Lauren Ladnier: Influencing, Breaking into the Fashion Industry, and Life in New York City

With over 72,000 followers on Instagram, a feed full of eccentric fashion, and the occasional (and always appreciated) meme, Lauren Ladnier, @laurenladnier, has been successful in setting herself apart in the world of influencing. Somehow Ladnier has mastered all aspects of being an influencer, while not filtering out her personality, adding a layer of relatability to her captions and photos. With experience working for companies such as Teen Vogue, Free People and Barneys, she holds a unique perspective when it comes to the ins and outs of the fashion industry. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to snag an interview with Lauren Ladneir to get her valuable opinion on influencing, summer 2021 trends, and some advice for students who are hoping to break into the fashion industry.

1. Could you please tell us a bit about yourself - where you're from, what you do for a living, what made you want to move to New York City? 

“My name is Lauren Ladnier and I'm originally from Mississippi- a southern gal at heart.  I'm currently pursuing a career as a content creator.  I moved to NYC to attend college at LIM.  I've now been living here almost 10 years which is absolutely insane.  Time has flown by!”  

2. Did you go to college, and if so what was your major?  

“Yes, I attended LIM (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising) College and I majored in fashion marketing.”

3. Did you have an experience or event in your teens/early 20’s that really inspired you to pursue fashion?

“From a young age I always showed an interest in fashion- whether it was putting on fashion shows for my family or drawing sketches of what I was inspired by in the pages of Seventeen Magazine.  When I was in high school, I was lucky enough to attend a camp where my specialty was fashion design.  It was while I was at that camp that I learned that design was not my calling and that I wanted to focus more on the business side of fashion instead.  The next year I convinced my family to let me attend a camp in New York City (coincidentally held at LIM).  At this camp I fell in love with the business side and decided that was the path I wanted to take.  

P.S. The movie 13 Going on 30 definitely made me want to work at a magazine.” 

4.  What jobs have you had in the fashion/retail world? What was your specific role at Barneys? 

“My first job out of college was at Teen Vogue Magazine as an accessories assistant.  After that, I was the assistant to the global VP of wholesale at Free people/ a part-time styling assistant.  From there I made the move to Barneys as a fashion and merchandising assistant then eventually worked my way up to the assistant fashion director.”

5.  How would you describe your style, and where do you normally get your style inspo from? 

“Agh, my style is all over the place, but that's how I like it.  I don’t want to be pigeon holed into any one style honestly.  I love wearing a girly outfit one day and then a super baggy and casual outfit the next... or a super colorful outfit, but then all black the next day.  I never want to feel like I can't experiment because I'm "dedicated" to one particular aesthetic, you know?  I get a TON of inspo from the streets of New York.  The style here is unlike anything else- it's THE BEST.  But I also get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest!” 

6.  Do you ever feel nervous wearing things that are a little “out of the ordinary”? And if so, how do you get over that fear? 

“Umm.. not really anymore.  I think back when I lived in Mississippi I was always so scared to experiment, because it felt like no one else was, but here in NYC I feel encouraged to try new things!!  I do think it can be really hard to get out of that mindset of thinking you're "out of the ordinary," but it's so important to OWN WHAT YOU’RE WEARING- honestly it makes such a difference when you own it.  SHOW That confidence.  Love your outfit and it'll show.  HONESTLY.”

7.  Do you have any predictions for major spring/summer 2021 trends? 

“Hmmm... Return of the lowrise for sure hahaha.  I'm not mad about it either!  I think a return of another y2k trend- fun, graphic tees.  I also think hand knitted sweaters are going to continue gaining popularity.  (I want someone to teach me how to knit so badly!!)”

8.  In regards to influencing, does it ever get overwhelming trying to get the perfect picture and curate your instagram to fit a certain aesthetic/theme - or is it something that you just do organically day by day? 

“I definitely think it’s harder than most people realize… I find myself constantly overwhelmed but it’s also the best job I’ve ever had and I’ve never been more happy in a career.  I think my main source of stress comes from constantly needing content but not necessarily having someone to always take my pictures.  I live alone so it can be difficult to get pictures during the week sometimes, but I try to have fun with mirror selfies and self timer (haha).  But in terms of getting the “perfect” picture, I’ve personally been loving more casual and candid shots so I’m trying to put less pressure on having the perfect pose and wall etc.  I LOVE arranging my grid so sometimes I get stressed if I’m working on a project with a certain post date, but I don’t feel like it works in the grid yet.  I think the longer you take pictures the better you get at seeing a photo opportunity that matches your aesthetic.  But to get back to your question,  I want my instagram to seem real and reflect my life/lifestyle so I try to post things as organically as possible.”

9.  It would be a disservice to not ask you about your nails. Where do you get your nail inspo from? 

“Hahaha lots of inspo from instagram, but also from daily life.  I try to find inspo in the things/objects I see too.  Fun color combinations in flowers or cute stickers on a kids bike- honestly inspo is everywhere!!!  We just gotta keep an eye out for it!”

10.  At times the fashion industry can feel impossible to break into - do you have any advice for college students who are passionate about the fashion and beauty industry, but do not know where to start? How do you make yourself stand out?

“MAKE CONNECTIONS and maintain them as authentically as you can!  But also intern as much as you can.  Make your connections there- try to work for other departments that may need help if your area is slower that day.  MINGLE!  Chat in the bathroom with employees and make yourself known. BE FRIENDLY and be willing to work hard and long hours.  STAND OUT!  it can be hard to get that first internship, but talk to people you go to school with see if your friends know of anyone who knows of anyone.  Ask people out to coffee/matcha and offer to pay for it to thank them for their time and try to make connections that way as well.”