outside of Houston, Texas with dreams of moving to New York City to work in fashion for as long as I can remember. I graduated from Baylor University in 2015 with a degree in marketing, where I was a high jumper on the Baylor track team. I took fashion courses in college but ultimately decided to get a degree in the business school with the intent of working in a marketing role for a fashion brand. An unexpected internship turned into my first job of running social media for a hotel brand, where I then worked my way up to a corporate role doing sales and marketing for newly opened Hilton and Marriott hotels all over the country. It was an amazing opportunity, where I was able to create marketing plans, develop new client accounts and partnerships, and build internal teams. Albeit, I somewhat fell into this career path, I ended up loving the general business experience I gained and the incredible people I worked alongside. (The travel and very cheap employee discounts at the Ritz Carlton didn’t hurt either!) I vividly remember the day last fall when I realized this wasn’t the career path I envisioned for myself and that I needed to make a change. After talking with people I knew who lived in NYC and worked in fashion, I decided to take a bold leap and make the move to the big apple. I quit my job in October and moved to NYC in November. *cue Taylor Swift’s Welcome to New York* As soon as I got there, I started joining fashion groups, networking with anyone I could, hustled it out by working a remote styling job, and even had the amazing opportunity to work eight fashion shows during NYFW in February. Some moments felt like a Hallmark movie: small town girl with big dreams standing next to Bella Hadid, Adut Akech and Anna Wintour backstage. And some (err, most) moments were anything but glamorous. As I was starting to build relationships with brands and line up interviews, enter stage right: COVID-19. While the timing of pivoting into an industry that has been heavily affected by the pandemic was unfortunate, I remain hopeful and excited for a career in fashion in the city of my dreams. And as hard as this time has been for the industry, I think we can all agree that fashion is experiencing a huge shift for the better. During the pandemic, I’ve been able to do some project work for a few companies, and after chatting with Kristy Hurt during a 1x1 career consultation call (I highly recommend these, btw!), I’ve started using my social media and content creation skills to join the co-lab team. (Follow our TikTok at @jointhecolab) I’m enjoying this time of learning and growth, (virtually) meeting other amazing people in the industry, and looking out for my next role in consumer marketing, digital marketing, or branding!

What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

You don’t have to have it all figured out at 22. Stop giving yourself a timeline — career-wise and personally. Any job or opportunity you have at the moment is not a waste and will teach you invaluable lessons that you’ll be able to carry with you throughout your career. No one’s journey looks the same and there is not one straight path to get to the career of your dreams.

Best career advice you've ever received?

As cliche as this sounds I know there is someone who needs to hear it: stop worrying about what others think. I believe a lot of times in the past I put off career endeavors because I was worried about how it would look to others or that it would go against societal norms. “Would it seem crazy?” Ultimately, you have to do what’s best for you and your career. You are the only one who has to live your life - not others - and you want to look back and be proud of that life and not have any what ifs. 

What leadership qualities are important to you?

Being a genuine, down-to-earth leader is more important now than ever. Make your team feel comfortable to come to you with the good and bad. I believe the fashion industry has had a reputation in the past of this need to have a de-humanizing, untouchable personality to succeed, which can then create a toxic culture from the top down.

I would also say some of best leaders/bosses I’ve had in the past made sure to provide developmental and growth opportunities wherever they could. You can’t expect someone to live and die at your company - you need to be able to help them grow professionally and support them in their overall career goals. That, to me, is a true leader.

What have you learned during the process of pivoting into the fashion industry? 

It’s easy to have this mindset of “oh, I’m going to be overlooked because I’m coming from outside of the industry.” I had to learn to deconstruct that mentality. Find people with careers you admire, then reach out to them on LinkedIn or send them a cold email - you’ll be surprised how willing they are to offer their advice, connect you with others, or put in a good word for you. It’s likely someone was that person for them when they started out in their career. Be able to articulate what you’ve done and connect that to what it would look like at their company. Most of the time people are not familiar with the industry you’re coming from, so you need to be able to translate your experience into their “industry language,” so too speak. Leverage the angle of bringing a fresh and new perspective into the industry!

And for fun, what is your favorite wardrobe staple? 

White button down shirt 100%! I love how versatile it is - from throwing it over a swimsuit at the beach to pairing it with distressed denim and a pair of strappy heels for dinner! The opportunities are endless.

Email Lauren here: lecook10@gmail.com

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn

And, follow her on Instagram: @lauren_cook