“Everyone holds power in their own ability to create, but it is what we chose to do with that power that makes all of the difference.”
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“Ann’s love for design started early when Santa delivered a design kit; he probably didn’t know she’d be unwrapping a lifelong passion.”
Ann knew from a young age that she wanted to be a designer and, today, at the age of 2O she has an passion and understanding of the design process far greater than she could have ever imagined.
Prior to college, Ann attended a global perspectives high school in Columbia, Missouri. This meant that all of the curriculum was taught from a global lens; days began with current events classes, evenings were spent hosting foreign exchange students, and term breaks were spent overseas studying history and culture in places like: Germany, Austria, Russia, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Sweden, etc. When school wasn’t in session, Ann spent her summers in New York City, London, and Paris studying at the No. 1 and No. 2 fashion design schools in the world, Central Saint Martins and Parsons School of Design. It was experiences like these that shaped the way that Ann learned and applied herself.
Stumbling upon wool and leather novelties walking down the oldest street in the world in Talinn, Estonia informed Ann’s design aesthetic and understanding of the importance of quality fabrics and craftsmanship.
Places like the Vatican City, Versailles, and the Grand Palace in Peterhof, Russia inspired a passion for architecture. The history behind beautiful structures like these continually inspire Ann; the attention to detail, craftsmanship, history, and cultural significance behind each one is incomparable.
Five years of studying Latin made Italy particularly inspiring for Ann. Having translated Virgil’s Aeneid from Latin to English and having researched life in ancient Greek and Rome, Ann was to apply her knowledge and accurately interpret the things she saw and experienced, while in Italy.
Paris was particularly inspiring for Ann as she was able to fully immerse herself in present culture. Her first homework assignment at Parsons School of Design, Paris, was to pick a metro stop out of a hat at random. The assignment was then to find the location in Paris and photograph it. At 16 years of age, Ann found herself navigating the unfamiliar streets of France and interacting with crowds of people that share little in common with her; she even accidentally ended up on an express train, which quickly took her far out of the city of Paris, but she loved it. She is continually inspired by education and integration.
Today, now a Junior at Parsons School of Design, New York City, Ann approaches the design process with much of the same mindset that she gained back in high school. Ann enjoys the beauty of design, but equally respects the research and design process behind it all. She stands by the design philosophy that “Design is a social process that maps the patterns of growth and change in a society over time. Our world is made up of systems that are constantly working together, shaped by history, but innovated for the future; the same goes for design.”
As a sophomore, Ann had the opportunity to put her studies to the test. Ann applied for the Fusion Fashion Show 2016, a competition between two of the leading fashion design school in the country, Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Ann was one of fifteen designers picked to represent Parsons School of Design, which later won the title of Best Design School, in the competition. Her collection, Classic Modernity, was a menswear and womenswear collection that embraced the power and beauty of the individual. It was a collection marked by modernity that maintained the integrity and history of classic mens tailing and the essence of power that the tailored suit embodies. This experience, coupled with internships in the industry and a minor in Creative Entrepreneurship, has expanded upon Ann’s understanding of the design industry beyond the walls of her school.
When it comes to Historic Homes, Ann finds the research phase the most inspiring part of the whole process. When she is feeling uninspired in a space, she always returns to her research. There will always be another story written in the walls or on the leg of a dining room chair; historic homes are full of inspiration, integration, and knowledge.
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