Meet Farren Arendse | Fashion Stylist and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Farren Arendse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Farren, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

Growing up, creativity always surrounded me. My uncle was a talented artist. He painted the most beautiful paintings onto the walls of my grandparents house. My grandmother loved collecting a variety of different objects that she would often turn into wind chimes for her garden. My mother enjoyed hosting gatherings for family and friends, and put together the most creative spreads and entertainment. This was when a creative seed was planted inside of me. It soon became a big part of who I wanted to be.

In high school one of my favorite subjects were art, it was like a match made in heaven. It was a space where I could fully express my creativity and embrace who I am through art. My artwork was mostly abstract at first. Over  time I explored sketching portraits and then creating pieces using mixed media. Most recently I’ve become a big fan of sustainability. I’ll  use any left over trimmings, recycled material or simply cutouts from magazines to create and express my ideas.

As a kid born in the 90’s, fashion was hard to miss. Anything from bold scrunchies to acid washed jeans inspired me at every corner I remember getting so excited when my dad threw out his old work overalls. I’d rush to seep my scissors into them and recreate something new to wear. Often people would ask me where I bought that? Whenever I was asked about my fashion pieces , I felt proud and it made me feel like I had something very special to share with the world. The way I styled  my looks always and still to this day, reflects my personality. Fun, colorful and spontaneous. I often get responses like, “wow, only you can pull off that look!”.

All this to be said, creativity is the core of my existence. It is who I am, and that is why I chose to pursue a career in fashion.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Over the years, I have created a few ways where I show and sell my work. Instagram thus far has been a great platform for me to show my fashion looks and get opportunities to style for others and share information. I’m a firm believer in sharing knowledge and pushing other forward too in the fashion industry.  I also sign up for seasonal booths to different flea markets all over NYC. I love the chance it gives me to personally speak to my customers about my work. It also opens the door to network and getting honest feedback from my customers. I also continue to learn about business and marketing strategies to help me improve and expand my work.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My family and my customers are my biggest cheerleaders and inspiration. My family keeps me grounded and my customers inspire me to keep on creating new pieces. My loving husband reminds me everyday of my talents and how proud he is of me. To my very busy two year old daughter, who happily joins me at the flea markets, modeling my pieces (without my permission sometimes), I want to give a big shout out. She keeps me on my toes , but is a constant reminder that there really isn’t a big secret to life…just do what makes you happy.

Website: etsy.com/shop/FarrenLauren

Instagram: @byfarrenlauren