Fashion Designers Get Paid: Build Your Fashion Career On Your Own Terms

By Sew Heidi

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Category: Fashion & Beauty

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Subscribers: 14
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 228

Description

This is a show for burnt-out fashion designers (and TDs, PDs, patternmakers and beyond) who want more flexibility while still doing work they love. As a freelance fashion designer, you can build your fashion career on your own terms. Freelancing in fashion is the only way to get freedom in your day (instead of being tied to a desk). Whether you want to earn extra money on the side, fund your fashion brand, or replace your salary, the FDGP podcast will help you get there. Listen in for actionable tips and strategies to kickstart or grow your career as a freelance fashion designer, build your confidence, and create the life you want. Hosted by $100k+ fashion freelancer Sew Heidi, the show features interviews and strategy sessions with successful freelance fashion designers from around the world who've ditched toxic fashion jobs and taken control of their own destinies. This is the only place to get REAL insights from REAL freelancers who have built REAL careers on their own terms. (Formerly the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast.)

Episode Date
210: Q&A What to Do When a Client Asks for More Revisions
Apr 22, 2024
209: From £4k to £12k A Month: How this Freelance Footwear Trend Consultant Did it!
Apr 15, 2024
208: The REAL Truth About Being a Freelance Fashion Designer
Apr 08, 2024
207: 3 Ways to Calculate Your Freelance Rates for Fashion Designers
Apr 01, 2024
206: How Do You Offer Sourcing As A Fashion Freelancer?
Mar 25, 2024
205: How to Become a Fashion Virtual Assistant (VA)
Mar 18, 2024
204: How This Freelance Fashion Designer from India Landed a Gig with WGSN
Mar 11, 2024
203: How to Make Consistent Income as a Freelance Fashion Designer
Mar 04, 2024
202: How to Build Your Freelance Career on LinkedIn While Learning CLO 3D
Feb 26, 2024
201: You DON'T Need Another Time Management Tool: The REAL Reason You're Procrastinating
Feb 19, 2024
200: How This Freelance Fashion Designer & Mom From Brazil Learned English & Built Her Business in the Cracks of the Day
Feb 12, 2024
199: Pros & Cons of Freelancing in Fashion: Is it Worth It?
Feb 05, 2024
198 | Q&A: I'm Scared of Rejection
Jan 29, 2024
197: How to Sell Yourself As A Freelance Fashion Designer (without feeling gross)
Jan 22, 2024
196: How This Freelancer Does Sourcing & Product Development for Factories (and is making bank)
Jan 15, 2024
195: Fashion Sourcing Trade Show Tips for Freelancers (Andreu David, VP of Sourcing at Magic)
Jan 08, 2024
194: Q&A - How Should A Freelance Patternmaker Set Up An UpWork Profile?
Dec 18, 2023
193: How to Be a Freelance Fashion Stylist (for TV and personal styling)
Dec 11, 2023
192: How This Freelance Technical Designer Landed Her First Client In One Month
Dec 04, 2023
191: Adjust these 5 things on your fashion resume to look "younger" (and avoid ageism)
Nov 27, 2023
190 - Q&A: Are You Ready to Quit Your Full-Time Job And Go All In As A Freelance Fashion Designer?
Nov 20, 2023
189: How to make your freelance clients happy just by "being available"
Nov 13, 2023
188: From Military Pilot to Freelance Fashion Designer. WHAAAT?!
Nov 06, 2023
187 Should you leave the fashion industry? Before you quit, consider this...
Oct 30, 2023
186 | Q&A: Do freelance fashion designers need to be on Instagram? The answer will surprise you.
Oct 23, 2023
185: How to Build A Fashion Design Agency & Launch Your Fashion Brand On The Side
Oct 16, 2023
184: How This Freelance Textile Designer Is Charging $75/hr
Oct 09, 2023
183 What's more profitable: starting a clothing line or being a freelance fashion designer?
Oct 02, 2023
182| Q&A: How Do Freelance Technical Designers Review Protos Remotely?
