Karen Bloomfield

21 years old

Hometown: Lansdale, Pennsylvania

"I'm not just a model who plays volleyball, or a volleyball player who supports herself modeling. I'm a female athlete personality." -Gabrielle Reece

I am a female athlete. However, although the stereotype behind this has defined me to others throughout my life, I am diversified. When people heard that I was going to school to be a designer, it seemed odd to them; not exactly the route they thought the "sporty girl" would take. I am not exactly who and what you would picture when you think of fashion designer. I have not been making clothes my entire life and I have not been dreaming up this career since I was 4 years old. Instead, I have been shooting three-point shots, and scoring goals. Subconsciously, I feel fashion design has always been a part of me, as there are many parts of me. I am an athlete, a competitor, a designer, an artist, a thinker, an innovator, an optimist, a leader, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. However, of all of these words, the one that most defines me to people I have known throughout my life is an athlete. This is not a bad thing, as I love playing sports and being athletic, but I want people to see that I am a talented fashion designer and that this is a very big part of who I am. My life has become research for the next collection. Day to day situations spark new ideas for innovative design. I am consumed with creative energy. My athletic side has now given me the competitive edge to push my ideas as far as they can be pushed to be the best I can possibly be.