Katie Pagnotta, Trend Hunter (INTERVIEW)

Katie Pagnotta, a Trend Hunter whose kind heart is far too big for her 4'11" frame, has an attachment to cinematic advertising campaigns. When she's not introducing new vocabulary like "amazeballs" to the Trend Hunter lexicon, Pagnotta can be found pursuing her passions in fashion, food, people watching and film. Her lasagna was also the hit of a recent Trend Hunter office potluck.

How do you define cool?

I define cool as something that you see that inspires you and leaves a lasting impression on your mind. If you're walking down the street and you see someone doing or wearing something that you've never seen before and you're constantly thinking about it later, that's cool.

What's your favorite trend and why?

My favorite trend is cinematic advertising campaigns, and I have a perfect example right here (with the Louis Vuitton L'Invitation Au Voyage commercial). We're following this beautiful model through France and they showcase the Louvre and the Mona Lisa. You're just enticed to follow her while showing off the newer bags, the leather monogrammed bags and their classic trunks. It's definitely this whole tie up of cinema, history, the legacy of the brand and Paris.

What's your secret to uncovering the best trends?

My secret to uncovering the best trends is definitely people watching. I think when you put yourself out there and you kind of sit down and watch all these people go by, it definitely brings inspiration. You can then take that inspiration to the blogosphere or the Internet and garner that into writing.

What's your favorite thing about working at Trend Hunter?

My favorite thing at Trend Hunter is definitely the community. From the first day I got here, you instantly feel like you're a part of the family. That definitely carries on throughout. It's definitely the people. Whoohoo! Shoutouts!

How do you reset to be creative?

To be creative, I definitely need to change things up. Whether that's painting my nails, doing my hair differently or putting a new song on, it definitely gets me into a different mode to change things up.

What's your favorite accomplishment?

My favorite accomplishment is definitely an art piece I did. I do a lot of collage work and it's about a six foot piece that takes up an entire wall in my room. It's a combination of skate art, actual art pieces I found discarded and then magazine clippings that I really love. It's uber gorgeous!

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

When I was younger what I wanted to be when I was growing up was a constant question I asked myself. I definitely changed it a million times. When I was doing ballet I wanted to be a ballerina. When I was around animals I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was constantly changing and that's still happening. I'm not sure what the end goal is, but I'm working towards it.

What's your awesome prediction for the future?

Well, there's going to be a Real Housewives of Mars on Bravo! Forget about Orange County and all those other ones, Mars! It's gonna happen, and I'm going to watch it.

What advice would you give to the business world?

My advice to the business world is to never think that an idea is too absurd. I think working at Trend Hunter you realize that there's a niche market for anything. Anything you put out there will get to someone.

What ways do you see the business world changing?

The most remarkable ways I see the business world changing is definitely using more outlets. Social media is definitely up there, but also finding different ways to advertise to use branding through video or other mediums way more than it was before.

Is there anything you'd like to add about Trend Hunter?

I love Trend Hunter and you will too! Check out our internships online!