Sep 25, 2023
181 The Secret to Get New Clients on Autopilot for Your Freelance Fashion Design Business
Sep 18, 2023
180: How This Pattern Cutter Freelanced for Alexander McQueen (While Still in Fashion School)
Sep 11, 2023
179: Illegal "freelance" fashion design jobs...
Sep 04, 2023
178: Q&A: Hey Fashion Designer, Are You Stuck in Your Comfort Zone?
Aug 28, 2023
177: How this Fashion Designer Used LinkedIn to Land High-Paying Projects
Aug 21, 2023
176: From "trapped" in NYC to in control of her own destiny: how this freelance fashion designer did it
Aug 14, 2023
175: We’re BACK with some BIG (and exciting!) changes!
Aug 07, 2023
SFF174: Podcast Updates (and free LIVE training!)
Jan 03, 2023
SFF173: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: How to Ask for Referrals to Get Consistent Income
Dec 19, 2022
SFF172: How This Freelance Fashion Designer Landed a $10k Project on Upwork
Dec 05, 2022
SFF171: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: WTF Do I Put In A Tech Pack Portfolio?
Nov 21, 2022
SFF170: From Factory Worker to Successful Freelance Patternmaker
Nov 07, 2022
SFF169: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: When Brands Keep Saying "Not Now, Maybe Later"
Oct 24, 2022
SFF168: How This Freelancer Quadrupled Her Income (and took 2 months off)
Oct 10, 2022
SFF 167: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: Project Pricing Hacks (So You Don't Undercharge)
Sep 26, 2022
SFF 166: This Fashion Freelance Changed ONE Thing On LinkedIn and Got More Clients
Sep 12, 2022
SFF165: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: Balancing Motherhood, Work and Freelancing
Aug 29, 2022
SFF164: Breaking Back Into Fashion After Burnout
Aug 15, 2022
SFF163: Why Undercharging Is Killing Your Freelance Career
Aug 01, 2022
SFF162: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: Tips On Getting Started Without Experience
Jul 18, 2022
SFF161: Starting a Brand vs Freelancing: Which Is Better?
Jun 20, 2022
SFF160: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: How to Pick a Niche for Surface Pattern Designers (plus more on pitching & pricing)
Jun 06, 2022
SFF159: What Does a Freelance Fashion Designer Do? (It may surprise you!)
May 23, 2022
SFF158: How this Freelance Textile Designer Outearned Her Salary (in her first year of freelancing)
May 09, 2022
SFF157: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: What to Do When a Client Ghosts Me (and how to charge for meetings + phone calls)
Apr 25, 2022
SFF156: How to Source Fabrics for Your Freelance Clients
Apr 11, 2022
SFF155: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: I Have 15 Clients and Am on the Struggle Bus
Mar 28, 2022
SFF154: How She Became a Freelance Fashion Illustrator + Designer (and sent a $4500 invoice!)
Mar 14, 2022
SFF153: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: What to Do When You're Stuck and Can't Find Enough Time
Feb 28, 2022
SFF152: How This 20-Year-Old from India Became a Freelance Fashion Designer (With No Experience)
Feb 14, 2022
SFF151: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: Why Are Brands Ghosting Me?
Jan 31, 2022
SFF150: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: I'm at Capacity! How Can I Grow My Business if I Can't Take On More Clients? (Pt 2)
Jan 24, 2022
SFF149: How This Freelance Patternmaker Beat Her Full Time Income by 75% (Pt 1)
Jan 17, 2022
SFF148: How She Built a International Freelance Fashion Design Agency from India
Jan 03, 2022
SFF147: "I turned my side hustle into my full time hustle"
Dec 20, 2021
SFF146: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: Managing Your First $4k Project on Upwork
Dec 06, 2021
SFF145: How This Textile Designer Is Charging $60/hr on Upwork
Nov 22, 2021
SFF144: Fashion Freelancer Q&A: Why your emails aren't getting replies (+ more on pricing, starting without experience, and finding clients)
Nov 08, 2021
SFF143: From $100 to $3k/month...And Then I Realized I Was Permalancing...
