Larissa Pickens

Hi there!

I’ve been working in design for 20+ years, currently as a studio owner, founder, advisor, and mentor. I also have a thing for fragrances.

design studio

I started my career at Chronicle Books, which sparked my passion for storytelling through design, and a curiosity to push beyond the page that led me to Parsons’ Design & Technology MFA.


Over my career I’ve designed for brands including Calvin Klein, Condé Nast, Scholastic, and Estée Lauder, as well as early-stage startups.

Today, through my studio, I partner with women’s healthcare, beauty, and lifestyle brands on branding, packaging, and digital design, pairing senior creative direction with an AI-accelerated production process.

→ FLOAT DESIGN

  • “They immersed themselves in our brand aesthetic and culture to deliver the right visual message to our customers. The result was highly engaging design that matched our brand identity and helped convert customers.”
    Adama Sesay
    Ouidad
  • “Larissa and the entire Float Design team are a true extension of our team. They understand the identity of our brand, while providing creative input and ideas to really help us elevate our design materials.”
    Casey Tarnas
    SMP Pharmacy Solutions
  • “Their work, characterized by its aesthetic excellence and attention to detail, has enhanced our brand’s visual appeal and has been pivotal in our market recognition.”
    Melissa Thompson
    BELLAME Beauty
  • “Our partnership spanned across digital, social and mobile and the results were high-quality designs that drove some of our most successful campaigns to-date! ”
    Jessica Caridad
    Laura Geller

things i’ve built

Alongside client work, I build and operate businesses of my own in the fragrance and beauty space, with successful exits including a fragrance e-commerce brand and a media publication.

Fragrance has always been one of my favorite indulgences, from admiring my mom’s perfume bottles to designing for fragrance brands like Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, and Calvin Klein. Trialing scents in development (a small team eagerly sniffing samples on my forearm) made me even more curious: first came a perfume-making class in Paris, then brands of my own.

FERNWEH EDITIONS → My travel-inspired candle brand, named for the German word for a longing for faraway places. Each “edition” evokes a specific place, from Alaska’s snowy forests to sunny Mediterranean gardens. Featured on the Drew Barrymore Show and in Forbes, InStyle, and Apartment Therapy.

EVERFUMED → My online magazine exploring the craft of perfumery, featuring interviews with the industry’s leading perfumers.

start-up advisor

As an advisor for FURI Sport, I’ve worked with co-founders Erick Mathelier and Michelle Spiro since the early days, witnessing the brand grow from an idea to a funded start-up ready to make the world of tennis more inclusive.


I’m excited to help shape FURI’s future and, as the team says, “Dream Big. Let It Fly.”

→ FURI SPORT

design mentoring

I love mentoring new design talent and helping mid-career designers figure out their next steps.

It’s truly an honor to get invited into someone’s hopes and dreams to help them strategize and get a new perspective, or at least learn from my mistakes.

→ ADP List

get in touch!