Elise lee

Hi my name is Elise Lee! I am 22 years old and originally from the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Growing up my life revolved around soccer and hockey, and I never took an art class in school. When I decided to go to Iowa State University I thought I would major in psychology or math, so when I stumbled upon Apparel, Merchandising, and Design it was a shock for myself and my family.

I had always loved fashion, so I took the spontaneous decision to switch my major to AMD. When asked by my advisor which focus I wanted to head towards, I admitted I did not know what merchandising or product development fully meant, so she decided I’d try design. Everything happens for a reason, and that very moment changed my life. Growing up I rarely drew anything, and if you asked me to sew a button I’d laugh and pass it to my mom. But that semester I found I had a hidden talent for drawing and sewing.

Being at Iowa State and in the AMD program gave me so many different opportunities to learn. The 4 years I was there I studied abroad THREE times, interned in New York City, and participated in a field study in Chicago.

My first abroad experience was a month trip to Berlin, Germany after my freshman year where I learned about art, fashion, history and culture. This was when I learned not only about so many amazing things, but that I loved to travel and learn through experiences. Because of this short trip it made me consider studying abroad for a whole semester.

Sophomore year came and I decided to take my second semester to Florence, Italy. There I took my art history, and history credits, along with learning how to pair food and wine! Although I did not take any design courses while there, I did learn a lot about myself, how to be independent, and not to be sheltered from the world.

Coming back from Florence I went directly to NYC to intern at LoveShackFancy. Although their clothing and designs are beautiful, I realized my style of design was much different than theirs. Every experience is a learning one, and this was definitely a much needed one. Being in the city gave me an image of my future there, and from that point on I knew someday I would be back to work and thrive there.

I loved my time abroad in Italy, but there was always a part of me that regretted not going to London to study fashion at one of the most well known schools. So I made it my mission to do the summer program at the London College of Fashion. I applied and was accepted and went the summer between my Junior and Senior year. There I took courses on styling, collection and portfolio, 3D design and experimentation, visuals of fashion, business of fashion, and culture of England. I learned so much in such a short amount of time, but it allowed me to start to see a future for myself and propelled me for my final year of college. My work done there can be found under the London College of Fashion tab!

I have come a long way since my freshman year, and I know I have lots more to learn, but I am determined to get there. I’m excited for what the future has in store for me and know that I would be a good addition to any team I am a part of. My goal is to be on a creative team, but I know from my experiences that everything happens for a reason and I am open to new possibilities!

Awards

ITAA Conference Finalist, Fall 2019
Iowa State: The Fashion Show 1st Place Historical Inspiration, Spring 2019
Iowa State: The Fashion Show 2nd Place Digital Printing, Spring 2019

Education

Iowa State University, Iowa, USA

Lorenzo De Medici, Florence, Italy

London College of Fashion, London, England