Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Harp
Hi Cameron, tell us a bit about your career journey and how you got to where you are today.
As someone who’s always been making art and expressing my creativity in as many ways as possible for as long as I’ve been alive, a creative career makes perfect sense. However because of our societal pressures that make us all believe to be successful is simply to be successful financially, I pushed my artistry back. Science and medicine held a bit of my passion as well, so naturally I pushed myself into that realm and convinced myself I’d become a radiologist—so simple and easy! Until of course, it was not at all meant for me. I will never forget the overwhelming feeling that washed over me in an instant one day in my first college biology class. I was staring at a massive family tree of bacteria Latin names I had to memorize within a couple weeks, and the feeling consumed me. I gathered my things in the middle of class, walked out without a word, and never looked back. As a native extreme planner who had been putting so much effort into this path, I’ve never felt so lost in my life—it all just vanished in an instant. I had no idea what I was going to do next, but I knew I needed to change my major ASAP. A few hours go by and I’m sitting on the couch staring into oblivion, trying to salvage remnants of my internal war, and it all cleared in another blink of an eye. Fashion. That’s all it was all along: something I never allowed myself to dream into. It was like I finally untangled the ball of yarn that was my life, and I could start rewinding it to crochet a whole new life I never imagined for myself. I spent years obsessing over red carpets and the outfits celebrities wore while watching Fashion Police with my mom, but never allowed myself to envision being a part of that world. It was too scary and too not-practical. But my mind couldn’t hide it anymore, and my creativity that had always been a huge part of me came pouring out like a burst pipe. I could see so many potential paths for myself, so many projects to create, so much enrichment to indulge in, and above all else I was the most excited and happy I’d been in years. In that moment I ran with my heart’s desires after always putting my brain first, and I never looked back. Now fast forward 6 years: I’ve graduated from the Fashion Institue of Design & Merchandising with my B.A. in product development, and I just started a new job working for a luxury, ethical showroom in DTLA. I design and upcycle clothing pieces on the side, I’ve gotten to work backstage at fashion shows, I’ve gotten to model for good friends, I spent 2 weeks in Paris on a school fashion trip meeting a couple lifelong friends, I’ve gotten to be apart of amazing creative projects, and most importantly I’ve met countless incredible creatives that have made me feel so empowered and invigorated to be apart of this community. Although this field is not for the faint of heart and certainly over glamorized, I could never do anything else with my life now that I’ve tasted the wine. I have only just begun, and I dream every day of what’s next to explore in this infinite creative realm. True artistry can never be held back for long, eventually it takes over everything you know and do.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not. At. All. Aside from personal struggles like grief and heartbreak making anyone’s 20’s excruciating, an education in fashion is not easy. The fashion industry is extremely over glamorized online and in any media you can consume, and there’s so much toxicity behind the curtains that isn’t talked about enough. For one the education can be quite exhausting and quite taxing of a young creative. Of course it costs a pretty penny to even be apart of which is a struggle within itself, but the amount of hours you’re expected to pour into the work and have to pour in if you want to succeed, is just insane. Add in constant criticism from self and others of the work you produce, the toxicity starts to eat at you. Consider this: 15-18 units per quarter that should be about 15-18 hours, but rather takes double or triple that depending on the quarter. Then you have working roughly 30 hours a week to fund barely being alive, plus all the previously mentioned personal tribulations of your early twenties, and before you know it you can’t even sleep. After my education was said and done, I set out to find a job to build my career. I spent 2 years applying to countless jobs, networking at countless events, working on projects along the way to keep up my portfolio and creativity, and it wasn’t until recently that I finally found the job I was looking for. Again, the self criticism that every creative knows all too deeply consumed so much of me in those 2 years. However because of that time, I learned so much about myself and how I place value upon things in my life. Although it may have been painful, life’s complications often shape a person to be a better version of themselves than ever imagined—if you put in the self work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently work for a luxury, ethical fashion showroom in DTLA and also part time as a buyer at a local thrift store. Both jobs allow for me to meet so many incredible people with unique style and creativity, that encourage me to freely express my own individuality. Something I’ve always been known for is having my own unique sense of style, and helping others find their own. I get to do a lot of this at the thrift store through the clothing I help curate for the store, and also the constant styling of mannequins throughout the store. Now at the showroom I’m getting to use more of my business management skills, which I learned in retail and in my education. Add in building rapport with incredible stylists and designers, and now I’m getting to truly paint my own picture. I think what sets me apart the most from others in my industry and community is my versatility, and flexibility. My niche is the fact that I don’t have a specific niche—I aspire to always be a Jack of All Trades with a million skills under my belt. Not all creatives are like this, especially designers, as we are taught to find our image and our personal brand. I think my ever-growing versatility sets me apart from the rest, allows ample opportunities for me to be apart of, and means constant new things to explore. My world view is far more than just design or just creating an image. If I get too bored of one medium, I just try another and apply my creativity to all parts of my life. This is my favorite part of artistry and creativity, and I can’t imagine ever staying strictly in one lane. Allowing myself to grow and become a better version of myself each day, is the greatest power I could ever hold and by far what I’m most proud of.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
A couple key professors come into mind that definitely had a huge impact on my development in school. Pre-college I had 2 co-teachers in senior year of high school that truly set me up for life in ways no other teacher ever had, or ever could. Gillian Hart and Tom Stover, I thank you endlessly for making me believe I could and should do whatever the hell I wanted with my life. Miguel Barragan at ASU FIDM is also the best of the best, and went out of his way to truly be a mentor for me and not just a teacher. He helped me believe in my potential when I so scarcely could. Outside of school my friends and family have always been my biggest cheerleaders, for which I owe them my life. I am lucky enough to have a very small, but very loving family that has always accepted and loved all of me. Imagine your child convinces you they’re going to be a radiologist and then one day randomly decides to pursue a fashion degree instead—not, for the weak. Friends just the same, and best friends even more so. Any success I achieve will always be just as much theirs as it is mine, because all of these people have set me up to endure anything life throws at me with grace.
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