Meet Megan Knape

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Knape.

Megan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I wore princess dresses and dreamed up adventures for my Barbies. I’ve always loved how stories and lives are connected to the clothes we wear. In high school, I started sewing my own clothes and upcycling them. I loved combining patterns, fabrics, and details into clothes so I studied fashion design in college. After graduation, I worked as a fashion designer in New York City. I learned a lot but wanted to be more hands-on with clothes and locations so I decided to transition into fashion styling. While still in NYC, I started an online magazine about my communities and culture call Lfty (pronounced lefty without the e). I’ve always cared about sustainability and garment workers so after leaving NYC, I volunteered in Lima, Peru with the non-profit clothing company, Krochet Kids. I met local women who worked with the company and did a photo project with them for my magazine. After volunteering, I completed a graduate diploma in Fashion Media Styling at London College of Fashion. In London, I also assisted stylists who did shoots for magazines and musicians.

During that year, I joined a surf club at my university, went on surf trips, and traveled to nine countries. The traveling expanded my world view and relationships with other cultures. After grad school, I moved back to Michigan where I’m from and worked as a wardrobe stylist on advertising photo shoots. I also worked and moved to Chicago but there wasn’t enough fashion work there. In July, I moved to Los Angeles. In the past four months, I’ve assisted a friend of mine on a music video shoot, worked at a vintage couture shop in Hollywood, and I do remote online styling for a subscription company. In 2018, I wrote a fictional novel based on my time in London. I’ve been working with an editor and working on rewriting my manuscript based on her feedback. I love LA culture, food, sun, and surf. I’m inspired by what my friends and the entertainment industry is producing and am excited to keep progressing in my career and freelance work.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My career path has had its ups and downs. I’ve always enjoyed my own personal projects but have had to pair that with commercial work to make enough money. After graduate school, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I had success freelancing, but in the winter the workload decreased so I had to do other non-creative work to pay my bills. In LA, I’ve done projects and work that is in my field but not exactly where my passion lies. I’m trying to find work better aligned with my talents and interests. I’m working on a novel right now but I don’t come from a writing background so it’s been challenging to tell my story in a clear, captivating way.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I do fashion styling so I dress models, celebrities, and musicians for magazines, ads, videos, and events. I also do personal styling where I help women craft and organize their wardrobe. I love fashion but also care about sustainability and preserving traditional craftsmanship. I am known for my love of vibrant colors, patterns, and styles. I aim to connect with my clients and represent their personality and spirit through clothes and accessories. I bring positive energy, mindfulness, and multi-cultural and global experience to creative projects.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood would be tubing, boating, and swimming on my lake in Michigan with my family. My summers revolved around days basking in the sun and splashing in the water with my family and friends. We had a foam raft we would also try to balance on without slipping off. To this day, I love and cherish being around water. I love being near the ocean where I live in LA.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://meganknape.com/
• Phone: 616-227-1245
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @knapemeg

Image Credit:
First two photos by Alex Kornfeind. Lush bath photos by Logan Runyon.

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