Tag: Fashion Job
Bonus Episode: What I Wish I Knew About a Fashion Career (from 10 industry experts)
Becoming a fashion designer in real life is not what most people think it is. Because what you see on Project Runway and what you learn in school is not how the industry actually works. So if you want a career in fashion, get the inside scoop from 10 industry experts. Most of them have […]
SFD067 Working with a Fashion Showroom
You finally have your design process down and your merchandise production down to a science and you feel like you’re ready to take on one of those big time retailers, but you have no idea how to reach them. You have no idea how to get your foot in the door of a fashion showroom, […]
What’s it Like Working in Fashion: Expectations VS Reality (in memes)
Ohhhh….this is a good one. I had a blast putting these memes together and know you’re going to love them 🙂 They’re all centered around a common theme I hear from designer friends, coworkers, and my podcast guests who work in fashion. It goes like this: “I wish someone told me what working in the […]
Breaking Into the Creative Side of Fashion: From Product Development to Designer
There’s nothing more I love than a good fashion career success story. And a few weeks ago, a girl named Savannah emailed to tell me how she went from product development to fashion designer. It started back in 2013 when she graduated from fashion design school…but then got stuck in product development for 5 years. Like many […]
SFD063 Mailbag: Fashion Design Career Advice on Samples vs Prototypes, Made to Order fashion and Textile Design
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 excited […]
For a successful fashion design career, do the opposite of everyone else
The fashion industry is a nasty mix of secretive behavior and cutthroat competition. We feel like the more tight lipped we are, the further we’ll get in our fashion design career. But the fascinating truth? Doing the complete opposite of what everyone else in the fashion industry does is how you get ahead. What does that mean? It means talking, […]
Freelance Fashion Designer Rates: Project Rates vs Hourly
As a freelance fashion designer, it’s easy to totally eff up your pricing… and only once it’s too late, do you realize YOU’RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH MONEY! So you’re wondering, how do you set your rates as a freelance fashion designer? Should you do a flat rate and price by project, or should you charge an hourly rate? Now, […]
Fashion portfolio mistakes that most freelance designers make
How can two fashion designers with similar portfolios have drastically different success with freelancing? After 6-months, one is desperate for any work, while the other has 3 steady clients and is on track to quit her full time job. What fashion portfolio mistakes is one of them making that’s leading to failure? I’ve been talking […]
SFD052: Mailbag! Your Fashion Industry Q’s Answered
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 adding a […]
How FIT is cheating you out of your dream fashion design job
Back in 2015, I was a guest lecturer at FIT (ranked 2nd for fashion in the US and 7th in the world). I was pretty nervous about teaching at such a prestigious school and practiced my Illustrator lecture way too many times the night before. But despite my anxieties, it went great. In fact, it went AWESOME. […]
Traveling Overseas to Fashion Factories… I Almost Had a Full Blown Panic Attack
Imagine the stereotypical life of a fashion designer: frolicking in fabric, sketching beautiful designs, and traveling overseas to fashion factories. Truth is, a lot of us don’t do any of this. We spend our days in Illustrator, Excel and writing emails. And for me, after almost a decade in the industry, I’d never had the opportunity […]
How to Survive as a Fashion Designer (and why I thought I was a unicorn)
Figuring out how to survive as a fashion designer is like figuring out how to survive Black Friday madness: But instead of just one day a year, it’s every day. All year long. This business is brutal and there’s no mercy. People will push you over and punch you to get what they want. And they couldn’t […]
What Experts Don’t Tell You About Launching a Fashion Line
There’s a lot of dreamy advice out there about launching a fashion line. There are a lot of courses and experts and coaches telling you how you can make your fashion dreams come true and: Magically launch and fund your fashion collection with Kickstarter Gain a loyal following on Insta by posting daily and using the […]
How My Dream Job as a Fashion Designer Turned Into My Worst Nightmare
You wanted to work in fashion for as long as you can remember. And maybe you even landed your dream job as a fashion designer. But after a while, you realize this fantasy life isn’t so dreamy after all. I understand. I went through the same thing you are for years. My story is long. Yesterday, we started […]
The Painful Beginnings of My Own Fashion Brand (that I’ve never talked about)
You’ve been thinking forever, “I want to have my own fashion brand.” It’s your childhood dream and you feel like, “I could really do this!” But there’s a lot of stuff no one ever talks about – like logistics and money and profits (or lack thereof). I’ve shared snippets of my fashion journey before. But I’ve […]
24 Services You Can Offer Your Clients (for Freelance Fashion Designers)
A job description for “freelance fashion designer” doesn’t really exists. Which is why it can be really hard to figure out what work you can do or what services you can offer clients. But here’s the best part… This is actually a really good thing! Why? Because you get to create your own job description. Which […]
Why your “freelance” fashion design job is abusive (and illegal)
What does a freelance fashion designer do? In reality, you can do any kind of work you want. But it’s not so much about what you do, it’s about how you do it. More specifically, where and under what terms. Turns out, there’s a common misconception about what it means to be a “freelancer” in […]
What Should I Include in My Fashion Design Portfolio? (with examples)
Do NOT overthink your portfolio! Brands are going to glance at it quickly and make a decision. If they see a few designs that match what they’re looking for, they’ll reply. They’re not going to spend 10 or even 5 minutes browsing. So keep it simple and include just a few examples of your best work for the market you’ve chosen. Here are some examples and why they work well.
3 Ways To Figure Out Your Freelance Rate for Fashion Designers
You don’t want to bid a project too low, but you also don’t want your clients to think you’re ridiculously expensive… “I’m not sure how much to charge…what should my freelance rate be?” This is by far the #1 question designers ask, and this article will show you 3 step by step ways to calculate your rate.
Dear Freelance Fashion Designers, Don’t Forget About These Brands
You know what people ask me all the time? “How do I find freelance fashion design work?” And I have to admit, it can feel intimidating. Because to be honest? Most brands don’t put up a “freelance fashion designer wanted” sign or directly advertise “need to hire a freelance fashion designer”. And if they do? Chances are […]
