Lauren Manoogian is a Brooklyn based designer whose career began with a jewelry line she created in 2010 from sourced scrap metal and surplus materials. Her work has matured over the years to involve ready-to-wear pieces that are meant to develop with the wearer through all of their lifestyle changes. It is interesting to see that jewelry is what began her journey into fashion, as Lauren originally focused on studying textiles in college and until that point was unfamiliar with jewelry design.
A sense of honest simplicity is visible in each of her pieces, as she often lets the material speak for itself. Her work features a variety of knits with sculptural cuts that often remain loose in order to place an emphasis entirely on the textiles and how they feel. The materials she works with are the driving force behind each of her designs, as she creates new items by pushing the limitations inherent in each garment’s production process. Originally, Lauren had no training with pattern making, which is astonishing considering her work appears very calculated now. When asked, she has stated that her designs have originated from producing numerous “ugly” items, and it is through this experimentation that she manages to find the ideas that are successful.
As a whole, every piece Lauren creates is part of a larger textural narrative. Resilience, patina, and layered gestures are just a few words to describe her most recent release, as she continues to experiment with the ideas that revolve around knitwear and the way each material manifests itself. The common thread between her first jewelry collection and what has evolved into her successful clothing brand is her conscious focus on the idea of creating with sustainable materials and fair trade employment. Lauren Manoogian adheres to sincere handcrafted production practices, by incorporating the use of antiquated handlooms and ethically sourced materials, to create humble knitwear that has been reimagined.