Photo courtesy of Epoch Times
Caroline Kaufman ’10, a textile designer based in Brooklyn, has recently made the Anthropology catalog with her knitwear designs. A graduate from the Fashion Design program at the Pratt Institute, Kaufman has been working with Anthropology in knitwear, “I have loved working with them over the past few years because they kind of represent my aesthetic in an accessible mass market way which is kind of rare for me.” Kaufman loves that Anthropology is a large company that also displays her style, and that they give Kaufman “full creative control” in her work. “In fashion, a lot of companies want to constantly edit down your designs until the point where they don’t look anything like what you thought of. Anthropology doesn’t, and that’s something I really like about working with them.”
Kaufman works a little in fashion, but she also does in home wear. As a textile designer, sometimes she designs the clothes and sometimes the fabric itself. Kaufman loves that she works for herself. “I have a lot of freedom in my day to day to really make things and be creative which is a real gift.” The challenge of Kaufman’s work is that she can never relax, “its not just like I go to a job and I get my monthly paycheck and sit at my desk. I can never get too comfortable because whenever I finish a big project, it’s always like, ‘what’s next? What’s next?’ Which also has its benefits too. You are kind of being kept on your toes and that makes what you do exciting.”
Artistic success did not come easy to Kaufman, especially at Choate. As a student at Choate, Kaufman’s interests were spread, but artistically, Kaufman faced a ton of rejection. “I think every single thing I tried out for at Choate I didn’t get into.” Artistic rejection did not hold Kaufman back. Kaufman states that it “was challenging for me at the time, but also I have a very strong sense of myself and I knew I wanted to go into some creative field so it didn’t affect me too much.”
At Choate, Kauffman says that her creative self was fostered through the creativity of her and her friends. Visual Art has long been a part of Kaufman’s life, having a mother who is an artist, and her creative mind never stopped, as she states that “I have always been constantly making things. I probably had more rejection at Choate then other parts of my life, after. So maybe that’s the thing that sets you up.”
Humble, dedicated, and passionate — Kaufman has had fabulous artistic success, although, it was not simple to get the point where she is. She admits, “Its not easy; it’s not an easy career.” Kaufman says that the most important thing is having an “authentic vision” and “something to say.” Kaufman states that success means having “uniquely your vision or uniquely your voice” She added, “So, work hard and if you really love what you are doing you can really follow through, but its not always easy.”
