

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Prather.
Hi Lauren, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Where do I start, actually… I’m Lauren I go by Lo for short and easy to remember, I am a fashion model, director and artist! I was raised by two people from two totally different worlds, they got married and had me. Times moved on the marriage didn’t work out and my parents separated, I would go back and forth from house to house with two people from 2 totally different worlds. My mom’s rules were hers and my dad’s rules was his, as a child I thought I was getting the best of both worlds well I did I got the pretty and the ugly, From getting gifts from both houses to getting kicked out of both houses. My whole childhood I didn’t realize how mentally exhausting that was till now (age 18). Around the ages of 13 and 14, something inside of me told me, “something’s gotta change” and it did. My first year in middle school, an entrepreneur company helped some of the students at my school launch a business. They’d teach everything about starting a business. From that class, a friend and I started our own business called “tie-dye express”. We’d tie-dye anything from clothes to accessories, The class sponsored our business and paid for the start-up plus a $1,000 check to spilt. I was 12 or 13 in 6th grade and didn’t know what to do with $500 except go to foot locker. That itself was a lesson, a lesson that has stayed with me till this day. Invest your money properly so your future is set.
Fast forward a couple of years later I just turned 16 and I still have that BOSS mentality, I was getting to the age where my mom was tired of me being in her pocket so it was time to find a job. I worked at zaxbys for a couple of months and I absolutely hated it, unfortunately, I had to resign from the job due to some trouble me and my bestfriend go into iykyk, after resigning from the job, I knew immediately I wanted my own my business. I started a cosmetic company “ based on Butterflies” that sold lashes. Months fly by I wanted to do more than sell lashes, I wanted to expand my company. LET’S GO BIG. I made myself the brand, my mom was a big-time model back in her day so you know she had to put me on game. I soon started taking myself seriously with conceptual photoshoots and brandshoots for designers in ATL, not going to lie they started to get boring so I went into being behind the camera and making shoots come more to life, so that’s where directing came about! When it comes down to fashion you can call me or cast me, learning from my mom how to be a model helped my confidence in the modeling and the fashion world so that automatically pushed me into doing runway without a doubt it’s nerve-racking but it’s so fun. I have that creative touch where I can’t help to fulfill my passion and dreams.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It wasn’t easy at all, I struggled with my mental health bad. It’s times I wanted to quit so bad but I couldn’t because I was here to do something. It was times where my mental health would take over my entire life where I wouldn’t eat, shower, or even go out. My mental health would keep me from doing what I needed to do. I always made excuses for myself to not start something or finish. #1 advice for anybody living on earth right now. PUT YOURSELF FIRST, your health is your #1 priority. If you aren’t okay, it’s okay take a breath figure how to change that. It’s okay to feel your feelings but don’t get your thoughts and feelings twisted.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So as I grew up I was always in sports from cheer, gymnastics, track, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball and for some reason none of those were something I wanted to pursue in. I loved taking pictures and drawing for the most part. I got older and started to take both a little bit more seriously. My mom would help me build my portfolio and we would talk to agencies. This is when I knew I wanted to model and become ‘the statement’. A lot of people know me as “lo, the lightskin girl with braces that models” I hear that often. It’s times where I want to do other things like putting more energy into my drawings and paintings so people just don’t know me a model or a creative, IM THEE CREATIVE. Don’t get me wrong I love modeling and doing runway but it’s something about my mind that can’t do just one thing at a time. Something I also enjoy doing is creative directing for myself and My team “Meraki University”. You may ask what is that, is that a school? Well, it’s a school full of Atlanta’s best creatives from models, photographers, videographers, artists, fashion designers, graphic designers anything u want to be Meraki is here to elevate each other. We do lots of teamwork and help each other build our next project! I’m mostly proud of who I’m becoming and what I’m overcoming, it’s not easy in this life for anyone unless you’re a butterfly. Speaking of butterflies, I’m very much the social butterfly I like for people to be comfortable around me and to know they have a friend. A lot of the things I do comes from a pure place.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
What they say “scared money, don’t make money”, I took risk all my life so I’m definitely a risk taker; ask my mom. Taking that leap won’t hurt not taking it will tho. Everything in life will teach us something that is how we as humans grow. It’s okay to fail, it’s okay to start over most of the time we are being guided to something bigger and better is on the way. I’ve taken that leap a couple of times throughout my life, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in right now. Do it. Don’t overthink it; just do it.
Pricing:
- Freelance model (brandshoots or promo video)
- $100
- Creative direction, minimum is $75.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://basedonbutterflies.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjRAosJpk3e/?igshid=N2NmMDY0OWE=
Image Credits
@qua.shots on the 3 first pictures 7900 the brand Basement boy atl (clothing brand)