Are you hopeful about the generation of people coming up in fashion?
This is such a great time to be in fashion. Everyone's really focused on sustainability. If you can have a sustainable brand and it can be affordable then you don't need to have like a million products for a shop. We don't have a lot of inventory, because we just want to present things that we feel good about.
How would you like to see the industry evolve?
The industry could be more regulated, as far as defining “what is sustainable?” Everyone has their own definition of what that means. I think the consumer needs to control what they want to see, and ask questions. That’s what's going to change the industry, and I think that is happening.

What are some of the changes you’ve noticed in the fashion industry?

I felt some type of way when Virgil Abloh was appointed as the art director of Louis Vuitton. Not even about him or his work, but I have always had this underlying negation toward the fact that men ultimately control fashion. Men control fashion the way they control every other industry. Men carry a lot of power within this industry and ultimately dictate what women are meant to wear. Your favorite fashion houses are run by men, you know?

Celine is now Hedi Slimane. It was a long shot, but I hoped Phoebe Philo would go to Louis Vuitton and do menswear; maybe Martine Rose could have done it or even Grace Wales Bonner. Things are changing, as they always do, but I would love to see more houses with strong female leads.

Are there any specific ways of how you'd like to see this industry evolve?

I’d like to see legalities regarding invoicing, working hours, and sexual harassment. I’d love to have some form of an alliance. The industry needs it desperately.

I’d also like to see more sustainability in fashion and within the actual garments themselves. Education in sustainability is important too. For example, when you wash clothes filled with plastics and microfibers, it goes right into the ocean. That's actually what's causing a large percentage of the plastic pollution. Therefore it would be helpful for a larger scale of people to be aware of facts like that because it all comes down to supply and demand.

What do you like about the industry today?

The fact that it has helped me meet so many great people. I’ve made some of my closest friends working at MILK. Even my friends who no longer work at the studio still work in the industry in some capacity whether they are producers, stylists, or photographers. It’s a great feeling to work with your friends.

How would you like to see the industry evolve?

More diversity and more substance. This industry has the power to influence the masses and gives people a platform to communicate their own stories and truths. So it is important that we are including the narratives of people that have been historically marginalized or silenced so that we can continue to make content that accurately represents and speaks to our generation.

I think it already is evolving a lot, but I’d always like to see more diversity. Especially for the people who are creating content and coming up with concepts. Instead of just including marginalized groups to make a campaign more diverse, I think it’s important to give marginalized groups the platform to represent themselves as well. It's always great when you see something in a magazine, and you feel like you can relate to it. It's kind of tricky because the industry, in general, is sort of classist, but the internet is changing that, which is cool.

The art world and the fashion industry are both becoming increasingly democratized, so I was wondering why you think both are heading in that direction at the same time?

It's definitely the internet because you have a platform to show yourself, but I don't think that you can judge the quality of your work through social media. There are posts that I know will do well on social media because they're easy, attention-grabbing, a great image or something. But it doesn't mean that they're always the best quality of work. It’s the things that are super deep and important in theory that don’t get the hits because they're too complex in theory – or maybe make people uncomfortable – for social media.

Also, it does give a new level of accessibility, you can get in touch with people, and people can see your work no matter where you live. It brings a new space that is outside of the gallery walls or agent’s books or whatever.

But art doesn't... I feel badly for art because it doesn't always come across well on the internet. You need to physically be in the space, feeling the art in front of you, feeling the scale of it. On the other hand, though, photography is great for the internet, and I think that has opened up a new world. But, I also think that it’s tricky. I have seen people straight up copying other shoots, straight up copying masters from years ago and they palm it off because people don't have that knowledge of what’s come before, so they get all of the credit. The internet has democratized art and photography which is great, but since there are no real rules people need to think about what they’re putting out there and looking at. So not just taking something at face value. In other words, it has both good and bad sides like anything else.

