From launching a vintage clothing business while studying Fine Arts at UC, to pursuing fashion and design in New York, Karenia has built a career that brings together creatvitiy and business. Recently completed her Masters in Fashion Management at Parson's School of Design, Karenia reflects on her journey so far.
Where did your interest in fashion and design begin and at what point did you realise you could actually turn it into a career?
I’ve always been interested in fashion and design. I grew up in a family involved in retail and the apparel industry, so it was something I was exposed to from a young age. But when I chose to study Fine Arts at UC, I imagined I might work in a gallery, maybe as a curator, or pursue graphic design.
Starting LA Vintage while I was studying opened up another possibility for me and it really gave me a tangible way to bring my interests in design and fashion together, while learning how to build and run a business.
Now I'm working as a Content and Brand Designer at a creative agency here in New York, which feels like a happy medium between those interests. I get to combine graphic design and creative thinking with brand strategy and business. So, I think my career has taken a different shape from what I imagined at university, but it still brings together the things I’ve always enjoyed doing, which I think is what you hope for!
Can you tell us about the inception and journey with LA Vintage?
I started LA Vintage in 2019, when I was 19 and studying Fine Arts at UC. At the time, I was buying a lot of my clothes from vintage pop-ups in Christchurch. I kept wondering where they were finding all this branded vintage clothing in bulk, and eventually decided to find out and try it myself.
That took me to rag houses in Los Angeles and Texas, sourcing clothing to bring back to New Zealand and sell through our website and Instagram. What started with clothes I wanted to wear myself grew into a business supplying more than 40 stockists across New Zealand, alongside three of our own retail stores. Through the vintage side of the business, we gave more than 100,000 garments a second life, which is something I’m really proud of doing.
In 2023, I designed and launched LA Vintage’s first collection of original apparel. I wanted to create my own designs, but the quality and longevity of vintage clothing were still really important to me. I worked directly with fabric mills to recreate the qualities I loved in those vintage pieces. That’s the idea behind the brand today, what we’re creating is vintage inspired and made to last, for the next generation of vintage lovers.
What led you to study Fashion Management at Parsons School of Design, and what’s it been like living and working in New York?
I think 16 year old me would be pinching herself that I’m living in New York City. It had always been a dream of mine, and Parsons in particular was somewhere I’d wanted to study. The opportunity to learn from people working at the forefront of design and fashion was a huge reason I applied.
By that point, I’d been out of UC for almost five years. I’d spent a few years working on LA Vintage full time, followed by a couple of years at Stirling Sports working developing their in-house brands division. I felt I’d built a solid foundation in the New Zealand fashion industry and wanted to challenge myself in a bigger market. The master’s at Parsons felt like a way to build on that practical experience and explore the connection between creativity and business.
I’d been lucky to spend some time in LA sourcing vintage product, and loved the people, the mix of cultures and the sense that anything’s possible in the US. New York felt like an opportunity to put myself right in the middle of what was happening in design and fashion. So, I thought there was no harm in applying and seeing where it could take me!
What could a day in your life look like balancing work and study?
While I was studying at Parsons and working at Orseund Iris, a day could involve running errands in the Garment District, helping with fittings or photoshoots, tracking samples and calling vendors. There was also plenty of time spent updating spreadsheets! Around that, I’d fit in classes, assignments and readings.
I planned my week ahead to keep track of everything. New York has an energy that makes you feel like you can get a lot done, everyone is always busy and moving quickly, so a full schedule feels quite normal. There were definitely times when I felt more burnt out than others, but being able to study fashion while getting that kind of experience in the industry made it an exciting time!
Where do you hope to see yourself professionally in five years time?
If I think back to 2021, I’d only been out of UC for a year and had been running LA Vintage for two years. We hadn’t even started designing our own apparel yet. Looking at everything, I’ve learnt and done since then, there’s no way I could have predicted where I’d be today, although living in New York and working in a creative role probably would have been on my vision board!
I’m really enjoying working with brands on their design and content production, and I’d love to keep developing in that space, with more opportunities to shape brands and their creative direction. Beyond that, I’m happy to leave some room for possibilities I haven’t thought of yet!
Looking back at our time at UC, what memories or experiences have stuck with you?
I remember the first year of Fine Arts really vividly. We rotated through two week blocks in film, sculpture, photography, painting and design. I’d go into each one feeling quite anxious about trying something unfamiliar, then come out the other end with something tangible that I’d made, which was very cool.
That first year taught me so much about the creative process, starting with nothing, not knowing exactly where an initial idea might go, and learning to trust that process, and find a way through it. I wasn’t super comfortable with that uncertainty at first, but I gradually got used to it, and it’s something I still draw on today. I had some amazing lecturers at UC, who gave me a strong foundation in critical thinking, as well as the fundamentals of good design that I continue to use today.
