Meet Laura Onuska, a 20-year-old sophomore Fashion Merchandising major and Studio Art minor. A self-proclaimed thrift store addict from the Pittsburgh area, she will be transferring to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City in the Fall.
- What do you like to do for fun?
I like to be active. I’m in a lot of intermural leagues and I like to be captains for them. I also really like to thrift shop. Whatever city I’m in, I’ll go in any thrift store and spend four hours. I’m really patient so it’s really easy. I love Tommy Hilfiger. I have so many vintage pieces. I also like selling them so I sell them as an online side hustle business. I also love to do photo shoots –conceptual, artistic, and fashion-related photo shoots.
- Talk to me a little about your business.
It’s called forkeepersake. I started it last April. April of 2016. I’ve always thought about it and people have always said, “I want to go shopping with you!” or “Take me!” or “Help me find clothes!” because I get them for so cheap. So one weekend I bought five pairs of jeans for $13 total. All the jeans were 90’s mom-jean style and fit really nicely, so it was like why not. I got all of these for $13, but each one of them at Top Shop or Urban Outfitters sell for $50 each. It is stupid for me [not to sell them].
The clothes that I sell are a lot of different styles. I base it off of trends and what people like. I literally go to the store and have a list. So last summer the Yeezy styles were all in, so like nudes, beige clothing, long T-Shirts, hoodies, bomber jackets. I would just look for hours and find a bunch of vintage clothing. I take a picture of the clothing on one of my friends who’s a model and upload the size, color, and price. Nothing’s over $20. I also created it because I needed a professional outlet to do photo shoots. I really want to style photo shoots, but I can’t just use clothes from my closet. I mean I can, but it just seems more credited to do it through a brand.
- Where did you get the name forkeepersake from?
I sat in my dorm last year with thousand of Post-It’s, my roommate got so mad at me because they were just everywhere. Any word that I found that I liked I just wrote it down. For the sake of your closet you’re keeping these clothes, but I found them. My logo is a halo because I’m the keeper.
- So I’m ready for your Thrift Store science.
Goodwill’s are more expensive than Salvation Armies. I love thrifting so I will spend money if it’s worth it. There’s certain things that I’ll look for like if it’s worn down or torn. I’ll go through all of the clothes and start in different section. The Salvation Army here is not that bad.
- Where do you think your love of fashion comes from?
It comes from my mom. When she was my age, she was making her own bathing suits. She grew up with seven siblings so she would make all the hand me down clothes fit them. When I used to play with Barbie dolls, I would never use the clothes that it came with. I would always make clothes. My mom had a big costume box and I would literally go, sit, and cut out pieces of clothing. Either I would hand sew it, because my mom taught me how to hand sew, or safety pin it. I would make them dresses and all kinds of things like that.
- That’s kind of crazy that you like fashion and you like sports.
I’m really eclectic, like I like to do everything and be with every type of person. Going along with being really eclectic, I found out my first week of my freshman year that I am dyslexic and I have ADHD. Being dyslexic, information comes in a different way then people who don’t have dyslexia. You understand and comprehend differently because the words come in different to your brain. I feel like I was blessed with that because it helps me be artistic and think differently. I don’t look at it as a weakness or a downfall.
- What brought you to IUP?
I heard IUP had a program that you would graduate with a bachelor’s in Fashion Merchandising, get credits from and attend the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan for two years, my junior and senior year. I came into school in that program, but then I decided that I didn’t want a degree from IUP, I wanted to fully transfer. So I got off that track and fully focused on studying the related courses for FIT.
- What is your major going to be at FIT?
Fabric Styling.
- What is Fabri Styling?
It includes social media, photo shoots, fashion, art, and marketing. It’s a major that compiles all of that together. It focuses on heavy related art courses and marketing courses. You’re styling photo shoots and ads for marketers to appeal more to trends. It’s really specific. FIT is the only school in the country that offers that major. Only 55 people are in that major. Some jobs [you can get] are editorial stylist, photo shoot stylist, and celebrity stylist things like that. Normally people with those professions or job titles don’t have degrees. That’s why this degree is so rare, but it’s also why I chose it. I would be one-upping my competitors having that degree.
- What are your future plans?
My hope is to work with entertainers, rappers, and musicians. Not really celebrities because their not really artistically motivated their more making themselves look better. A person like Rihanna, if I could do a photo shoot with her that would be what my goal would be. I would probably have to live in a city too.
- What advice do you have for IUP students Laura?
Stay focused. Be on your sh**. Don’t be pushed down by other people, if that makes sense.
Just one of Laura’s photography shoots. Her goal was to showcase IUP women’s different cultures and ethnicities.
Check out more of Laura’s photography: www.laursace.com
Check out her clothing business’s website: forkeepersake.com