DESIGNER PROFILE - LETICIA JACOBSON

What should everyone know about you?
LJ: I’m a womenswear designer with about 5 years of mixed industry experience under my belt as a freelancer, product developer and designer. I graduated from London College of Fashion with a degree in design and recently relocated from Sweden to California in pursuit of new industry opportunities.

How would you describe what you do?
LJ: I design and develop collections primarily using Adobe Creative Suite, but I enjoy illustrations as well with my fine art background. I like working with fabric and product development, my preference is womenswear in both knit and woven.

Why did you choose to be a designer?
LJ: I wanted the opportunity to express myself creatively in a way that was more goal-oriented than fine art, which was what I studied initially. Fashion opened up a new world of opportunities that has introduced me to a massive industry and given me an exciting and challenging career path.

What steps did you take to become a designer?
LJ: It all happened a little backwards, I ended up working as a designer before I studied to be one. When I found myself in China working with international brands I realized just how much I enjoyed it and decided to go back to school and get my degree in design.

Best/Most Challenging part of your job?
LJ: The most challenging part about design development is meeting the needs of your consumer as they differ from your own. This, however, does also represent the best part of my job. It really forces me to think outside the box and experience techniques and tastes that I may otherwise have never experienced.

If you weren’t a designer what would you be?
LJ: It’s quite far removed from design, but growing up my biggest passion was Egyptology. It was such a vibrant culture and the idea of exploring forgotten history was very exciting to me. If I hadn’t pursued design, that’s definitely what I would be doing. Or a horse trainer. I love horses.

How did you get started in design?
LJ: It actually sort of fell in my lap. A buyer from a company in southern Sweden found my illustrations when I had decided to leave the fine art world and asked me if I’d be interested in using my knowledge in art for fashion design. I took the opportunity without hesitation and it all sort of snowballed from there. I chuckle now because 7 years later I think he’s one of my biggest fans and definitely one of the strongest support beams I have in the industry.

What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?
LJ: People tend to confuse stylists with designers. When I tell someone I’m a fashion designer, they size up my outfit as if that could confirm or deny my claim. I don’t think people realize that designers are the sleepy, disheveled people in the back of the room with cramped drawing fingers and the same jeans they’ve been wearing for the last 3 days, haha.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
LJ: I want to eventually establish a label that’s focused on sustainability, from materials, to product development, to distribution. If I can contribute to the environment while pursuing my dreams as a designer, I’ll have achieved my goal. For now, or at least the next 10 years, I want to gain as much industry experience as possible so I can make more informed decisions as I grow as a designer.

How has your work evolved since you began your career?
LJ: I’ve learned to become a little more daring with my work. Anna Bianca, the label I established in my final year at LCF, was an opportunity for me to be more expressive. I’ve sort of gone from this classic and elegant designer to a more structural, minimal designer. Growing up in Sweden I really found a passion for the Scandinavian minimalism and want to start incorporating it into my work.

What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
LJ: Sustainability. It’s absolutely captivating how innovative and creative the industry is becoming when incorporating recycled materials. Environmentalism is a hugely important issue to me and I want to be able to make a difference in the industry the same way others, big and small, are doing. This is inspiring me to really research new ways to use old materials and fill the niches in the market that still exist.

What advice would you give to young designers?
LJ: Fashion design is very competitive, but it’s also amazing and exciting with the right people. I’ve learned that the more open you are to working with a team or being a good leader, the more supportive and less terrifying the whole industry becomes. You just have to be passionate about what you do, it’s the single most important component to success as a designer.

What would you like to achieve before the end of the year?
LJ: I’ve recently relocated from Sweden to California for a change of environment and to experience a different branch of the design industry. My goal by the end of the year is to be working with a company that inspires me to push myself as a designer.

Are you superstitious or do you have any rules you live by?
LJ: I guess I believe in karma, but not in a superstitious way if that makes sense. There’s always going to be unfairness and disbalance between you and the people around you, but I think if you work hard and do good things, it’ll come back around to benefit you in the end.

What’s your motto?
LJ: Don’t put tailoring pins in your mouth!! I swallowed one once. A lesson I will never forget.

London College of Fashion graduate Leticia Jacobson works with a passion and drive that is reflected in the bold silhouettes of her collections. After 5 years in the industry working with product development, freelance design and even retail, she’s found her love in womenswear design. Keenly aware of the extreme importance of caring for our environment, she continues to pursue opportunities that will allow her to combine her passion of sustainability with her love for design. She wishes to convey this through Scandinavian inspiration, home to some of the most environmental cities in the world, including her own hometown of Stockholm. Recently relocated to Los Angeles, California, she hopes to continue her career path in design with exciting and inspirational companies that may offer new opportunities and perspectives to help her grow as a designer.