Student
Apparel Industry Management Student Cameron Lehn Has His Own Fashion Brand CMRN X LEHN
Cameron Lehn launched his fashion brand, CMRN X LEHN Clothing, when he was a student in high school. He participated in FIDM’s Signature Summer Program, and this last spring he produced his first runway show. He’s now 18 years old and in his first quarter at FIDM studying Apparel Industry Management on the Los Angeles campus. We caught up with the entrepreneur to find out more.
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised in Dallas, TX. My passions are culinary, fashion design, and anything else in the area of design. I started cooking when I was eight years old and auditioned for several cooking shows like MasterChef Junior. I later developed an interest in fashion during my freshman year of high school and have been killing it ever since. I am a young entrepreneur, 18-year-old business owner, founder and CEO of CMRN X LEHN Clothing. Some words that describe me are self-driven, self-made, wise, and persistent.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments? This past spring, I held my very first fashion show and afterparty for my brand that I launched when I was 17. There were so many things that came up along the way to try and derail my plans, including pouring rain that caused me to have to change the venue from outside to inside two days before the show. But I just pushed through and in the end it was all worth it! I had Nordstrom, JCPenney, and over 100 individuals in attendance. The show was nothing but high energy from start to finish. As an intern for a catering company, I gained experience as head chef. About a year later, I was hired full-time as an event planner and manager. So I was able to use all those elements and experiences to curate a fashion show and afterparty.
How did you hear about FIDM? A lovely woman by the name of Kelly Blessing introduced me to FIDM. I came out for a campus tour and the DEBUT Runway Show. After that, it was love at first sight. One, you’re in the heart of one of the major fashion and entertainment capitals in the U.S. Two, the instructors either have been or are currently in the industry of fashion which made me feel like I was in good hands.
How did you choose your major? Since I have my own clothing business already, I chose Apparel Industry Management because you’re not only learning the creative side but also the business side of owning your own business.
What’s your favorite class at FIDM so far? I’m not too far in my FIDM career yet, but out of the classes I’ve taken so far I would have to say Technical Sketching is my favorite. In this class you learn how to breakdown all parts of a garment to correctly sketch the garment. So, now I would know what to do if I had to give a sketch to a manufacturer to get something made or if I had to provide a sketching for a designer. Shout out to Mrs. Hashimoto, she is truly amazing at what she does.
What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? My career goals are to have successful businesses. Whether that’s clothing, culinary, or interior design, my goal is to see people in my brand and make my brand a household name. FIDM is helping me in an enormous way by teaching me great knowledge about all aspects of the industry and networking skills. The amount of connections you can make and resources you can access here are just mind blowing.
What advice do you have for someone thinking about going to FIDM? If you want to get your education from somewhere where your creative talent is accepted and get great knowledge from people that have experienced so much already in the fields you want to be in, then FIDM is your top pick.
Anything else you’d like to share? If you have a dream or just an idea you would like to share with the world, my best advice would be to just start somewhere and take action. The best thing I could’ve done was to act on my dreams and ideas. The wonderful thing about starting somewhere is learning from your mistakes and improving on those mistakes. That’s the best way I’ve seen not only my brand grow, but myself as a person as well. Nothing has to be perfect as soon as you start. Failure, mistakes, and networking are all a part of success. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Lastly, never eat lunch alone because you never know who knows who and what someone can do for you.
Follow Cameron Lehn on Instagram @k.isaiah.n.g, and visit cmrnxlehn.com and Instagram @cmrnxlehn to learn more.
Categories: Apparel Industry Management Student
