Alumna Sarah Ahn makes dramatic career change from neuroscientist to interior designer, wins national design contest

With a Ph.D. in neuroscience and more than five years of professional school behind her, alumna Sarah Ahn thought she knew what she wanted to do with her life.

But a motorcycle accident involving her younger brother in 2006, the same year she earned her doctorate, altered her entire outlook on life. The accident also led Ahn to make a drastic change in her career path: from brain surgery to fashion and interior design.

Ahn recently won a national fashion design contest for her design of the “Perfect Little Black Dress,” which will be featured in the Spring 2011 collection of Laundry by Shelli Segal and will be sold at department stores such as Macy’s and Nordstrom. She also currently owns her own design company in Los Angeles, Nami Design.

Ahn’s decision to switch from neuroscience to fashion was greatly influenced by her brother’s traumatic accident, which landed him in the UCLA Medical Center for six months with a brain injury. After his recovery, Ahn went straight back to work at Northwestern University, where she performed neurosurgery on baby mice.

“I had to euthanize (the mice) every day. I did it uncomfortably. All of a sudden I couldn’t go through with it ““ it slowly killed me,” Ahn said. “My husband told me to pursue something else.”

Ahn, who originally wanted to go to an arts school after high school, said she decided to study pre-medicine instead of the arts because she wanted to have a practical job rather than embrace the life of a “starving artist.” However, after her brother’s accident, she applied to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and started classes in 2009. After taking just one interior design class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ahn was inspired to change her focus from fashion to interior design. From there, she transferred to Parsons The New School for Design in New York City, where she decided to channel her focus on interior design.

She then went on to work with Kelly Wearstler, widely considered one of the best interior designers in the field, and helped her design several A-list celebrity homes.

Last month, Ahn launched her own design company in Los Angeles, Nami Design, named for the Chinese translation of her Korean middle name, which spells “beautiful” in Chinese characters.

Ahn’s motto for Nami Design, “Modern, Clean, Affordable Luxury,” was inspired by her own sleek tastes.

“I love feeling fresh and a look that is organized and uncluttered. (I like) a mix of bold colors and geometric shapes, some traditional elements and traditional shapes with more modern colors,” Ahn said.

Alumnus Rich Jhong met Ahn during her first year in 1997. Jhong now professionally photographs Ahn’s designs for her website, and said her designs match her personality.

“When I met her a long time ago in the dorms, she was definitely colorful and sassy. The edginess and boldness in her personality comes out in her designs,” Jhong said. “She has her upbeat, edgy personality and a kind of bold interior design, which I think is pretty cool.”

Although her focus is mainly on interior design, Ahn said she also wants to begin incorporating fashion within her company. With the debut of her winning “Perfect Little Black Dress” design, a reversible, environmentally friendly take on the black dress, Ahn said that the dress is two outfits and promotes less textile waste.

Ahn also currently writes green living tips for Audrey Magazine, an Asian American women’s magazine.

“Any object can be replaced with a green object. Instead of buying new ones, you make your old items new again. You don’t have to spend a penny, either,” Ahn said.

Ahn said the most challenging part of her transition from neuroscience to fashion and interior design was dealing with criticism.

“People told me at the beginning that I was throwing my career away, but what I learned from my Ph.D. experience I still use everyday,” Ahn said. “Art is just as analytical as science and science can be just as creative as art.”

Ahn attributes her persistence to achieving her goals in design and her change in career path.

“You are the main character of your own life. You can’t just sit there; just do it. The worst thing someone can say is “˜No,'” Ahn said.

Alumna Susan Tashiro, who Ahn calls a friend and “creative eye,” said Ahn’s persistence is inspiring.

“I had known about her background in neuroscience and it amazed me that she made this huge jump. A lot of people have good ideas, but you need a balance of creativity and hard work and determination. She kind of has all of it. I can’t see her doing anything else,” Tashiro said.

Ahn said she hopes to eventually have her own home furnishing and fashion retail store, and possibly break into the hotel industry.

“It’s ambitious, but I think they’re all doable,” Ahn said. “I really love that I’ve done my searching, and I feel lucky that I found something I really love and worked for me. I only hope that this continues to grow.”