LA fashion student lands job at jewelry brand Loren Stewart
Sydney Hardie graduates from ASU FIDM this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in fashion merchandising. Courtesy photo
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2026 graduates.
Sydney Hardie graduates from ASU FIDM this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in fashion merchandising and already has a full-time job lined up at Loren Stewart, a fine jewelry brand based in Los Angeles that features pieces handmade in LA and Italy using recycled materials.
“I’ve worked really hard to gain experience in so many different corners of the fashion industry while at ASU,” Hardie said.
She began working part time at Loren Stewart while taking a full course load, getting experience in administration, public relations, influencer marketing, gifting and creator relationships roles.
“After graduation, I’ll be continuing full time at Loren Stewart, where I’ll be head of PR and influencer marketing,” she said.
“I’ve been with the company for the past few years, and it’s been such a meaningful place for me to grow. I really value the team, the brand’s point of view and the fact that they care about thoughtful design and sustainability. It feels exciting to keep building there while continuing to learn, with a team that truly believes in my growth.”
Hardie also had the chance to work in Paris after participating in ASU FIDM’s study abroad program. She stayed abroad a few additional weeks to work as a showroom assistant with Deck Collective, a partner of Loren Stewart.
Prior to that, she worked for five years at a boutique in her hometown of Laguna Beach, California. On the styling side, she has assisted on projects for InStyle, I.AM.GIA and Raga Malak, and she plans to continue her freelance styling work after graduation.
Hardie said she has always been drawn to creativity, but it wasn’t until she started fashion school that she was genuinely excited about what she was pursuing.
“My dad worked in the music industry, so growing up, I was surrounded by creativity,” she said. “He introduced me to artists like Basquiat, Warhol and Banksy, and bands like No Doubt, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, The Clash and the Sex Pistols. I grew up watching documentaries about these creatives, and I was fascinated by people like Vivienne Westwood — people who built worlds, not just products.”
In high school, she started working retail, and she said her boss let her help merchandise the store.
“For a long time I thought fashion only meant becoming a designer,” said Hardie, who used to paint on her clothes and learned to sew when she was young. “It wasn’t until I started working in retail and learning more about the industry that I realized there were so many different paths within fashion.”
That realization led her down the path of fashion merchandising.
She earned an associate degree from legacy FIDM, and after Arizona State University’s fashion program expanded to LA as ASU FIDM, she chose to continue her education and earn a four-year degree.
“Transferring to ASU FIDM ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve made,” she said. “I could have stopped after my associate degree, but ASU FIDM made me excited about learning in a way I hadn’t experienced before.”
She credits Nicole Craig, an instructor at ASU FIDM, with helping her realize she wanted to work as a buyer in the industry.
She said Craig and all her professors encouraged her to explore her creativity, and ASU gave her the flexibility to take courses outside her core major, allowing her to dive into interests she might not have pursued otherwise.
“Being in that kind of environment taught me to trust my own instincts more, while also appreciating how much you can learn from other people’s perspectives,” she said. “That’s one of the biggest things ASU taught me: Creativity is a spectrum. I’ve been surrounded by students and professors who all approach their work in such unique ways, and it really expanded how I think about talent. Creativity can take so many forms, whether it’s a physical garment, a digital campaign or the way someone solves a problem.”
She tapped into those experiences while working on her capstone project, Nexa Collective.
“Through my experience working as an assistant buyer, showroom assistant and sales rep, I saw so many inefficiencies in the wholesale process,” she said. “Nexa Collective is an AI-assisted trend forecasting and digital showroom platform designed to help buyers make smarter assortment decisions while giving emerging brands more visibility. The goal is to make wholesale feel more intuitive, efficient and aligned.
“It’s a project that combines everything I love: fashion, strategy, trend forecasting and problem-solving, and it feels like the perfect way to close out this chapter.”
Here, she shares more about her ASU journey.
Question: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
Answer: Professor Marina Leight has always been someone I could turn to for guidance, and one piece of advice from her has really stayed with me: “Do all the things.” I think that mindset is especially important at this age.
This is the time to say yes, take risks, try new things and really invest in yourself. Her advice gave me the confidence to keep exploring every part of what I love, whether that was merchandising, sewing, styling or creative projects outside the classroom.
Q: What do you think you’re getting from your experience at ASU that you wouldn’t be able to get somewhere else?
A: The biggest thing has been the relationships. ASU FIDM feels incredibly personal. You’re not just learning from professors, you’re building real relationships with mentors who genuinely care about your growth. That kind of support has made such a difference for me.
One of my favorite experiences was studying abroad in Paris with professors Shaun Samson and Cullanete Bloom. It was one of the most inspiring and formative experiences I’ve had, and I truly don’t think I would have had this type of experience or education anywhere else.
Q: What are your long-term career goals?
A: Long term, I see myself working as a buyer in Los Angeles, New York or Paris (or all! I am very ambitious). I’m especially drawn to retailers like H. Lorenzo, Dover Street Market or Elysewalker because of how curated and intentional their approach feels.
My goal has always been to build a career that blends taste, strategy and storytelling, and I’m excited to keep moving toward that.
More Sun Devil community
ASU Online graduate studies harm reduction approaches in addiction psychology
Leanna Monahan’s academic path at Arizona State University has centered on understanding substance use from both scientific and human perspectives. This May, she will graduate with a master’s degree…
Department of Psychology graduate turns recovery into a path for helping others
Jenaro Hernandez is graduating from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis, a field focused on understanding behavior and helping people build new skills.…
California grad chooses a unique path to medical school
By Amanda LoudinMost pre-med students choose biological sciences as their major, but for Nya Clemons of Fontana, California, the logical choice was sports science and performance programming at…