Jennifer Carr
Jennifer Carr
Footwear Designer / Technician / Design Consultant / President / Founder of J N F R Design & Consulting Corp
Bronx, NY
www.jcarrportfolio.com
instagram @jenncarrkilla
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“Hi! My name is Jennifer Carr. I am a creator; a mama and a fierce visionary with a point of view that is rooted in my belief of working smarter, not harder. ”
I am a footwear designer and technician by trade, an illustrator in my own right, and last but not least, a design consultant who began my own business after losing my corporate job of many years at the start of the pandemic in 2020. The world bottoming out on itself created an opportunity for me to take the rose colored glasses off and lean in, so I could ask myself honestly and openly, "What do YOU want to do?!” From there, I realized that my skillset could apply itself to so many different design principles and that I had been denying myself real opportunity by staying somewhere where the glass ceiling was hit years ago.
I am truly a "Slashie" type of person, who has focused my career in footwear with an emphasis on learning the ins and outs of all areas of the business over the past thirteen years. I started with design and later branched into technical development, sourcing, and pricing. I am the full monte when it comes to end to end product development, project and team management, and generally making space for people to come up, own what they do, and feel really good about it. I don’t just want to stop at footwear though. I am capable of so much more and that’s why I am here.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
As a kid, I always had an intense interest and fashion and art. By the time I was ready to apply to colleges, I had my heart set on Parsons The New School for Design even though I know it would be very difficult to achieve. I did it and was accepted in 2004.
I majored in Fashion Design with a concentration in Illustration. I had dreams of becoming the next Ruben Toledo and had no idea I'd end up in footwear. I graduated in 2008, which was a really tough time to land a job because of the economic crash on the housing market AND got into a major accident after graduating, which put me out of commission for a little while.
Once I was ready to get back into the swing of things, it didn't seem like anyone was hiring. I turned to Craig's List and found a posting for a freelance position for a shoe sketcher. I thought to myself, "Hey, I can sketch...why not?". I went in for that interview and ended up landing a full time design gig with Sam Edelman. I had no clue who he even was, which was pretty funny. Although I was so green in footwear, the foundation was already there. I understood design, paper patterns, and absorbed as much as I could everyday from my coworkers. I took it seriously (maybe sometimes too seriously being so young and headstrong) and put my all into everything I was doing. It certainly paid off. I think that I felt like I truly first succeeded after my first overseas trip to China. I had never been out of the country before- I didn't come from a lot, so the opportunities that were beginning to unfold around me were so special.
I received a promotion and a really generous pay raise shortly after that first trip and it made a huge difference in my life for many reasons. It gave me the confidence that I did know what I was doing and could take it even further- my talent and time was valued and validated. It also gave me some financial freedom, which at 23 years old was a tremendous accomplishment but I certainly worked myself to the bone to make all of this happen so quickly.
I ended up leaving Sam Edelman after a little over two years and moved onto Steve Madden. From there, I did some bouncing around and ultimately ended up back at Madden until the pandemic hit. Last year I decided to take the plunge after being laid off and I established myself as a design consultancy, specializing in product design and development at a multi level capacity.
My focus is still footwear but I have taken on some art direction and design projects for other mediums along the way too, which have been super fun to work on. Thankfully, I have kept busy with steady work amidst an incredibly uncertain time and I continue to grow as I move forward. I’ve hustled HARD in my career, starting from the bottom and working my way through by rolling up my sleeves and getting into the thick of it. A lot of late nights, sweat, tears, maybe a little bit of blood, and for sure an insatiable drive to succeed and keep pushing forward. I learned by jumping, or sometimes by being thrown into the deep end of the pool and having to figure it out on my own. I had some great mentors along the way and looking back, I am thankful that it wasn’t necessarily an easy road to get to where I am today.
I was never afraid to ask questions- that is the one thing I would impress upon young professionals coming up and into their own.....always stay curious. I’ve always lived my life by approaching things head on, even if they got a little bit uncomfortable from time to time. From my own experience coming up and navigating the footwear industry, I’ve been able to take what I didn’t get and probably needed and have since been able to provide it for someone else. I am a firm believer in supporting one another, especially women in this business, or any creative field- this is something that the footwear space didn’t always celebrate. I’d like to change that going forward as I pave my own way.
How do you stand out in your field?
