SFD059 Mailbag: Fashion Design Career Advice on Freelancing, Gaining Industry Experience and Quitting Your Job

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 to be back with another mailbag episode to give you fashion design career advice.

Once a month, I answer your Q's on the Successful Fashion Designer Podcast. This month, I'll be giving my best advice on freelancing, how to gain industry experience, and quitting your job.

(If you want to submit your Q, email it to me anytime at podcast [at] sewheidi [dot]com for consideration.)

Here are the fashion design career advice questions I answer in this mailbag episode!

On if it's possible to gain fashion industry experience freelancing...if you don't have any experience, from Afroditi [02:06]:

How could someone start as a freelancer without much industry experience? Is it just really hard as you state it or completely impossible? Are there any ways to start doing things that just require specific skills you could gain from studying or practicing?

On how to charge your freelance clients for traveling to factories, from Sally [10:42]:

I have been asked by one of my freelance accounts to go on factory visit in Asia. I was just curious if you have done this and how you charged the account.  Travel expenses and airfare would be covered but I am thinking about a daily rate as well. I am paid by them hourly. Want to make sure I am thinking of everything. Thoughts?

On transitioning from a contemporary brand in NYC to a luxury house in Europe, from Andrea [16:19]:

Do you have any advice on how an NYC designer can find work in Europe at a luxury house? I have 6 years of experience in advanced contemporary womenswear and am looking for an exciting opportunity abroad to make the move to Europe.

On when to know if it's a good time to quit your job, from Nicole [22:00]:

I am the only designer and tech designer for a manufacturing company. I am the first and only one they have hired. The company is experiencing a TON of growing pains and my boss has been less than cordial. The company is also an hour and a half from my house, does not offer any benefits, and seems shady sometimes. There are 5 other design companies waaaay closer to my house and I landed an interview (YAY!) but I am actually nervous to get the job! I am afraid to abandon the work I have started here, I am almost finished with the development cycle I started. I am reaching out to ask if I should feel guilty? how much do I owe this company that hasn't really treated me the best but has given me a great career opportunity even if the job itself has been crazy (not normal fashion job crazy) most days. If and when I find a new job, how do I rip this band-aid off?

On general fashion design career advice, from Sam [26:29]:

I wondered what advise you could give me. I've always loved design, something about it makes my insides excited and there is nothing else quite like that feeling. I went to school for fashion but didn't finish -i got confused half way through as i started to really love furniture design and textiles and interior design. they all inspire me. At home i feel like i can do it all on my own, i like working with my hands making clothes and accessories but i've never had too much experience outside of that. I keep working on small projects but not finishing, i don't know if i'm afraid to fail or I need to start from the more technical side. This e-mail is a little bit a mess and thats kind of what my life feels like but I would love any feedback you could give.

Resources mentioned in this episode: Ultimate Guide to Being a Freelance Fashion Designer Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Fashion Portfolio How to get freelance fashion design experience on UpWork

If you enjoyed this episode and have questions you want answered, email them to podcast [at] sewheidi [dot] com for consideration. I'll pick the best ones and include them in the monthly mailbag show.