Meet Lauren K. Lancy of THE KINDCRAFT in Highland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren K. Lancy.

Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
While I was working as a fashion designer in New York City, I got married and went on a trip-around-the-world honeymoon. In 2010, Justin and I visited 13 countries and 24 cities in 80 days. Southeast Asia was particularly inspiring to me in seeing handwoven textiles and culture-specific craft. After our trip, I returned to New York and kept thinking about ways that the fashion industry could work with artisans. In late 2012, Justin and I took a leap and moved from Brooklyn, New York to Luang Prabang, Laos. We then moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand where we began THE KINDCRAFT platform for thoughtful, ethical design. We lived in Southeast Asia for six years before settling in Los Angeles in 2018.

Has it been a smooth road?
Moving across the world could never be described as an easy journey, but I’m so glad that I did it. As a designer, it was a privilege to experience natural indigo dye and to know women who weave on backstrap looms just as their ancestors did. I collaborated with textile studios and ceramicists who work in peaceful outdoor studios where papayas grow and pet chickens roam around. On the weekends, I would drive up the mountain on my motorbike and have a picnic next to the waterfall with local friends. As foreigners, Justin and I had to exit the country every 90 days so we did visa runs all over the region — Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, India — in addition to our annual trip back to the States. It was a busy time with a lot of financial and logistic challenges so I sometimes struggled to make sense of it all and know how to run a business. Ultimately, it was that journey that shaped me and carries me forward still.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with THE KINDCRAFT – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
THE KINDCRAFT is a platform for thoughtful, ethical design. Justin and I publish an independent digital magazine, an online shop, and offer design and storytelling advisory services. This project is special because it’s a labor of love created out of the personal relationships we made living in Southeast Asia and traveling globally. I work in collaboration with artisans to develop original fashion and home goods and I was quite hands-on with product development in Southeast Asia. Now that we’re Stateside, I primarily work as a consultant. I offer design, trend forecasting, sourcing, and development services to brands and businesses. Take a look at thekindcraft.com to read articles, visit our shop, and please reach out if you’re interested in our advisory services.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
When we decided to move back to the States, we considered returning to Brooklyn but we wanted to have a new experience in California. I had never lived on the West Coast and LA is still new to me. After two years here, I’m very grateful for all that this vast city has to offer: mountains, ocean, desert, and urban life full of opportunities. We love our Highland Park community and I’ve made relationships with ease here. Southern California’s densely packed highways and hiking trails don’t take away from how sunny life is here. I also like California’s proximity to Mexico and look forward to exploring more of Latin America when the COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thekindcraft.com
• Email: hello@thekindcraft.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/thekindcraft
• Facebook: Facebook.com/thekindcraft

Image Credit:
The Kindcraft x Studio Naenna Phioto by Marisa Marchitelli; The Kindcraft x_ InClay Photo by Lauren K Lancy; Indigo Photo by Lauren K Lancy; Indian Block Printing Village Photo by Justin Lancy; Indian Block Printing Photo by Justin Lancy

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