FEATURE: Anne Landau

This month our featured member of AMDA is Anne Landau, a senior majoring in Apparel Design. See her interview and work below.

Grace: Who influences/inspires you as an artist and designer?

Anne: The designers that inspire me the most are Iris Van Herpen and Alexander McQueen.

Grace: What element of design/art do you enjoy working with the most?

Anne: My favorite aspect of apparel design is the technical design. I love working on patterns, technical flats, and spec packs. I enjoy menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, and dogwear, but the female figure is my favorite to design for.

Grace: How did you start designing? What influenced you to decide on your major/minor?

Anne: I started designing when I was 3 years old. I would sit in front of the TV watching Project Runway and, using playdough and tissues with hair ties, dressed up my Barbie Dolls. All I have ever wanted to do in my life is work in fashion, but as I grew up I learned how difficult that would be. I grew up attending sewing camps at local universities. I scored a five on my AP 3D studio art portfolio for my sustainability and unconventional material collection.

Grace: How do you seek out opportunities as a student designer?

Anne: I am always online, searching for new opportunities and competitions. Auburn University provides many opportunities, but there are always more out there. Every time a professor mentioned a competition, I asked to participate. Every time we had an assignment, I would try to give 110% because I never knew if my work could be used beyond the classroom. My advice would be to pursue every opportunity no matter how small because it opens doors and you can always learn from it.

Grace: What do you hope to accomplish in your profession? How are you going to differentiate yourself?

Anne: My minor in Asian Studies and Mandarin sets me apart from the crowd already, but so does my love for technical design. Most people I have encountered want to be a designer, start their own brand, and be famous. I want to work in a company that already exists and technical work is not often enjoyed by most designers, but it is of high demand in the industry. I grew up in a house of engineers, so I have a creative heart and a pragmatic brain. I paired my Apparel Design major with a minor in Mandarin and Asian Studies to broaden my horizons.

Grace: What organization(s) are you currently involved in?

Anne: I am currently involved in three organizations on campus, and I used to be heavily involved in a fourth. Through my time at Auburn, I have held an officer position in my sorority, Delta Zeta, every year. I am current president of the Mariners Auxiliary which is a hostess organization for the NROTC which I have also held an officer position every year. Last year, I was Creative Chair for AMDA and I got to work intensely with the organization and the Annual Auburn Fashion Event. This year, I am a member of the Auburn University Modeling Board, getting to work with many of the models who I have worked with over my years at Auburn.