Oct 25, 2021
SFF142: How to figure out your services as a fashion freelancer
Oct 18, 2021
SFF141: Why I Hired This Freelancer (and then hired her again, and again, and again!)
Oct 11, 2021
SFF140: Fashion Freelancer Puberty
Oct 04, 2021
SFF139 Fashion Freelancer Q&A: CLO3d as a service? Project pricing? And what about portfolios?
Sep 27, 2021
SFF138 How She Did It: A Fashion Freelancer with No Industry Experience
Sep 13, 2021
SFF137 Fashion Freelancer Q&A: I feel like I'm losing my skills and confidence...
Aug 30, 2021
SFF136 Creating Stability and Fulfillment as a Fashion Freelancer
Aug 16, 2021
SFF135 Fashion Freelancer Q&A: What should my services be? (The skills I have or what I LOVE?)
Jul 26, 2021
SFF134 How to Be a Remote Freelance Patternmaker
Jul 19, 2021
SFF133 The Fashion Freelancer Who Never Wanted to Be a Freelancer
Jul 05, 2021
SFF132 Fashion Freelancer Q&A: Pricing and retainers, WTF to do!?
Jun 21, 2021
SFF131 How this fashion freelancer is charging $85/hr (during the pandemic!)
Jun 07, 2021
SFF130 Fashion Freelancer Q&A: What if brands think I'm an idiot?
May 24, 2021
SFF129 How this designer freelanced while starting her fashion brand
May 10, 2021
SFD128 Saying Goodbye to the Successful Fashion Designer Podcast
Apr 26, 2021
SFD127 How this 22 year old designer got featured by Vogue
Apr 12, 2021
SFD126 How to Find Freelance Fashion Design Clients
Mar 29, 2021
SFD125 How to Start a Luxury Sleepwear Brand
Mar 15, 2021
SFD124 How this Pattern Drafter Grew Her Freelance Business with Generosity
Mar 01, 2021
SFD123 How This Power Lifter Launched a Muscular Men's Clothing Line
Feb 15, 2021
SFD122 Working as a Freelance Pattern Maker (+ Tips on Starting Your Own Brand)
Feb 01, 2021
SFD121 How to be a fashion freelancer (if you don't know anyone in the industry)
Jan 18, 2021
Episodes you love: How to Become a Fashion Freelancer with Heidi & Marissa
Jan 04, 2021
Episodes you love: This 76 Year Old Worked in the NYC Fashion Industry since the 60's. Here's her story.
Dec 21, 2020
SFD120 How this accountant launched a handbag brand (with no experience or money)
Dec 07, 2020
Episodes you love: This Dirndl Designer Grew a BIG Fashion Brand with a TINY Niche
Nov 23, 2020
SFD119 How to advance your fashion design career (from assistant to director)
Nov 09, 2020
SFD118 How to build a sustainable clothing line (in Latin America)
Oct 26, 2020
SFD117 How to quit your full time fashion job and start freelancing
Oct 12, 2020
SFD116 How to start your fashion brand on Etsy (and then build an empire)
Sep 28, 2020
SFD115 How to Start a Clothing Line with (practically!) No Money
Sep 14, 2020
SFD114 How to Predict Textile Design Trends and Colors
Aug 31, 2020
SFD113 How to fund your fashion brand with a freelancing career
Aug 17, 2020
SFD112 How to launch a shoe brand without any fashion experience
Aug 03, 2020
SFD111 How to get a fashion design internship right after high school
Jul 20, 2020
SFD110 How to break into fashion design without going to fashion school
Jul 06, 2020
SFD109 How to Get Your Designs into Production with The Chicago Patternmaker
Jun 22, 2020
SFD108 How to Become a Senior Fashion Designer by Age 27
Jun 08, 2020
SFD107 What to include in a freelance fashion designer contract
May 25, 2020
SFD106 How This Designer Launched a Bespoke Dress Brand (while in college)
May 11, 2020
SFD105 How to Predict Fashion Trends (and work as a trend forecaster)
Apr 27, 2020
SFD104 What Is a Fashion Tech Pack (and do you really need one)?