I believe I stand out because I have an expansive skillset, incredible communication and follow-up skills, and most importantly, I know how to connect with people. I am a natural leader who enjoys nurturing and guiding. I am results driven and really only need to be given the objective once to complete the mission. I am relatable, empathetic- but you won’t be knocking me down anytime soon, articulate, an outside of the box thinker, a problem solver, and a person who is deeply connected to those that I love. I value people’s time as well as my own and I am not here to waste any of it. Life is short and I want to make the most of it both personally and professionally, having fun and growing always.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Since embarking out on my own, I have been working on multiple projects at once. One of the projects I am currently working on is finishing up a seasonal contract for a Spring / Summer 2022 women’s footwear line for a factory based in China who does not have much presence here in the US. I showcase to a few of their NYC customers, setting up their showroom space, hosting viewing appointments, and providing digital product decks to promote and sell the line. The other project I am working on will go through the rest of the year, with an intended launch date for Spring 2022 as well. I am designing and overseeing the PD&D of a very exciting, elevated footwear startup that is fusing technology and high level fashion together for a product that can be worn multiple ways. In between these two, I have worked in some fitting consulting for another start up brand as well.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
This is a great question! Over the years, I have literally done EVERYTHING. If you check out my portfolio site, you’ll get a small sample of my ability to pivot through different aesthetics. I pride myself on being able to do this, but my own personal style and taste is that of an eclectic mix between minimal and edgy, androgynous but sometimes very feminine, and definitely more fashion forward. I love taking risks with my own looks but am very skilled at interpreting high level ideas for mass market audiences or doing something very, very specific. Eventually, I would love to produce my own line, which would be ideally much more directional but still accessible.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I wish I could focus more on illustration and general design direction, bigger picture type of stuff that is more art based....I designed album artwork for a gatefold record earlier this year and it was so much fun.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Finding the right type of clients to connect with and more of them! I have been lucky enough to have a few really great ones since starting out on my own, but would love to expand my range. Finding the time to devote to making profiles on various networking sites has been really daunting with trying to juggle working from home and childcare- being a present, engaged mother is so incredibly important to me......so doing something for myself that would ultimately help me establish more connections and be on my way to maintaining a lucrative, steady business as I continue to grow is something that has been put on the back burner as of late.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Update my spreadsheets for the accountant!
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I would have liked to tell myself in the beginning of my career, circa 2008, not to sweat the small stuff and also that you're not curing cancer, it's just shoes! Learn to have a solid poker face and always stay calm. The footwear industry has a tendency to suck you in and overtake you if you allow it to. Work/Life balance is HUGE and truly the key to happiness, not the dollar amount attached. I think it took getting pregnant and actually needing to dial it down for me to have this epiphany!
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
How to pivot into different industries without having to start from the bottom again. The knowledge and skill is there, but how do you make yourself more marketable?
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Always looking for design projects within the fashion / footwear space, design projects within a more artistic, graphic space, projects or opportunities that allow for bigger picture overviews, collaborations with other designers...open to both short and long term hauls with the underlying theme here being retaining clients to come back for more work ;)
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
A really wonderful job experience I have had is with one of my current projects- the client who contracted me out is a wonderful communicator and super organized, which makes things very easy as I am the same way. The vision for the product is also super exciting, so that is a huge plus. There are a lot of moving parts and it has been great to be interwoven into some of the pieces previously established before coming on board in order to keep moving the product forward and helping refine it by using my expertise. Communication is the most important thing in my opinion. I put a lot of emphasis on understanding the needs of the client, asking questions as needed and making sure they are fully abreast of what goes into each step of the process. I enjoy working for/with people who hold communication with the same level of regard.
Who is a creative that has helped you elevate your work?
Maide Graebin (maidebrasil@hotmail.com, @this_is_my_g on Instagram).
Maide is a force of nature- super talented and provided me with so many tools I needed to grow. I could name aspirational people I'll likely never meet, but I think it's important to show love for the real ones doing it too ;)
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email is best- this way we can set something up for a Zoom, a phone call, or an in person meet. The intro should include the intent of the project/scope of work....I like to get a feel for the client and the project first. I think the budget conversation should come after the specifics are discussed.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Allow inspiration to come from everywhere- because it does.
This member profile was originally published in June 2021.