Category: Fashion Freelancer
SFD103 How to Make More Money as a Fashion Freelancer (than in a full-time job)
Freelance pattern maker and product development specialist Alison Hoenes left her job after just 3½ years in the industry to pursue a freelance career. Hear how she perfected her niche, went from zero customers to a steady clientele, and within two years was making more than her full-time job–and she still works just 40 mostly-remote […]
SFD097 How to Become a Fashion Freelancer (and work remote)
Guests on the SFD podcast tend to fall into one of three categories: They’re employed by a company in the industry, they work as a fashion freelancer, or they’ve launched their own brand. In this episode, you’ll hear from someone who has done all three! If you’re wondering how to become a remote fashion freelancer, […]
Bonus: Freelancing Advice for the Fashion Industry
In this special episode, check out Heidi’s interview on the Spirit of 608 podcast. The interview, which originally aired in March 2018, focuses on her work as a freelance fashion designer, and Heidi doles out tons of valuable freelancing advice for the fashion industry. Heidi talks candidly about her fashion journey, sharing the highs, the […]
SFD096 Q&A: How to Become a Fashion Freelancer with Heidi & Marissa
Have you been dreaming of beginning a freelance career, but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve been freelancing for a while, but you still have a ton of questions! Between pricing, juggling projects, finding clients and resources, and more, it can be overwhelming to navigate the fashion freelancing world alone. In this special […]
SFD089 How This Fashion Designer Balances Career and Being a Mom to 4 Kids!
Working in the fashion industry can be brutal. The long days, late nights, and cutthroat competition can make balancing a fashion career and motherhood seem impossible. But the reality is that women everywhere are finding ways to make it work. While there’s no magic answer for every situation, there are many ways to balance a […]
SFD079 Three Years as a Freelance Fashion Designer
Kimberly Dippel was on the Successful Fashion Design podcast in August 2017, and we talked about her success finding freelance projects on UpWork. Since then, she’s come such a long way! In this episode of the podcast, we’re doing our first (!) follow-up with a past guest. Kimberly has slayed the freelance game this last […]
SFD078 Working with Factories as a Freelance Fashion Designer
There are a lot of different paths to becoming a freelance fashion designer. And Heather Royer took one I’d never heard of before. Instead of working directly with brands, she got her first freelance opportunity designing for a factory in China. The best part? There are ways you can create the same freelance opportunities for […]
SFD073 Accounting Advice for Fashion Designers and Businesses
Guess what? If you want to have a fashion brand, you’re going to have to deal with fashion business accounting. And while it’s not the sexiest topic around, it’s a fact of doing business. But the good news? It doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. And in this interview with accountant Peter Lang, who […]
SFD068 Mailbag: Fashion Design Career Advice on College, Why You’re Not Getting the Job, Freelancing and Factories
Many of you have loads of Q’s about working in fashion…and I know it can be hard to find answers. Maybe you don’t know any industry experts to ask. Maybe your coworkers are tight lipped and not willing to share their secrets. Maybe you just don’t even know where to go. Which is why I’m […]
SFD066 10 Easy Networking Tips (you can use today) to Get Ahead in Fashion
One of the best ways to get ahead in fashion – whether it’s to get your first (or next) job or to launch your own fashion brand – is networking. Now, I know, no one really wants to “network”. But here’s the thing: You don’t have to do that “networking” thing. Instead, you can just focus on making […]
SFD043: Build Your Career as a Freelance Pattern Maker (from anywhere)
You may think it’s impossible to have a career as a freelance pattern maker in the fashion industry. And you’d probably think it’s even more impossible to do it from a rural town. But that’s exactly what David Russon does. In today’s episode of the SFD podcast, he shares exactly how he built his freelance career and […]
SFD037: Our Similar Fashion Journeys (you’re not alone)
Last week, for the first time ever, I shared the full, unedited version of my fashion journey with you. It included: The painful (and ugly) beginnings of my own fashion line How my dream fashion job turned into my worst nightmare What industry experts don’t tell you about launching your own fashion line Your secret to surviving in the […]
SFD035: How to Build Your Career as a Contract Fashion Designer (and work from home)
It’s hard to have a career as a contract fashion designer and work from home. But what if I told you it was possible to get so good that you no longer had to look for it and instead, brands came to you? In this interview, Hillary shares exactly how she did this – and […]
SFD 016: How to Get Freelance Fashion Design Jobs (using Upwork)
If you’ve ever browsed Upwork to get freelance fashion design jobs, you probably felt like it was a lot of junk and low paying gigs. But it is possible to get real projects from legit companies (who pay a fair wage). In this interview, fashion freelancer Kim shares how you can get more freelance projects […]
SFD008: Freelance Textile Designer: How to Have A Successful Career with Michelle Fifis
Being a freelance textile designer can feel like a daunting process to tackle. It’s hard to figure out how to price your work and whether or not you should work with an agency or print house. Which is why I’m so excited to share the latest episode of the Successful Fashion Designer podcast with Michelle […]
SFD007: Get More Work as a Freelance Fashion Designer by Networking
Everyone tells you it’s important to network to get more work in your freelance fashion career. But no one tells you how to actually do it. In this episode of the Successful Fashion Designer podcast, I’m chatting with Gia about how to get more freelance work from people you already know and how to turn happy clients into repeat clients. Here’s Gia’s […]
SFD 005: How to Make a Career as a Fashion Illustrator with Danielle Meder
In this episode I’m chatting with Danielle Meder who’s had a 10 year career as a professional fashion illustrator. She’s done live runway sketching at fashion weeks worldwide has a book called Draw Fashion now. Danielle shares how she broke past her fears of approaching people at events, how improving her appearance increased her success, […]
SFD 004: Freelancing Strategies for Fashion Designers with Marissa Borelli
The fashion industry is competitive and it’s hard to make it as a designer. It’s even harder if you’re trying to be a freelance clothing designer. But here’s the thing: Being a full time, work from home remote freelance fashion designer – while still earning a fair pay rate – is possible. In this episode […]
SFD 002: Using Email to Successfully Pitch Freelance Clients with Melissa Mendez
Melissa’s a successful freelance fashion designer – and she’s absolutely killing it. She’s even landing gigs and projects with NYC brands! In this episode, she shares word for word email templates of how to get work as a freelance fashion designer and tricks to figure out and negotiate your freelance fashion designer pay rate. But her life wasn’t […]
