New Experiences During the Time of COVID

Hello everyone! I am here in Los Angeles and staying home like the rest of you. I've spent the last 15 years working and designing for a denim brand here in LA. I think I may be one of the last folk to carry a single job for that length of time. Unfortunately I was furloughed along with the rest of my design dept. due to Covid-19 and it's opened up a lot of new experiences for me.

Those experiences have been positive and negative. I had to file for unemployment for the first time in my life which was terrifying. I have also seen my income negatively affected by the loss of Airbnb'ing my guest room (shout out to my former classmate Brian). I was an early adopter of his platform and have found it to be such an amazing experience, not to mention is supports my mortgage payments every month. I've since turned my guest room into my office.

I have also used this time to revisit my finances and have actually managed to save a lot of money these last couple months. I'm actively consuming less and finding new ways to be resourceful with purchases. I've used this time at home to work in my yard. I've been landscaping and gardening more which in turn led me to explore using things in and around my home to naturally dye fabrics for new development. I work out every morning which was almost impossible with my prior commute (LA you know what I'm talking about). I've taken time to revisit my website and update my portfolio which in turn led to some new freelance projects I've started working on. I've managed to take a few socially distant trips to the desert to reconnect with nature. I've enjoyed the slower pace and setting my own schedule as I choose fit.

I hope that the apparel industry learns from this experience and values their employees time more and also works to be more sustainable and resourceful with lesser material waste. I strongly believe this will provide new opportunities for younger designers to break into industries and positions they might not have had the chance to prior. Companies that survive this pandemic will be lean and very conscious of the money they have to spend on talent so they may be more likely to hire younger talent with less experience to fill needed positions. So my advice to recent graduates is don't be afraid to reach out for positions you may think you're not qualified for. You may find this new environment provides access to opportunities you didn't expect. Hang in there and enjoy the peace and solace of home while it lasts.