Tag: Entry Level
SFF138 How She Did It: A Fashion Freelancer with No Industry Experience
“It’s practically impossible to break into fashion.” If you’ve ever believed this myth, you’re not alone. And that’s how today’s guest, Brittany, felt after she graduated from fashion school. For 15 years, Brittany couldn’t get her break. But within two months of launching her freelance career, Brittany has already landed her first client and completed […]
SFF135 Fashion Freelancer Q&A: What should my services be? (The skills I have or what I LOVE?)
As a freelancer in fashion, should you offer the skills you already know how to do well, or learn new skills so you can do what you really love? Some aspiring freelancers get so stuck on this question that they end up doing neither (and putting off their freelance goals yet another year… or two… […]
SFD127 How this 22 year old designer got featured by Vogue
This is my second interview with Noémie Jouas, a young designer who started creating bespoke dresses from her college housing in small-town Scotland. Since I spoke to her last, she’s had her first runway show, adapted to the pandemic, and gotten her work featured by both Teen Vogue and Vogue. You can listen to the […]
SFD121 How to be a fashion freelancer (if you don’t know anyone in the industry)
Alex is a self-taught freelance technical designer living in Ottawa, Ontario. He didn’t go to fashion school, and he never held a job in the industry. Yet he’s working with small fashion brands, helping them get their ideas into production alongside his full-time job. Even if you don’t know anyone in the fashion industry, you […]
SFD111 How to get a fashion design internship right after high school
Like many people working in the industry, Emilee Goff always knew she wanted to go into fashion. But when she managed to score a fashion internship with Scott Sports right after she finished high school, Emilee’s career trajectory changed in ways she never imagined. In this episode of the SFD podcast, she shares what she’s learned […]
SFD110 How to break into fashion design without going to fashion school
Selena Leong has worked her way up from production associate, to product development, to technical design, to apparel design. Along the way she’s worked with brands on both coasts including Aeropostale, Forever 21, and even Ralph Lauren. And she did it all without ever going to fashion school. In the interview (which you’ll love), we […]
SFD108 How to Become a Senior Fashion Designer by Age 27
From internship to senior designer by the time she was 27? Outdoor and motorcycle apparel designer Kelsey Runge did it, and in this episode of the SFD podcast, she shares exactly what she’s done to design her perfect career. She says she’s had a lot of luck, but it took a ton of work and smart moves to get her where she is today.
SFD107 What to Include in a Freelance Fashion Designer Contract
Do you really need a contract as a freelance fashion designer? What should your contract include? On this episode of the SFD Podcast, you’ll hear from small business attorney Andrea Sager on contracts, design ownership, payment disputes, and the best ways to protect yourself and your assets when you’re freelancing in fashion.
SFD102 How to Copyright Your Fashion Designs and Protect Your Brand
How do you prevent your fashion designs from being stolen and safeguard your brand? And as a business owner, how do you legally protect yourself and your assets? On this episode of the SFD Podcast, you’ll hear from fashion industry attorney Andrea Sager on copyrights, trademarks, and other ways to be smart and protect your […]
SFD098 How to Get a Better Job in Fashion
Michele Mavi is a recruiter and Strengths Coach who’s worked with fashion job seekers for over 15 years. On this episode of the SFD podcast, she shares what she’s learned about how to get a better job in fashion. She’s here to give the deets on landing the best fashion job for YOUR unique set […]
SFD095 How to Get Your First Fashion Design Job After College
When you first decide to work in the fashion industry, going to fashion school can seem like the one thing you need to score your dream job. But as many fashion graduates discover, completing that degree is only one step in the complicated and sometimes frustrating process of breaking into the industry. In this interview, […]
SFD090 How to Stand Out in Your Fashion Career (and always get the job offer)
Whether you’re still in fashion school, or you’re looking toward your next opportunity, you’re probably wondering how to stand out in your fashion career. In such a competitive industry, it can feel like an uphill battle to even get noticed by fashion hiring managers among stiff competition. On this episode, we talk to London designer […]
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 […]
SFD085: How this Mom Got her First Tech Design Job After a 12 Year Career Break
Nicola Osborne is a technical designer who got her break back into the fashion industry after taking 12 years off to raise her family. Getting back to any career after 12 years is a daunting task, but getting back into the fashion industry is an even more intimidating one. As Nicola says in her own […]
SFD081 When Your Parents Don’t Support Your Fashion Design Dream
Kayla’s fashion career journey has been an uphill battle. First, her parents didn’t support an “artsy” degree. Not that uncommon. But then? During her senior year of high school, her dad became incarcerated. There was no money to pay for her college education. Kayla explored alternate, more “practical” career paths like accounting and biology, but […]
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 […]
SFD076 Six Steps to Starting a Fashion Line that Sells
Designing and starting a fashion line is exhilarating and inspiring and something most of us want to jump right into. Starting a fashion line that sells is something completely different–but it’s something you can do. Robyn and I are BACK with a podlet that sums up six easy steps to starting a fashion line that sells. The Successful […]
SFD075 How to Be a Lingerie Designer with Laurie Van Jonsson
Being a lingerie designer is its own unique and interesting niche of working in the fashion industry. There are tons of different things you have to think about compared to designing – let’s say – shirts or jackets. But it’s a pretty cool job! Laurie Van Jonsson knows this firsthand. From launching her own lingerie […]
SFD074 Mailbag: Fashion Design Career Advice on 3D Prototyping, Kickstarting Your Career, and Productivity
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 […]
SFD072 This Fashion Designer Applied to Puma 7 Times. How He Finally Got His Dream Job.
It’s easy to see someone who’s living their fashion design dream and think, “they got lucky, but that could never happen to me.” But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality? You have NO idea what their back story is. You have NO idea how hard they worked to get there. And you […]
