Ten years ago, Laura Kramer (Graphic Design 2002) was sitting at a desk in a classroom at CCA. Today, she barely has time to sit down at her desk . . . in her office at one of the most influential fashion houses in the world, where she collaborates with many of today’s top fashion industry leaders. Kramer is the in-house art director at Oscar de la Renta.

The job encompasses a vast range of responsibilities: directing photo shoots, editing video, producing visuals for fashion shows, and shooting in-house. She also takes part in designing fragrance packaging, trunk show invitations, web assets, and social media platforms. "It's a family-run business," she explains, "so we all wear many hats."

Fashion Week Challenge

Last month was Kramer's first experience with New York Fashion Week. "The process is very hands-on. While photographing the fittings in the showroom with Oscar and the creative team, I recognize how amazing it is to be so closely involved in the process.” She manages the visuals both in preparation for the show and the night it takes place, including organizing the videographers and photographers in the pit to ensure the collection is well captured on the runway. The moment the show is over, she is editing video, uploading photographs to the website, and planning for look books. "At times it's stressful, but you step back and think, 'Wow, this is incredible -- I never thought I would end up here.'"

A Successful Career Path Change

Kramer came to fashion by what might seem like a circuitous path, graduating from Occidental College in Los Angeles with a degree in social psychology. After studying for the LSAT, she changed course and was hired at an advertising agency as a media planner in San Francisco. "The environment exposed me to the possibility of manifesting a creative career," she says. "I took a summer course in logo design and soon realized that I wanted to pursue a degree in graphic design. After researching schools around the country I discovered that CCA was the best choice." Starting down a new career path and earning a second bachelor's in fine art was a big commitment, but, she says, "It was a natural decision."

Kramer graduated with her Graphic Design degree in 2002 and began working at design and advertising agencies. She landed a job at Publicis & Hal Riney and then at Draftfcb, and did freelance work on the side. As her talents and skills evolved, she gravitated toward the role of art director. "It was a new world. I was exposed to the collaborative process of photo art direction learned how to develop ad campaigns." Working with some exceptionally talented people along the way, she gained extensive knowledge of the trajectory from concept to final execution. She is especially thankful to creative director Matthew Parr, who "introduced me to design and photography within high fashion."

A New York Calling

After several years in San Francisco, "I had been feeling the pull of New York, and I knew that if I wanted to pursue a career in advertising and fashion, I had to be there. I remember sitting at a stoplight and seeing a plane fly overhead, heading east. A feeling came over me and I knew that New York was imminent." She quit her job and moved, working bi-coastal for six weeks before committing to the search for new opportunities. "I decided to focus my skills toward this specific category. I have worked with some amazing mentors, and seeing how they developed their careers helped me direct my own. Along with my passion for the category, I believed that if I specialized, I could be more marketable."

From Ann Taylor to Oscar de la Renta

Despite the challenges of being in a new city during an economic recession, Kramer's talent, experience, and drive kept her career moving forward. She earned a position with the advertising firm V Agency, which brought her into contact with clients such as Versace, Shiseido, and Printemps. Next came an offer for the position of interactive art director at Ann Taylor, where she worked for two years, rounding out her skill set from print to web.

She maintains that her transition from graphic design and fine art to fashion was, in retrospect, a very natural one. "To me, working in the world of luxury fashion is like working in tandem with fine art. Ultimately, my job is to showcase Oscar's collections in their finest capacity." At CCA, she observes, "you start off with a foundation of applied art, design skills, and art history, all of which are incredibly useful, while the projects are very conceptual. At the time I didn't forecast the benefit this would give me in my career. But these challenges taught me to stretch my brain in new ways. When working in the real world you're constantly pushing your limits to solve problems." Kramer keeps in touch with many of her CCA classmates, including Johann Linden Industrial Design, with whom Oscar de la Renta is designing a line of beauty and fragrance products.

Oscar de la Renta's spring 2012 collection at Fashion Week was a highlight in Kramer's career. "It was a still, warm night and as I waited in Bryant Park for the show images to process, I felt a sense of pride to be part of such an amazing event." Kramer understands the path toward the perfect career may not always be clear, but with perseverance, determination, and focus, in 10 years your reality might surpass your expectations.

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