I fear at this rate, the pod/newsletter may rightfully be accused of nepotism, because today’s guest is yet another member of the Hazel Ferguson/Sarah Isenberg extended universe. I had the pleasure of being introduced to Lauren at Hazel and Sarah’s Priscilla Presley-themed Valentine’s Day party and got the chance to speak to her in greater depth at our magazine’s issue no. 3 launch party. Not only is Lauren an extremely talented writer, she is also an art historian and archivist! You don’t meet too many archivists, it's not a job everyone can do. The attention to detail and ability to recall decades and decades of history on a single subject, not to mention all the ways subsects of that area of history can splinter through an analytical lens, is a rare talent.
Lauren, much like many of our art-centric guests, always fostered an interest in creativity, but it wasn’t until she got to college that she began to explore the niche of the art world she would best fit into. After interning at many of the major art institutions in New York including The Museum of Modern Art, David Zwirner Gallery, and The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lauren came to realize that her passion was at the intersection of art and fashion: a cultural crossroad that finds itself often ignored and even looked down upon by the old guard in art history.
“There are so many barriers of entry with art, but I feel like my career calling is to be the person to bridge the gap.”
At present, Lauren works as an archivist for the Petzel Gallery in New York,which gives her significant insight into the work and creative process of artists while also aiding in her practice of analyzing art and fashion through a critical and historical lens. In her writing, she frequently follows her mind down rabbit holes on the apex of art in fashion in other creative contexts from movies to exhibitions.
“I really want to do a book, a full analysis on artworks and how they’ve shaped fashion [. . .] even in my Notes app, I’m always writing down ideas of things to write about. The relationship between Dauphinette and Schiaparelli is one that I’m so fixated on.”
As cool as she is brilliant, Lauren’s style is the walking embodiment of art world prep with a downtown spin. In almost any scenario, you’d be sure that she is wearing head-to-toe Sandy Liang with her penchant for neutrals that only go as crazy as a pop of pale ballerina pink. Her ideal outfit is also the outfit that completely embodies her creative philosophy of letting the details speak for themselves.
“A white button-down is never a bad idea. A pleated skirt, tights, knee-highs, and Mary Janes. The pleated skirt could be anything – last summer I did a variation on a knitted black vest from Uniqlo, the JW Anderson X Uniqlo white pleated skirt (the cut is just so lovely on those pleats), and I just wore black sandals. I love a crisp, any shade of pleated skirt [. . .] the East Coast-Ivy League-prep styles are what’s truly in my veins.”
Her essentials are just as cute:
L.L.Bean Boat and Tote
Her Baggu X Sandy Liang
Cute basics (gives the example of her Hello Kitty tupperware)
Mary Janes
Plushies (Hello Kitty and Squishmallows, to be specific)
You can find Lauren’s writing on her substack Pastiche and her column Field Notes for Byline