Apr 13, 2020
SFD103 How to Make More Money as a Fashion Freelancer (than in a full-time job)
Mar 30, 2020
SFD102 How to Copyright Your Fashion Designs and Protect Your Brand
Mar 16, 2020
SFD101 How to Build a Sustainable Direct to Consumer Fashion Brand
Mar 02, 2020
SFD100 To Reach Your Goals in Fashion (and Life), Just Do ANYTHING
Feb 17, 2020
SFD099 Why this Startup Fashion Brand Makes Clothes for Short Men Only
Feb 03, 2020
SFD098 How to Get a Better Job in Fashion
Jan 20, 2020
SFD097 How to Become a Remote Fashion Freelancer
Jan 06, 2020
Bonus: Freelancing Advice for the Fashion Industry
Dec 23, 2019
SFD096 Q&A: How to Become a Fashion freelancer with Heidi & Marissa
Dec 09, 2019
Bonus Episode: My Infertility Journey
Nov 25, 2019
SFD095 How to Get Your First Fashion Design Job After College
Nov 11, 2019
SFD094 This Dirndl Designer Grew a BIG Fashion Brand with a TINY Niche
Oct 28, 2019
SFD093 How to Land Your Dream Job in the Outdoor Apparel Industry
Oct 14, 2019
SFD092 Should You Sell Your Fashion Brand on Consignment?
Sep 30, 2019
SFD091 100 Ways NOT to Start A Fashion Brand: These Guys Learned Firsthand What Works and What Doesn't
Sep 16, 2019
SFD090 How to Stand Out in Your Fashion Career (and Always Get the Job Offer)
Sep 02, 2019
Episodes You Love: SFD006 Job Hunting & Resume Advice for Fashion Industry Professionals
Aug 19, 2019
Episodes You Love: SFD075 How to Be a Lingerie Designer
Aug 05, 2019
Episodes You Love: SFD078 Working with Factories as a Freelance Fashion Designer
Jul 22, 2019
Episodes You Love: SFD053 4 Best Practices for Fashion Job Search Success
Jul 08, 2019
Episodes You Love: SFD008 Freelance Textile Designer: How to have a Successful Career
Jun 24, 2019
Episodes You Love: SFD025 Make the Most of a Fashion Sourcing Tradeshow
Jun 10, 2019
SFD089 How This Fashion Designer Balances Career and Being a Mom to 4 Kids!
May 27, 2019
SFD088 How to Build Your Fashion Business with Festival Vending
May 13, 2019
SFD087 How to Become a Fashion Merchandiser and Product Manager 👗
Apr 29, 2019
SFD086 This 76 Year Old Worked in the NYC Fashion Industry since the 60's. Here's her story.
Apr 15, 2019
SFD085 How this Mom Got a Tech Design Job After a 12 Year Career Break
Apr 01, 2019
SFD084 How to Become an Event Planner for New York Fashion Week
Mar 18, 2019
SFD083 How This Designer Built a Vegan Luxury Shoe Brand
Mar 05, 2019
SFD082 Fashion Startup Trade Shows: Are You Ready (and what's the cost)?
Feb 18, 2019
SFD081 When Your Parents Don't Support Your Fashion Design Dream
Feb 04, 2019
SFD080 Production & Manufacturing Processes for Small Batch Fashion
Jan 21, 2019
SFD079 Three Years as a Freelance Fashion Designer: Advice on Pricing
Jan 14, 2019
SFD078 Working with Factories as a Freelance Fashion Designer
Jan 07, 2019
SFD077 Interview with Project Runway Juniors Winner Chelsea Ma
Dec 17, 2018
SFD076 Six Steps to Starting a Fashion Line that Sells
Dec 10, 2018
SFD075 How to Be a Lingerie Designer with Laurie Van Jonsson
Nov 26, 2018
SFD074 Mailbag: Fashion Design Career Advice on 3D Prototyping, Kickstarting Your Career, and Productivity
Nov 19, 2018
SFD073 Accounting Advice for Fashion Designers and Businesses
Nov 12, 2018
SFD072 This Fashion Designer Applied to Puma 7 Times. How He Finally Got His Dream Job.
