Just eight years ago she was a young girl putting on fashion shows with her closest friends, now she has embarked on what could turn into a life long career in fashion.

“Playing dress up was my favorite thing to do when I was little. I would take my older sister’s and mom’s high heels and dresses and put on fashion shows all the time,” said junior Kate Larson, who has already started her career in the fashion industry. “In elementary school my friends and I used to have pageants in my basement and dress up; we made it the biggest deal ever.”

Larson has dropped the glitter and the sequins, and has taken on a more sophisticated look. Posting pictures left and right dressed to the nines in denim, suede, velvet, silk, and satin, she has created an image for other students  to admire.

“I think that in creating a name for myself in the fashion world would give me a great opportunity to share my passion for fashion with everyone,” Larson said. “The thing I love most about fashion is that it has no boundaries or limits, it allows you to express yourself in so many different ways.”

In today’s society where society pressures certain interests, many teenagers struggle to create a sense of individuality. No matter the amount of pressure she feels, Larson has managed to stay herself and let her outfits portray just that. From wearing denim on denim or unique cuts of skirts she makes sure no one else is telling her what she has to wear or what she can not.  This trait has grabbed the attention of the head of brand agents as well as fellow brand agents.

“My first impression of her was her fashion sense. She definitely stays current, but adds her own sense of style, and I love that about her,” said Sydney Nitschke, Kate’s peer brand agent for Hollister. “ She definitely has a passion for what she does, and it rubs off on everyone around her.”

Kate’s life long dream of being in the middle of the world that she fell in love with as a toddler is coming true.

“I’m in the Nordstrom Ambassador program right now,” Larson said. “It’s a fashion ambassador program that meets once a month on Saturdays, and you can shadow during the week.” 

Last year Kate took a jump and applied for the Nordstrom Ambassador program. That jump may have seemed scary at first. After gaining acceptance into the ambassador program, she has gained confidence to take leaps pushing her closer and closer to the center of the fashion universe.

“She keeps finding new opportunities where she can become more involved in the fashion industry whether it’s through York or some other store,” said junior and fellow Nordstrom Ambassador Delaney Tase. “ It’s really cool to see her create so many opportunities for herself at such a young age, and you can tell it’s something she loves.”

Quickly following Kate’s application to Nordstrom, she reached out to another large name brand to further push her name into the mouths of those in the fashion industry.

“A lady who works for the agency that paired with Hollister for this program followed me on Instagram,” said Kate. “ I saw her post about it and then saw the advertisement for it, it was exactly what I wanted to do so I applied.”

After her friends watched her snapchat story showing her trip to the Hollister headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, they began to talk about the possibility of Kate becoming a Hollister brand agent.

“I hadn’t really told a lot of people that I was even applying because, when I applied back in July, I wasn’t really sure what it was all about and if I would even get in,” Larson said. “ It wasn’t until September, when I was sitting in school and got the email asking me to call Greyson, my boss now. I got home and he gave me my offer for the position.”

After days of training and Hollister crash courses, Kate has been hired as brand agent. Her responsibilities range from promoting the brand through the outfits she puts together for school each day to posting on Instagram letting her followers see the latest trends.

“ As a Hollister brand agent, I am the eyes and ears on the ground for Hollister to promote the brand in a more authentic way,” Larson said, “through things like planning and hosting events, social media buzz, and working on marketing and merchandising for overall promotion to grow brand loyalty and love in my country.”

Establishing a name for herself in the fashion community at the young age of 16, Larson is proving baby boomers wrong in their thoughts of how lazy and undetermined the new generations are. Her journey of proving herself to the world through her talents involving fashion is just beginning. Keep an eye out for the name Katherine Rose Larson, whether that is on the tag of your clothing or in the credits of Vogue magazine. Her name is bound to pop into your life–if it hasn’t already.

“ I want to be in retail, fashion merchandising and or marketing,” said Kate.