Meet Gabriella Lawrence

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriella Lawrence.

Gabriella, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
From as far back as I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in fashion and styling. I would often cut up fabrics and sew together outfits for my Barbie dolls. I loved experimenting with new styles and would deconstruct my clothes to make new looks. No one in my family is necessarily creative so I always thought of fashion as a hobby and never as something I could realistically make a career. I was encouraged by family (..and society) to study something related to maths or science. Something more typical or stable but this sparked NO type of interest in me.  I knew I wanted to be in a creative industry I just didn’t know how this could be something I could make a living out of and how to convince my mom that this is a good idea.

Before moving back to Arizona from South Africa without my family once I turned 18 – my mom let me go on one condition; I had to enroll in college. After being here for a few months I ended up finding The Art Institute of Phoenix and going to one of the open houses. Once I saw what the Fashion Design program had to offer – I was in! I remember calling my mom and telling her about it and surprisingly I didn’t get any pushback or maybe I had somehow told her a convincing enough story about AI just being the perfect fit for me.

Throughout my college journey, I have made connections with people who have been so influential in my life. Its been a rollercoaster of emotions but worth every bit.

Has it been a smooth road?
Is anything you want ever a smooth road? The first hurdle for me was being homesick. After being in America for a few months without my mom and sister- who are my rocks- I got homesick. I remember calling them just about every day telling them how much I missed them. Besides just being away from them, moving back here was a real culture shock. I was so out of my comfort zone. At one point my mom said ” you are not going to call me crying every day! If you’re not happy, just come back home” and I was ready to catch a flight back! After a few months (and a lot of prayer) – something just clicked and my whole mindset changed.

Being by myself taught me to constantly push myself outside of my comfort zone and to not be afraid of trying new things and putting myself in new situations, situations that I might have previously been too shy to be in. Once I got used to being out of my comfort zone – everything changed for me.

The next struggle would be finding out that my school was closing. I had two semesters left of college when I was told that my options were 1. Relocate to a different state or 2. Cram two semesters of work in one.

Moving was not something that I was ready for at the time so I chose the second option. I ended up taking double the work load on top of still working a full time job. My days would consist of school and work and did not leave room for much else – including sleep. It took a toll on me both mentally and physically. I was constantly stressed out. If it were not for my supportive instructors – I’m not sure how I would have finished but graduating from the Art Institute of Phoenix with Honors with a BA in Fashion Design was one of the most rewarding experiences.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I do a bit of everything. I enjoy being able to work in so many different subcategories of the fashion industry. I focus on technical design but also dabble in design and modeling. I enjoy doing something different every day.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Arizona is a good place to get a start in the fashion industry. The industry is still growing but because it is still fairly small, you can connect with so many people in different fields. It creates a good space for collaborative work. Unlike bigger cities – Arizona also has quite a few “mini” manufacturers that don’t have large minimums so you can produce on a smaller scale that can be more cost-effective which is great when you are just starting.

Contact Info:

• Email: gabriella.r.lawrence@gmail.com
• Instagram: gabriella_lawrence_

Image Credit:
Jeff Otto
Shane Baker Studios
Jenny Kaueman
Katelin Mason

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