Nov 05, 2018
SFD071 Part 2: A Fashion Design Dream Come True: From the Honduras to NYFW, With Guillermo Irias
Oct 29, 2018
SFD071 Part 1: A Fashion Design Dream Come True: From the Honduras to NYFW, With Guillermo Irias
Oct 22, 2018
BONUS: What I Wish I Knew About a Career in Fashion (from 10 industry experts)
Oct 16, 2018
SFD070 Build a Fashion Brand with a Cult Following
Oct 15, 2018
SFD069 Launching a Sustainable Fashion Brand and Manufacturing in Bali
Oct 01, 2018
SFD068: Fashion Design Career Advice on College, Why You're Not Getting the Job, Freelancing and Factories
Sep 24, 2018
SFD067 Working with a Fashion Showroom
Sep 17, 2018
SFD066 10 Easy Networking Tips (you can use today) to Get Ahead in Fashion
Sep 10, 2018
SFD065 How This Surface Pattern Designer Creates From Music
Sep 03, 2018
SFD064 Fashion Startup Advice on Creating, Manufacturing and Selling Your Designs
Aug 20, 2018
Bonus Episode: Aliexpress knocked off this fashion brand. Here's what they did.
Aug 15, 2018
SFD063 Mailbag: Fashion Design Career Advice on Samples vs Prototypes, Made to Order fashion and Textile Design
Aug 13, 2018
SFD062 Building a Profitable Baby Bag Fashion Brand with No Experience
Aug 06, 2018
SFD061 Are You Ready to Quit Your Job for Your Fashion Startup Business?
Jul 23, 2018
SFD060 Shanghai, Hong Kong and Istanbul: A Day in the Life of an International Fashion Designer
Jul 18, 2018
SFD059 Mailbag: Fashion Design Career Advice on Freelancing, Gaining Industry Experience and Quitting Your Job
Jul 16, 2018
SFD058: Navigating the “4 P’s” of Fashion Marketing and Overcoming Networking Intimidation, with Robyn Spady
Jul 09, 2018
SFD057: Don’t Miss This Insider Coverage of Denver’s Massif Fashion Week
Jun 25, 2018
SFD056: Mailbag! Your Fashion Industry Q's Answered
Jun 18, 2018
SFD055: Follow These 4 Tips for Enhanced Fashion Media Coverage
Jun 11, 2018
SFD054: Podlet Episode, The Priceless Advice of “Know Thy Customer”
Jun 04, 2018
SFD053: 4 Best Practices for Fashion Job Search Success, with Recruiter Shellie Simpson
May 28, 2018
SFD052: Mailbag! Your fashion industry Q's answered
May 21, 2018
SFD051: Discover How One Fashion Design Entrepreneur Created a Flexible Direct-to-Consumer Business
May 14, 2018
SFD050: Special 50th Episode, Heidi Gets Interviewed
May 07, 2018
SFD049: Learn How to Create a Stellar Fashion Portfolio From a Former Under Armour Designer, featuring Leila Jalili
Apr 30, 2018
SFD048: How An Amazing Eco Friendly Clothing Brand Was Built On The Passion Of One Woman
Apr 16, 2018
Important Show Updates (and what they mean for you)
Apr 09, 2018
SFD047: Why Choose a Career as a Pattern Maker (instead of a fashion designer)
Apr 02, 2018
SFD046: How to Authentically Engage with Your Audience for Fashion Entrepreneurs
Mar 26, 2018
SFD045: How to Plan a Fashion Photoshoot (step by step)
Mar 19, 2018
SFD044: This Company Runs their Fashion Brand like a Tech Startup (and they're crushing it)
Mar 12, 2018
SFD043: Build Your Career as a Freelance Pattern Maker (from anywhere)
Mar 05, 2018
SFD042: Surviving Failure and Competing Against Huge Fashion Brands
Feb 26, 2018
SFD041: How to Set Up Your Fashion Brand Successfully, from Samples to Production
Feb 19, 2018
SFD040: Behind the Scenes with 7 Fashion Industry Professionals
Feb 12, 2018
SFD039: How to Launch Your Fashion Line with No Experience
Feb 05, 2018
SFD038: Hard Lessons Learned From a Career in Fashion
Jan 29, 2018
SFD037: Our Similar Fashion Journeys (you're not alone)
Jan 22, 2018
SFD036: How to Make it in the Fashion Industry (and in Manhattan) with Caroline Vazzana
Jan 15, 2018
SFD035: Build Your Career as a Contract Fashion Designer (and work from home)
Jan 08, 2018
SFD034: Happy New Year 2018!
