Abigail Grohmann
Q What do you do?
“I am a Swiss Army Knife creative. I have a background in creative production and project management, but can also ideate and deck build. ”
I've worked in fashion and music for the past few years and love coming up with ideas and figuring out how to bring them to life alongside a team. I’ve worked on experiential activations, branding ideas, sneaker collaboration releases, social media strategy, and thrown lots of parties. I am a big picture thinker but can also dive into the little details of a project.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I studied fashion in college with a focus on creative production. Since graduating, I've worked in advertising pitching clients like Adidas Yeezy, worked in nightlife throwing underground dance music events, and gotten hired as the creative project manager and brand director for Notre Shop. Growing my network has truly uplifted me and my ability to work on such incredible projects in Chicago, where the creative scene can get overlooked by other markets.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I like to push the boundaries of creativity in my market. Chicago can be overlooked by New York and LA for cutting-edge creative and creative opportunities. I like to dream big and bring those "wow" moments here.
Q What are you working on right now?
I am working on social media strategy for a large hospitality group in Chicago. I am taking graphic design classes to sharpen my creative skills. I am also doing activations and parties in the dance music industry locally and uplifting my own brand.
Q What’s your style?
My taste is edgy, yet refined. I do everything through the lens of fashion, even when I'm not working for a fashion brand or fashion client. One project I'm most proud of recently is coming up with the direction for a new stage at Arc Music Festival in Chicago, Area 909. We found large liquid storage tanks that we set up in a grid and installed an internal lighting rig to create the stage. Watching it light up at night was spectacular, and a world I wanted to live in forever: @arcmusicfestival
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I would love to put more focus on either fashion or dance music entertainment.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
The financial barrier to learning a lot of creative skills is frustrating me the most lately. A lot of design work falls to the bottom of my to-do list since I'm still investing money into learning those skills.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would hire a designer to work on cool merch concepts. Tee's, hoodies, bags, objects.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would have told myself after college that it's okay to take a few more classes to keep learning if I didn't feel like I was fully prepared to enter the work force.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would talk to an expert about how to market yourself as a multi-hyphenate creative. What areas to focus on and what areas to deprioritize to become more marketable.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am looking for creative roles of all types! I don't want to limit my search.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
In my last role, I was the Creative PM at Notre. The team was small and mighty, allowing me to work across all areas of the brand from collaborations to social media to brand activations. Each day looked different, and we brought a lot of different projects to life. It was truly a happy to get out of bed each morning work experience.
Q What is your rate?
It depends on the length and complexity of the project. For short term jobs, I'll charge $350/day but more long term projects I'll charge $150/day.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
abigail.grohmann@gmail.com is the best way to reach me. Please include a picture of your pet if you have one :)
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Some of my favorite creatives I'd recommend are Darius Osorio, Emily Lipson, and Seamus Doheny. They are all cutting-edge creatives. Darius runs his own fashion label, Emily is a fantastic fashion photographer, and Seamus is a brilliant idea-factory.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Go to a great party.
This member profile was originally published in March 2024