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I just get so excited when people come to me for a project.
Getty Images; Crate & Barrel
I start screaming with excitement.
I thought I was going to die last week, honestly, she says.
And, well, on top of it, theyre paying me.
Laura Kim with a sampling of her new collab for Crate & Barrel.
In her mind, if being this candid helps others, its all worth it.
I am trying to get my CEO to pay for younger staff to get IVF.
I am going to see if I can speak up more about it whenever I can.
“I’m at the Monse office once a week, but when I’m at Oscar de la Renta, it’s just such a well-supported office that as long as I’m delivering what my CEO needs [they’re happy]. He’s been very supportive. I also learned so much from Sebastian Brauer, the creative director at Crate & Barrel, by how he was running the team, which is not something I’d see if I was just working one brand,” Kim says. “I don’t want to be pigeonholed.”
The honesty doesnt end there.
So, when I started cooking during the pandemic, I realized its the same process.
Youre ordering your raw materials/ingredients by season.
Designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia walk the runway at the at Monse show during spring 2016 New York Fashion Week.
Its literally the same process, but I have full control.
Laura Kim with a sampling of her new collab for Crate & Barrel.
So when the collab with Crate & Barrel was first floated by her, it was a natural fit.
Fernando Garcia, Laura Kim, and Pamela Anderson attend the 2024 Met Gala on May 6, 2024, in New York City.
Im very happy with the outcome, Kim says.
Plus, Ive been shopping at Crate & Barrel for my whole life.
Hes been very supportive.
Oscar de la Renta co-creative director Laura Kim, Mariska Hargitay, and Oscar de la Renta co-creative director Fernando Garcia attend the Colleagues Spring Luncheon on April 25, 2023, in Beverly Hills.
I dont want to be pigeonholed.
Glamour:What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Laura Kim:My parents never thought I would work…
I just didnt have a drive when I was young.
But something switched inside of me.
I went to fashion school, not necessarily thinking of becomng a fashion designer.
It was just something I thought that was not real that I could achieve.
Now I finally have a boyfriend, but the finding a husband thing didnt work out for me.
I went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.
Id been draping and sewing since I was three.
I loved clothes in the way I love shopping.
I signed up for a lot of internships while going to school at the same time.
Thats when I started to become a workaholic because I realized everything I created actually meant something.
It could become a job.
What advice do you wish you could have given your younger self, then?
The girl that was in Calgary who hadnt yet gone to New York City?
I was so lost there.
I wish I got a drivers license when I wasnt so busy.
Thats something I definitely missed out on.
I still dont know how to drive.
And you know what?
I wish I learned French.
I wish I did a little bit more before I turned 18.
How do you deal with disappointment in your job or in life?
I think when Im disappointed, unfortunately, its my fault.
So I have to get my shit together.
I think, What should I have done better?
What can I change?
I dont believe in replacing people.
What is the best quality in a boss, and what is the worst quality in a boss?
Its almost like filling in holes.
But Im like, why would you do that?
I really enjoy finding people who are inspiring me, who are better at what I really suck at.
For example, Fernando Garcia, my business partner, used to be my intern.
He is the opposite of me.
I usually dont remember celebrities names.
Its good to acknowledge what your weaknesses are and push people to fill in that space for you.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
I get a ton of free clothes.
There are days I really want to quit.
Im like, Oh my God, I just want to break.
It makes me so happy still.
I mean, thats probably the reason Im still here.
Im dying, but also love the honesty.
What is one thing youre a perfectionist about?
I must say, Im not a perfectionist at all.
Im a hot mess.
[Laughs] Whats the most misunderstood thing about what you do?
I dont know, actually.
My boyfriend didnt understand what I do for almost two years.
Im not good at selling myself.
We created a documentary at Oscar de la Renta for how we create a collection.
What do you tell people you do?
I just say Im a fashion designer.
I dont know how else to talk about it.
Some people really oversell themselves, and I just dont like that either.
But yeah, I design clothes.
What is one piece of professional advice that has always stuck with you?
I call myself the Eeyore of the Winnie the Pooh family.
I have really low energy, and Im always grumpy.
So that advice really helps me to wake up.
Im like, Why am I being grumpy?
Why am I depressed about something?
My work is amazing.
I get free clothes.
What is the best piece of money advice youve ever gotten?
My grandfatherwho wasnt a wealthy mantold me he never looked at money as a number.
He didnt want me to be so money-driven.
Hed say, Dont be so calculative about everything.
Just enjoy what you do.
What is your go-to thank-you gift?
I thinkJoanna Czechis the best facialist Ive met, and Ive been getting facials around the world.
Thats my gift to people that I really appreciate.
And now you might also gift people your new Crate & Barrel collection.
What is your go-to email sign-off?
I dont know how to end the conversation.
Im really bad at that.
Okay, fill in the blank: People would be happier at work if…
They really love what they do and are appreciated for it.
That last part is so important.