Jan 01, 2018
SFD033: 2017 Review + 2018 Preview
Dec 25, 2017
SFD032: Best of 2017
Dec 18, 2017
SFD031: Behind the Scenes of an $87k Kickstarter Launch
Dec 11, 2017
SFD030: How to Get Press Coverage & Publicity for Your Fashion Line
Dec 04, 2017
SFD029: Fashion Career Advice for Ambitious Designers
Nov 27, 2017
SFD028: Thanksgiving Thanks! A Special Holiday Message Just for You
Nov 20, 2017
SFD027: Curled up in a Ball Crying: How Community Can Save You
Nov 13, 2017
SFD026: How Millennials Are Giving the Fashion Industry a Better Name
Nov 06, 2017
SFD025: Make the Most of A Fashion Sourcing Trade Show
Oct 30, 2017
SFD024: Part 2: Fighting Fear in Fashion
Oct 23, 2017
SFD023: Part 1: How to Stay Creative (when there's never any time)
Oct 16, 2017
SFD022: Why We All Must Ask: Who Made My Clothes?
Oct 09, 2017
SFD021: How to Get Funding for Your Fashion Startup
Oct 02, 2017
SFD020: How to Source Low Minimum Fabrics & Trims for Your Fashion Collection
Sep 25, 2017
SFD019: What's it really like to manufacture apparel in the US?
Sep 18, 2017
SFD018: Advice for Entry Level Fashion Career Professionals
Sep 12, 2017
Happy Labor Day!
Sep 04, 2017
SFD017: Why You Shouldn't Design for Everyone with Anna of VMora
Aug 28, 2017
SFD 016: How to Get Freelance Fashion Design Jobs on Upwork
Aug 22, 2017
SFD 015: How to Get Factories to Take You Seriously
Aug 14, 2017
SFD014: The (Sometimes Ugly) Truth About A Fashion Design Career
Aug 07, 2017
SFD013: The Step by Step Production Process for Fashion Design Entrepreneurs
Jul 31, 2017
SFD012: How to build a group of raving fans before you have a product
Jul 24, 2017
SFD011: The Number One Thing to Include On Your Fashion Design Resume
Jul 17, 2017
SFD010: Strategies to Manufacture Your Fashion Brand Overseas
Jul 10, 2017
SFD009: How to Grow Sales & Maximize Profits for Your Fashion Brand
Jul 03, 2017
SFD008: How to Have A Successful Career as A Textile Designer
Jun 26, 2017
SFD007: Using Your Network to get more Freelance Fashion Work
Jun 19, 2017
SFD006: Job Hunting & Resume Advice for Fashion Industry Professionals
Jun 12, 2017
SFD 005: How to Make a Career as a Fashion Illustrator with Danielle Meder
Jun 05, 2017
SFD 004: Freelancing Strategies for Fashion Designers with Marissa Borelli
May 29, 2017
SFD 003: How to Ask for (and Get) a Promotion in Fashion with Brian McIntyre
May 22, 2017
SFD 002: Using Email to Successfully Pitch Freelance Clients with Melissa Mendez
May 15, 2017
SFD 001: How to Get Your First Job in the Fashion Industry with Bjorn Bengtsson
May 08, 2017
How to Get Funding and Launch A Successful Fashion Brand
May 05, 2016
Why Solving A Problem Is Essential to Building A Successful Brand
Mar 14, 2016