Hey everyone!  My name is Jen.  I would like to give you a background on what I do here at OFS, what inspires me, and what my goals are for my dream career as a Fashion designer.  I love hearing about people's backgrounds and the kind of journey it's been to get them where they are now.  I always knew that I wanted to do something artsy with my career, but I never knew what creative path to take until college. 

I went to college only knowing the basics of sewing, but nothing about making clothes.  I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about being in a creative Industry and what I've learned along the way.

First, I'll talk about what I do here at OFS.  I've been working here for a year and a half, starting out with creating DIY tutorials for OFS's YouTube channel.  In these tutorials I focus on designing apparel and accessories from scratch.  While I still do the tutorials on YouTube, I'm also the Social Media Manager for OFS.  This is a new role for me, and even though it's not working directly with fashion, it still allows me to be creative and learn how to engage with people through social media.  I'm looking forward to connecting with all of you, sharing ideas, and hopefully building relationships.

Apart from working here at OFS, I'm a fashion designer starting my own fashion brand.  The brand is called Jennifer Lee.  It's a women's wear brand that designs and constructs apparel and accessories from scratch.  As of now it's only me working behind the scenes, but I'm hoping to build it up in the future.  My work for Jennifer Lee includes pattern drafting, draping, sewing, fashion shows, and selling on Etsy.  I received my Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design and Production from Lasell College, and I'm currently in grad school part-time for Luxury and Fashion Management through the Savannah College of Art and Design.  I decided to go back to school to learn the business and marketing side of the Fashion Industry.

While I'm not big on setting goals because plans change (especially in the fashion industry), I do have a few long term goals that include an e-commerce website where I can sell my designs, and hopefully a few brick & mortar stores.  Right now I'm focused on designing and participating in fashion events to help promote my brand and network with industry professionals.

What inspires me is women around the world and their personal styles.  Culture sometimes has an influence, but I love to see what inspires another person and integrate that into my designs.  It can sometimes be random and eclectic but that's how I would describe my own personal style, so I guess it fits.  The fashion industry is a tough industry to get into, but I know if I stay determined and keep innovating, I can make my mark in the fashion world (even if it's a small one).

I think that's about it for now, and please ask me anything you wish!  I look forward to connecting with all of you!

-Jen