By Abby Hathorn
Ken Laurence, a Birmingham native who is a designer on this season’s “Project Runway,” recently sat down with Abby Hathorn, a fashion and community blogger who is currently residing in Trussville, to discuss his inspiring road to Lifetime’s show.
“My biggest thing is to follow your dreams,” Laurence said. “No matter what people say, or the circumstances or situations that may occur in the process, push extremely hard, and keep persevering. One thing that has kept my moving toward my dream is that I only focus on the positives. You cannot let the distractions of life stop you from following your dream.”
Realizing his love for fashion design when he was only 10, Laurence immersed himself in anything and all things fashion.
“I am a self-taught designer,” Laurence said. “When people ask me where I went to design school, I joke and say ‘YouTube University.’ When I enrolled myself in a home economics class at age 14, I began learning the ropes of fashion design. I remember the first garment I ever sewed. It was a total disaster; however, practicing made my design work much, much better.”
Laurence lives by 1 Corinthians 2:9 and strives to inspire others through his work.
“I like to incorporate things from the Bible into my clothing,” he said. “I design with a lot of purples because of the spiritual meaning. In fashion, Christianity has been left out, and I feel like God has put me in this industry to help push His message, push His words. I am currently designing a collection where the main inspiration has come from the resurrection of Christ. When a woman wears my clothing, I want her to feel a boost of confidence and empowerment. I want the wearer to forget his/her every imperfection while sporting Ken Laurence.”
Laurence has a bright future ahead of him.
“‘Project Runway’ is only the beginning,” Laurence said. “I have gotten a lot of positive feedback not only from Birmingham, but worldwide. Being from a small town, that support means the world to me.”
Abby Hathorn is a freelance writer, fashion stylist and blogger. Her blog is at www.vintageinspiredpassionista.com.