Lauren Chan | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | University of Western Ontario (BA) |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Known for | |
Lauren Chan is a Canadian model, editor and entrepreneur. She is the founder of the plus-size clothing brand Henning.
Lauren Chan | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | University of Western Ontario (BA) |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Known for | |
Lauren Chan is a Canadian model, editor and entrepreneur. She is the founder of the plus-size clothing brand Henning.
Originally from Brantford, Ontario, Chan is of Chinese [1] and middle-eastern descent. [2] She attended the University of Western Ontario with aspirations of playing basketball. After her appendix ruptured, she took an interest in fashion. [3] She graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
After graduation, Chan moved to New York City to pursue a career as a plus-size model with Ford Models [4] [5] and a fashion writer. She was hired by Glamour as an associate fashion editor when she was 25. [3] [6] Three years later after moving to New York, she stepped away from modeling and became the fashion news editor for Condé Nast-owned Glamour in 2015. [7] [8] [9] In addition to covering the womenswear market, Chan focused on size-inclusion via her print column and digital vertical called Style Your Size, the Glamour x Lane Bryant clothing line, which she co-designed, [10] and broadcast appearances like Good Morning America and The TODAY Show—still, she struggled to find clothes in plus sizes to wear to work. [11] As a result, Chan left her job in 2018 to create Henning, a plus-size clothing brand and return to modeling. [7] [12] [13] Ranging from size 12-24, the company's business model was based on made-on-demand, slow fashion. [14] In April 2023, Henning was acquired by Universal Standard.
In 2018 American Society of Magazine Editors awarded Chan the ASME Next Award for Journalists Under 30. [15] [16] In 2019, Chan was named one of Chatelaine magazine's Women of the Year. [17] That same year, she was recognized by Toronto Life magazine as one of the city's best-dressed Torontonians. [18] In 2021, she was nominated for The Digital Fashion Creator of the Year Award from the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. [19] In 2023, she won the Canadian Arts and Fashion Award for Model of the Year. [20] That year, she also appeared on Toronto Life's list of 50 most influential Canadians and Marie Claire's 2023 Power List alongside Michelle Obama, Emma Grede, and Megan Fox.
In 2023, Chan appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was the first queer plus-size Sports Illustrated rookie. [3] Chan appeared on the second season of The Traitors Canada . [21]
Chan has been an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association since 2019. [22] She is also a member of the advisory board for Model Alliance, an advocacy group for models. [10] In 2024, she was honored by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Assembly member Grace Lee for her leadership in New York City's Asian-American community and work on size-inclusion in the fashion industry.
Chan publicly announced her divorce from her husband on Valentine's Day 2023. [23] Later that year, in a Sports Illustrated article, Chan came out as a lesbian. [24] [25] In 2024, she announced her relationship with film director, Hayley Kosan. [26]