Also, Instagram has enabled everyone to think of themselves as a photographer. Someone might get 1,000 likes on a photo, and that makes them think that they’re a photographer even though they’ve only been taking photos for 2 weeks. All of a sudden they’ll say, “I want my photos to be in a magazine or on a website." Then when someone gives them feedback that might not be to their liking, they take it very personally. The thing is that you need to give yourself time to develop. Just because we get everything so fast, we get what we want when we want, people don't allow themselves the years that it takes to develop into an artist and to work under someone who's already been established. There’s a reason why a lot of people in the past haven’t gotten their big moment until they’re 30, 40, 50. Obviously go out there and knock on people's doors and send them emails but take a moment to consider your work and where you want to be and understand that time can be a good thing.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

I would like to see more and more young designers have the chance to be a part of this industry and to get more visibility. There are so many talented people and it’s worth seeing what they have to offer. I think we’re off to a good start though with social media, look at all of these small brands that we discover via Instagram!

What do you like about working in the fashion industry today as opposed to a different time?

Well, I will add something to your question. What’s interesting about working in the fashion industry today at 26?

Ah. That's good. I like that.

It’s growing, specially thanks to new technologies. it’s becoming a lot faster because we can move faster, like Fashion GPS for example. And with technology there’s also a lot more visibility. It is a real opportunity.

I mean at Loewe, we don't advertise in French publications.

Oh wow.

Instead, we communicate a lot on Instagram and we put our campaigns all over Paris on the side of newsstands. So right before the shows, it gives people a taste of what the show was going to look like before the show even started!

But anyways I just think our time’s about taking advantage of what’s changing and that we have to work with social media, not against it.

What do you like about working in the fashion industry in 2017 as opposed to another time?

There are a lot of conversations about diversity and making sure that runway shows and campaigns are representative of the population.

The industry was less accepting when I first started, I'm really happy that the conversations have shifted to unconventional beauty and body positivity.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

I would love a world where celebrity is not the focus of fashion.

Ah I'm happy you said that.

The Kardashians are written about a lot, but there are so many other people who have cool style or interesting lives that we could be profiling.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

Maybe to be a little bit more of an inclusive industry? I’d like the infamous Devil Wears Prada attitudes to dissolve. I think it might be time to be a little more accepting of new people and ideas.

What do you like about the industry today?

I like that it’s progressive and that we’re all equals. When I was a freshman, everyone just thought about the big, established brands. There wasn’t as much focus on up-and-coming designers, but now I feel ‘emerging’ is a buzzword. The industry flipped, and we now look at emerging and established in the same way.

What do you like about working in the fashion industry today?

The world is such a diverse and unique place today, from people’s cultures to their interests to their backgrounds, and I feel like fashion is finally starting to apply to every walk of life. From streetwear to, to chic womenswear, to men's suiting, and good day-to day-outfits for every moment from day to evening. Fashion today is so universal, and that’s exciting. It’s exciting to see how it’s progressing. There’s so much of it, too.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

I think it's best when things evolve organically and naturally, so it'll be really interesting to see how this happens in the next few years and to see what this means for fashion shows, presentations, and brands. Luxury is time and successful fashion is always ahead of people’s desires and expectations.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

Slow down! Less driven by hype and fast trends and move towards a more respectful attitude regarding how clothes and fabrics are made. I’m still surprised by how massively popular fast fashion websites are amongst young people and my peers.

Is there an impact that you’d like to make?

I’d like to celebrate the craft and labor that goes into designing and making quality, fairly made clothes. To be part of a generation of designers that can help consumers make smart and selective choices in their purchases, by creating work that people will cherish and treasure.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

I would like for things to go back to being focused on the designer’s perspective, more trends from the runway than from TV.

What do you like most about being a makeup artist in 2016?

I love the freedom of makeup now and the platforms available. Brands and magazines are more open to conceptual makeup as well as classic and clean.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

I’d love to see more diversity within the industry; I think it’s getting better but I’d love for it to be more of a normality and not just something trend led.

Are there any specifics you like about the fashion industry today?

There’s so much that I love. Oh God, where do I start? People are open to seeing new and old talent. I love that it's about finding new faces, visions, and voices. I definitely feel it’s a real London thing, but I’m sure it’s like that in other places. There's just loads of exciting stuff happening, particularly in London.

Are there any specific designers that are exciting to you right now?

