JAMIE LEWIN
FGI Member | FGI Rising Star Finalist
Jamie Lewin is a fashion designer with over twenty five years of experience in design and creative direction. Upon graduating from FIT, she started out as an assistant and worked her way up gaining respect for her hard work, creativity, and business acumen. Most recently she was the Senior Global Design Director leading the women’s design team at Gap. Previously she held design positions at J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, Armani Collezioni, Piperlime and sustainable brand Outerknown. She has traveled all over the world for inspiration, design development and production, and has had the unique experience of collaborating with celebrities and influencers to create new and exciting collections. Currently she is consulting for a number of large brands providing creative direction, trend forecasting, design work and helping their businesses gain market share.
Last year Jamie launched a digital fashion and lifestyle magazine called VETTED where she breaks down trends, features exciting new brands, and writes articles that you can shop along with. It’s this project that she is most excited about and looks forward to continuing to grow.
WEBSITE: Vettedmag.com
Q and A with FGI President and CEO, Maryanne Grisz
What city were you born in?
Philadelphia
What is your star sign?
Aries
What were you obsessed with when you were a child?
Making mixed tapes, styling outfits in my room, buying vintage Levi’s and adding destruction to them/ embellishing them.
What do you value most in a friendship?
Sense of humor and honesty
What’s your proudest moment?
It’s crazy how much pride I get out of my kid’s accomplishments. I love to watch them work hard and achieve their goals.
What’s the best part of your job?
I absolutely love what I do so it’s all the best part. Getting to be creative, build something and watch it grow makes my heart full. I also love that I get to work with other creative people and get a lot of energy and inspiration from that.
What’s your biggest fear?
Getting set in my ways. It’s one reason I love to travel and mix things up.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
I once had dinner with Bill Clinton, Bono and Jay Z. I have no idea what we ate, but it was a memorable experience!
What’s next for you in your career?
To continue to grow Vetted. I would love to work on an exclusive design collaboration with another brand for Vetted as well.
What’s the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Probably a video on IG! Sometimes it’s the silliest videos that restore my faith in humanity!
Who or what in your life brings you the most joy?
I love to travel with friends, discovering and exploring new places.
What approach would you take differently if you had to build a business from scratch today?
If we only knew then what we know now! I wouldn’t really change anything because it’s all part of the journey and a learning experience. And every “failure” makes success that much sweeter.
What is your favorite quote of all time, and why?
Fewer, Bigger, Better.
It’s just a motto for how I live my life now. I like to be thoughtful about what I really want and need. I’d rather spend more on one really good quality piece that lasts forever than less on a lot of cheaper things.
What books will you recommend that everyone should read once in their lives?
The Tipping Point and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
How do you maintain a work-life balance?
I think everyday is a balancing act. Sometimes one thing takes priority and sometimes it’s another. I could honestly work 24/7 so I have to cut it off at some point and put the screens away! I’m constantly assessing what’s most important at the time and what I will regret not doing when I have a conflict.
What is the best advice someone ever gave you?
To focus on what’s important in life and not sweat the small stuff. It gets easier to do that as you get older and as you have less time for the small stuff!
Who inspires you the most and why?
My grandmother. She was a fashion designer as well and is the strongest woman I know. She is 96 years old and continues to teach and inspire me.
What’s the next thing you’re going to do in life?
Continue to dream and build. The sky’s the limit!