Tag: Inspiration
SFD091 100 Ways NOT to Start A Fashion Brand: These Guys Learned Firsthand What Works and What Doesn’t
September 16, 2019
Starting a fashion brand from scratch is a massive challenge. And when you don’t have big investors and influential connections, it can seem impossible. But these three young entrepreneurs found a way to beat the odds and make their brand a reality. Meet Salvatore Graci, Angelo Acquista, and Luca Graci, founders of luxury streetwear brand […]
SFD084 How to Become an Event Planner for New York Fashion Week
March 18, 2019
Emily Burton lives in Georgia, is barely 5′ tall, and has a thick southern accent. She’s pretty far from what you would coin as a stereotypical “fashionista”. But she’s a spitfire of a woman and through pure perseverance and hard work, built an event planning company that now works with brands at New York Fashion […]
SFD071 A Fashion Design Dream Come True: From the Honduras to NYFW, With Guillermo Irias
October 22, 2018
When it came to success in fashion, Guillermo Irias had nothing going for him. Raised in the Honduras by a single mom who didn’t think a fashion career was a good idea, he didn’t have the financial or emotional support he needed. But he is hardworking, driven, and passionate. And he wasn’t willing to let […]
Breaking Into the Creative Side of Fashion: From Product Development to Designer
August 22, 2018
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 […]
For a successful fashion design career, do the opposite of everyone else
July 26, 2018
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, […]
SFD057: Don’t Miss This Insider Coverage of Denver’s Massif Fashion Week
June 25, 2018
Few events are as exciting as the Massif Fashion Week held in Denver, Colorado every May. I attended the events this year and interviewed 9 different guests to capture their insights, anecdotes, and advice from the 2018 event. This episode is full of stories from executive planners, fashion designers, event photographers, and aspiring young fashion […]
Fashion portfolio mistakes that most freelance designers make
June 19, 2018
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 […]
SFD050: Special 50th Episode, Heidi Gets Interviewed
May 07, 2018
Successful Fashion Designer podcast celebrates ONE YEAR ???! It seems like just yesterday that having a podcast was something we just “talked” about…but here we are, 49 episodes and a year later, and we have a podcast. The feedback has been through the roof, and starting this show has been one of the best things I’ve ever […]
SFD048: How An Amazing Eco Friendly Clothing Brand Was Built On The Passion Of One Woman
April 16, 2018
Contact Heidi: podcast (at) SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com If you need a shot of inspiration, you’ve got to hear this conversation with my guest Elle – the creator and designer behind Ellerali, an eco friendly clothing brand built solely on the passion of its founder. Elle wasn’t educated as a designer, she was trained as a marine biologist. […]
Traveling Overseas to Fashion Factories…I Almost Had a Full Blown Panic Attack
February 27, 2018
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 […]
SFD042: Surviving Failure and Competing Against Huge Fashion Brands
February 26, 2018
“But I’m just one person. It’s hard competing against huge fashion brands out there?” It can feel really hard to launch your fashion line when you’re just one person. Which is why you have to persevere and you have to find support somewhere. And I know I sound all fluffy inspirational here…which is pretty out of […]
SFD040: Behind the Scenes with 7 Fashion Industry Professionals
February 12, 2018
It’s not often we literally go this far behind the scenes of the fashion industry on the podcast. But when the Outdoor Retailer trade show landed in my backyard (Denver), I knew I had to show up with my recorder to capture impromptu podcast interviews. Now, if I’m honest, doing this made me pretty anxious… You see, schmoozing in real life makes me […]
SFD037: Our Similar Fashion Journeys (you’re not alone)
January 22, 2018
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 […]
How to Survive as a Fashion Designer (and why I thought I was a unicorn)
January 19, 2018
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
January 18, 2018
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
January 17, 2018
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)
January 16, 2018
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 […]
SFD036: How to Make it in the Fashion Industry (and in Manhattan) with Caroline Vazzana
January 15, 2018
Your dream has been to make it in the fashion industry since you were a little girl (or boy). I get it! It was my dream too. But this industry is tough. Man is it brutal! You get rejected. You hear no a lot. And the competition is fierce. But your fashion dream can come […]
SFD028: Thanksgiving Thanks! A Special Holiday Message Just for You
November 20, 2017
It’s Thanksgiving week in the US, so we’re taking a holiday on the podcast. But I did create a short holiday message just for you to say thanks for all your support and give you a heads up on a few things we’re planning for 2018. Listen now here: And if you want to give your feedback […]
SFD027: Curled up in a Ball Crying: How Community Can Save You
November 13, 2017
Making it as an indie fashion designer is emotionally, mentally and financially brutal. And trying to do it alone is even harder. Which is why I love this episode with Nathalie Kraynina, an indie ready-to-wear fashion designer turned custom bridal designer who has built her brand by working with other designers. Sharing resources like factories […]
