Tag: Inspiration
SFF164: Breaking Back Into Fashion After Burnout
There are millions of reasons we might leave the fashion industry – burn out, starting a family, a big move, or just life in general… And I often find people asking if it’s possible to break back into the industry, whether they’re too outdated and not up with the trends, or that they don’t know […]
SFF163: Why Undercharging Is Killing Your Freelance Career
Setting your rates is one of the hardest aspects of freelancing, and it might be holding you back. Such was the case of Chad Robertson, a freelancer who was severely undercharging for his services in the book editing and formatting industry. After Heidi hired him for a freelance job to edit her first book, Chad […]
SFF159: What Does a Freelance Fashion Designer Do? (It may surprise you!)
If you’re interested in freelancing in the fashion industry, but you don’t know where to start, this one’s for you! Learn what services freelancers can offer (spoiler alert: It’s way more than just “design”!), how to decide what YOUR services should be, and the secret that makes getting started as a freelancer 10X easier! Plus, […]
SFF154: How She Became a Freelance Fashion Illustrator + Designer (and sent a $4500 invoice!)
“I can’t freelance—I need a stable job.” One of the biggest misconceptions about freelancing in fashion is that it’s feast or famine. So many people imagine freelancers stuck in an endless job hunt, never knowing where their next project is coming from (or if they’ll get one at all!). But the truth is that, when […]
SFF136 Creating Stability and Fulfillment as a Fashion Freelancer
You shouldn’t have to choose between your fashion career and your family. That “9 to 5” (more like 7 AM to 10 PM!) corporate job might feel stable and safe, but sometimes sticking with what you know isn’t worth the trade off. As a freelancer, you CAN build a stable, fulfilling career in fashion–and still […]
SFD106 How This Designer Launched a Bespoke Dress Brand (while still in college)
Noemie Jouas is a self-taught designer who runs a bespoke dress brand that keeps her steadily busy with several clients a month. The incredible part? She’s still in college! In this episode, she talks all about how she got started, where she finds her clients, and the number one thing she credits for her early success.
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 […]
SFD100 To Reach Your Goals in Fashion (and Life!), Just Do ANYTHING
People tend to talk about success like there’s some magic formula for achieving it. But the truth is that success in your fashion career, just like anything in life, can be achieved in as many different ways as there are kinds of fabric. And the real secret is that, to reach your goals, the next […]
SFD091 100 Ways NOT to Start A Clothing Line: These Guys Learned Firsthand What Works and What Doesn’t
Starting a clothing line 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
“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
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 […]
