People of Central: Lauren Fulk

Story by: Hannah Herdman in collaboration with VERGE

Inspired by nature and growth, “Rot” is the name of senior Lauren Fulk’s new collection, to be showcased at Threads Fashion Show on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

The tones are consistently earthy, providing a moss-like texture.

She said it’s relating to personal transformation to nature.

Fulk majors in fashion design, where she has gained experience through Threads, which she has been designing for over the past two years.

She said that she didn’t decide to become a fashion designer until she got to college. Whether it was art, graphic design, or fashion, she knew she wanted to do something creative.

“I saw it as the most lucrative career,” she said.

Fulk came up with this collection in a collection development class she took at CMU. Being a fashion design major, Fulk has opportunities to apply what she’s learned to her designs for Threads.

Fulk starts off her designs by creating a mood board. Then, she moves on to other aspects, such as the colors.

“The colors come along as the collection comes along,” she said.

For the actual clothing design process, Fulk starts with a sketch. From the sketch, she idealizes and then develops the patterns. The next step is creating a mockup—a visual representation of the designs. From there, she fits the model and adjusts the clothing.

The longest part of the process is making the actual clothing.

“Executing it is not that hard, but it’s very time-consuming,” she said.

Fulk designed three full outfits for the fashion show. Each outfit includes fully handmade accessories and embellishments.

Throughout all three outfits, a constant in the designs were the crochet aspects. Whether it was a full piece of clothing, such as a sweater, or a simple embellishment to add texture.

Fulk has been crocheting for four years. Her experience is showcased in her work, as every piece is a homemade pattern.

“Rot” is more than just a collection for Fulk. The ideas and the inspiration come from personal experiences and stories.

“That isolation is liberating,” she said. “It allowed me to grow in a creative way.”

By channeling the isolation she felt, “Rot” was formed.

Playfulness is a theme of this collection as well. Fulk said that she loves to channel her playfulness into most of her designs. It’s a key part of her personality.

Fulk’s collection reflects her growth as both a designer and a person. With “Rot,” she draws from nature and personal experience to create something honest, thoughtful, and
impactful.

To see her designs, you can get your tickets to the Threads Fashion Show here.