Becoming a fashion designer is a dream for many. But what if you don’t live in the best country for fashion design jobs? Should you migrate abroad? Move your family across the globe? Venture somewhere internationally to start your dream career?
There are a ton of articles out there that tell you what countries are the best for fashion design jobs. So I’m not going to go through the whole list.
Obviously the US, France, the UK and many other countries with big hubs are where most fashion industry work is concentrated.
But have you considered the challenges with living in those cities?
Cost of living is high AF. And so is competition.
Do you have any idea how many young aspiring fashion designers are moving to countries like the Italy, Spain, and the US, and flocking towards the fashion forward cities desperate to break into the industry?
I don’t have numbers, but it is A LOT. You know the “big fish small pond” saying? Well if you move to a city that’s a fashion hub, you’re now a “itsy bitsy teensy tinsy fish in a GINORMOUS pond.”
It’s hard. AF.
So instead of thinking about what countries or cities are the best to find a job as a fashion designer (like everyone else), do things differently.
Instead of YOU going to the fashion design jobs…let the FASHION DESIGN JOBS come to you.
Let me explain.
Back in the day, AKA pre March 2020, many fashion design jobs required you to live and work in the same place. Most brands had a “butts in seats” mentality.
In our post (well, almost kinda sorta can we please be there already?!) pandemic world, remote work – even in fashion – is so. much. more. possible.
But even though a lot of fashion design jobs offer a hybrid in-office / work remotely from home option, it’s still rare to find fully remote work as a fashion designer.
Which is why FREELANCING as a fashion designer is a much, MUCH, MUCH better option.
It doesn’t matter what country (or city) you live in…you can become a freelance fashion designer.
As a freelancer, you let the FASHION DESIGN JOBS come to you.
And I realize it may sound too good to be true, so let me share some stories.
First up is mine.
Back in 2008, I landed my “dream” job as a full-time fashion designer for a lifestyle brand in Denver, CO. It was a toxic office (like many fashion companies are) and I was overworked like crazy. We’re talking 60+ hour work weeks…when you calculate that against my measly $22k salary, I was making about $7.33/hour.
It. Was. Terrible.
Fast forward, I quit to become a freelancer. Not a full-time on-site temp-job “permalancer” but a true, remote freelancer. After a year of failure and earning $0, I figured some sh*t out and started making cash. By year 3, I’d tripled my previous full-time salary and soon was making $100k+.
But beyond the money, it didn’t matter where I lived. I worked with brands all over the place, doing projects I loved and cared about. I didn’t go to the work. The work came to ME.
Students in my Freelance Accelerator: from Surviving to Thriving (FAST) program have the same results.
There’s FAST grad Arya, who lives in a small town in India and works with brands around the world drawing fashion flats. She didn’t go to fashion school, didn’t have any experience, yet kickstarted her freelance career. Within 5 weeks, she had 6 clients.
There’s FAST grad Katerina, who lives in Macedonia but splits her time between there and Italy. She works with brands globally doing textile design and loves the freedom of working where she wants and on projects she loves. In her first year freelancing, she made more money than she did in the previous year working full-time.
There’s FAST grad Lucia, who is from Argentina but lives in Germany. She’s a textile designer and works with clients all around the world. It’s the perfect work life balance for her as a mom with 2 young boys.
There’s FAST grad Eleni, who lives in Greece and works with brands in multiple countries doing tech packs. She got started with no “real industry experience” and now consistently makes $3-4k/month. It’s about 4-5x more than what she’d make working full-time as a designer.
There’s FAST grad PK, who lives in India and works with brands in the United States, Switzerland, Australia, her home country, and beyond. She has so much work that she had to hire other freelancers to help.
It doesn’t matter what country you live in, you can be a fashion designer. (Or textile designer, technical designer, product developer, patternmaker, or any job in fashion!)
I could share a ton more stories. I could tell you about our FAST grad who makes more in 1 day of freelancing than in 2 weeks at a full-time job, and the one who makes 1.5x more as a freelancer than an employee, and the one who is earning 75% more than working in-house.
No matter where you live…
Freelancing is where you’ll get paid the most as a fashion designer.
And I have stories all day long.
But the point I want you to walk away with is that you don’t have to move, migrate abroad, or move internationally…to be a fashion designer.
Take control of your life. Carve your own path. Set your own rules.
Live in whatever country you want and work with brands around the world.
Beyond that, work on your own schedule, and collaborate with brands you’re passionate about.
The freedom, flexibility and empowerment is priceless.
Freelancing is how you do it. And I’m here to help you get there.
YOU GOT THIS!!!