I'm excited to see where Raf Simons goes and I think a lot of people have a really good idea. He's the key reason why I got into fashion in the first place. That was kind of my first really big jolt of fashion fashion not just like a Dolce and Gabbana dress on the cover of Vogue fashion. Also, I think Balenciaga is going to be exciting again. It's a lot of recycled ideas, but I think it's the kind of ideas that we need right now. There's not the kind of craziness that there was in the early 2000’s with John Galliano and in the 90’s with Margiela. I think that crazy, wild fantasy nonsense is kind of dead and I think that Vetements and Balenciaga are bringing it back and sticking with it. Yeah, maybe each collection is kind of similar but you're not going to see it anywhere else really and it’s inspiring a lot of people to think outside the box.

I'm excited to see Celine. I think it's been a little safe recently for whatever reason but honestly Phoebe Philo is probably the most talented designer alive right now.

Then I love Nicolas Ghesquiére. I love Louis Vuitton. I'll always be a die-hard fan but I also want that to be more exciting.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

More money.

There’s money. It's just not in good places right now.

Yeah, it's not like it was.

More diversity. More equality. More opportunity. I think one of the biggest things and you touched on this with your website. I didn't have something like this when I was looking for internships. There are so many people that need help, and there are so many people that want help and you don't know how to get in touch with them unless you know somebody or you have some kind of reference or some kind of idea of who to reach out to. I think we can definitely build a bridge so it's not so hard to find help and less of a shot in the dark.

What do you like about being in the fashion industry?

I love the people that I meet. So many people who live in London are from all over the world, so everyone has really interesting backgrounds and points of view. They all have different stories.

In the fashion industry, people want to make connections because that’s what furthers them but at the same time people want to make connections because it enriches their lives. Sounds really cheesy, but it's true, because knowing so many different people from so many different places, it makes for a fun life.

How would you like to see this industry evolve and change and grow?

A lot of the things that I've touched on before, just slowing it down, making quality over quantity.

People need to crave more and not just constantly be thrown imagery and stuff. I think as I've said before, I wish people would thoroughly research things and read books and watch films and go to galleries.

You're like, "Listen up, everyone!"

Yeah, it's just so important. Educate yourself. Sometimes I think I wish that I had an actual degree from a university rather than just a diploma, but you can teach yourself things, read books, and watch films. You can teach yourself whatever you want to know so take advantage of it.

How what you like to see this industry evolve?

I think everything’s in a bit of a flux at the moment. It’s changed so much in last 5 years. It’s going to completely change again in the next 5 years, so it’s hard to see a path forward or a direction. You can’t predict what’s going to happen next week, let alone 5, 10 years from now. Everyday the fashion news is all, ‘this is happening, this is over, and this is dead.’ A lot of doom and gloom.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

The industry can be super, at times, super closed off. I just think that I'd like to see it give more chances on people. I think a lot of times it’s just “no you’re not cool enough, no you’re not this, no you’re not that.” I think the fashion industry can be black and white and very cold. I have seen it before. I hope that as I move along in my career, I will be that person to give people chances even with no experience. All it takes is that one person to take you under their wing.

What do you like about working in the fashion industry in 2017, as opposed to a different era?

I've only been in it for a few years, but I feel like people who've been in the industry for a while, they’re tired. They'll say, “It's fashion week again, I can't believe I have to go to Paris again.” Whereas I feel like in 2017, I am 25 and I'm still really excited about everything. Send me to Paris for 24 hours, I'll go! There's really nothing that, or I'm not at the point yet where I'm tired of it. I've always been running around like a crazy person, and so I'm down to keep that going.

How would you like to see this industry evolve?

I'm always shocked how publications can be blind. You just have to keep up, engage with Twitter, and with what people are saying and thinking. It’s so easy to get out of touch. Editors have to look at what young people want. I want to see older editors get on the same page as younger editors. I want to see younger editors step up and learn from the editors who’ve been in the industry for so long. They need to meet in the middle, and the generations will fuse. There are people who have been in this industry forever, and we have a lot to learn from them, and then there are young people coming up, who have new and crazy ideas. We need to all work together.