Meet Hannah Hauge | Art Director & Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Hauge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, how do you think about risk?
I think that my entire career choice has honestly just been one huge risk – anyone working in a freelance position could attest to this. You’re having to constantly put yourself out there, face rejection after rejection, until something hopefully lands. Network your ass off hoping you’re in the right rooms with the right people because for creatives jobs don’t come naturally. We have to hustle really hard to get a couple jobs to pay our bills as well as save, so that we can simultaneously invest in ourselves and our craft, then start the process all over again. With what I do specifically, it’s very competitive and most people who consider themselves an art director or a stylist generally have their own niche, or “style” or doing things – it’s what makes them great and overall what they are generally known for. It takes a lot of time, energy, money, and strength to get there, but I think once you do it can be very fulfilling because at the end of the day you’re investing in yourself and what you love to create art. For me, I’ve always really loved fashion. I’m still very much so figuring out exactly what my path is and the process has had it’s ups and downs, but I know I’m at least in the right direction because I get to do it at my own pace making my own rules.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart is that more often times than not, I am a one woman production team; while I am very creative, part of me has a great appreciation for seeing the process of projects I work on come together, so often times I’ll come up with an idea and I’ll piece together the cast, crew, location, clothing, etc, and just hope it comes to life in the way I had anticipated. Doing so has allowed me the space to work with various creatives which has in turn lended a hand in me figuring out the type of work I want to produce long term. I’m really proud of myself for not giving up, especially when a shoot doesn’t turn out the way I had envisioned or isn’t seen “by the right people”. It takes a lot to fail fast and pick yourself up again and hope for better results, so I’m just looking forward to seeing my work continue to grow and get better as I continue to create.

I have worked several jobs to get to where I am. All while being a full time student, I hustled working as a warehouse operations manager for a women’s retailer in San Francisco, took on art direction for a non-profit’s digital magazine sponsored by Bloomingdales, and assisted many photographers as well as art directors. It wasn’t easy at all. I think I always just found that I was working way too hard for jobs that weren’t truly fulfilling to what I wanted to do, but it was always within the same realm of work, so when it came time to producing for myself the energy had just been sucked out of me and it wasn’t fun anymore. Knowing when to accept or deny a job can be really hard, and takes a lot of self disciple as a creative to avoid burnout. Something might sound really exciting, but once that project wraps what will it have satisfied in your journey as a creative? I think I’m still figuring this out, but just knowing to give yourself the time and space to be selfish and only say yes to opportunities that make sense to you. It’s also important to not be hard on yourself, which I’m also still learning. Like many others, I’m very ‘hungry’ for my career. I love what I do and I want to be the best at it. Not for other people, but for myself and just telling myself that way I am doing is enough sometimes is what I need to get through the day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To be completely honest, LA is not my favorite place to spend time… I live in the thick of it, so it’s very intense 24/7. However, in my time here I have found a few spots here and there that can make the city feel more ‘at home’. First off, Weho. If you love food as much as I do, you’ll want to visit these spots: Bacari on W 3rd, Issima, Employee’s Only, and Katana. 3/4 are a little more on the pricey side, however the food and ambiance makes each visit worth it. Given my career choice, I love shopping however I tend to frequent the shops on Melrose for a more ‘modern’ thrift, or I’ll head to Burbank for all the best antique shops and vintage goodies. Another one of my favorite spots in LA is Topanga Canyon. It can be incredibly hot, but the quant cafes and eclectic shops make it worth the drive. Not to mention, Malibu is just right through the canyon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family has been a huge influence in my career for practically my entire life. My Mother, Uncle Derek, and Nana have had an impeccable eye for vintage pieces over the years. I spent a lot of time with them going thrifting, enjoying local art shows, and screwing around with my moms camera. We loved to play dress up in our collection of findings and ‘art direct’ shoots – meanwhile I’m maybe 10 years old. Fast forward, I am now almost 24 and still playing dress up in our vintage collection, however I now incorporate these items into photoshoots I am producing in LA. I think I’d still have a deep love for art and fashion if it weren’t for my upbringing, but the encouragement I received not only from these 3 family members, but my whole family, my partner Chris, and even my moms closest friends Jeni and Zoey have really gotten me through the tougher times with their love and support.

Website: HannahHauge.com

Instagram: HannahHauge

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-hauge/

Image Credits
Kendall Wheeler, Kristian Punturere, Tanner James