Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Fashion Magazine

The world is her oyster. Born in the Vancouver area, and not even out of high school, Lauren is one of the freshest new faces on the Vancouver modelling scene. "I want to go everywhere" she says, and she's certainly picked a great career for that.

How does she find juggling her last year of high school with a modelling career that is getting increasingly busier? "This year it's more of struggle. But, mostly, it's manageable." On a busy week, she might miss a little bit of time every day. She does still manage to find time to be part of her Grad Council "I just want to see it done well - and, I want to have my part in it," and fit in hobbies like sewing.

Just over a year in the industry, there's no hesitation when I ask her how she feels about it. "Love it, it's awesome." It's obviously keeping her busy and satisfies her artistic side too. "I'm really artistic so it gives me a chance to be creative - and, I love fashion."

What does she think about the whole too-skinny model issue? "I think it is changing now." In the most recent Barcelona Fashion Week, models were not allowed to participate if they were under a certain weight. "But, at the same time, it's part of the industry - and a lot of people just don't understand that a lot of these girls are just naturally thin, and they are so young." she says. She does see the Vancouver market as being more forgiving than, for example, Europe - and, she doesn't know any girls with eating disorders. Realistically, she says, "You don't have time to be dieting all of the time, especially when you're on set."

When Lauren heads out to conquer the world, top of her list for travel destinations is London "…just because it's so expensive to live there….and if I was working at the same time it was kind of even it out - so, I'd get to see the city and not empty my pockets completely." But, her career may take her to Italy first. Recently, she met with about 15 scouts from all over the place - at the model convention held here in Vancouver, and there's interest from a Milan-based agent.

Before Lauren joined her agency here, Richard's International Model Management, she met Vancouver designer Jolie Chan, and did her first couple of fashion shows with her. Her first test shoot was with Candace Meyer, and she is still one of her favourite photographers to work with. "She knows what she wants."

With print work in such diverse publications as health and wellness-focused Alive, and upcoming issues of skateboard magazine Colour, and Vancouver Lifestyles magazine, her career is growing in leaps and bounds. She's even got a commercial for a large retailer on air now. So, how would she compare print work to doing a commercial? "Print is more fun in many ways - you can do more things and be more creative."

However, for her first commercial, you can't beat getting flown up to a glacier in a helicopter and working with 8 sled dogs. "Like, when would I ever get the chance to do that?"

She looks at the careers of models such as Lily Donaldson and Doutzen Kroes as those she admires, and adds, "and, of course, Coco Rocha too" "She's from Vancouver, and she is so successful."

But first, she'll finish high school and work as much as she can here in Vancouver. "I think when I travel, and I'll have this experience, that I'll understand it a lot better." She hopes to go away for an entire year, and then come back to go to school and study business. Of course, if it goes really well she might stay away longer.

In five years, what does life look like? "Ultimately, I'd be a top model - I think that would be amazing, but at the same time I really do want to go to school and have a career - and I'm eager to start that. I don't want to be starting that when I'm thirty. But, I don't know. There's two directions - and I'm going to try to jump from one to the other and see how it works."

With a sense of self that will serve her well in such a fickle industry, and a straight forward sincerity, I agree with her when she states, "School can wait, modelling can't."