I like to think that some people are lucky enough to know exactly what they want to do with their careers. Me, for example, I had no idea until I tried everything. On the other hand, a lot of people jump into fashion because they want to be designers. I admire that and I think that the creative side of this industry is pretty hard nowadays. Being authentic and innovative is not enough anymore. One tip that I have for everyone who is thinking about starting their brand and becoming a designer is that this industry is vast. You have to see the bigger pictures and learn that the fashion industry is not only made of haute couture, ready-to-wear or fashion weeks.
Have I ever dreamed of being a costing coordinator? No. Have I ever dreamed of working for a company that makes socks? No. Have I ever dreamed of becoming a blogger? Yes, but I also didn’t know what kind of blogger I wanted to be. When I first started my career, all that I knew was that I wanted to have a relevant blog. Talking about the outfit of the day and travel was never really my thing, so I started a blog that is relevant to fashion lovers and people who want to start their businesses. That is where I discovered my passion and a niche in this industry that not a lot of people explore.
It is not only important to keep your eyes open, but also to be open to investing where the money is. Back in fashion school, while most of my classmates were focused on starting their brands, I remember one classmate that, in the middle of the program, decided to start a line of customized doctor coats. Yes, they were all customized, so her cost and work were high, but by the end of fashion school, she was paying for the whole school tuition herself, she never had to take another job and grew the business within a year. From what I know, she still does that for a living and she is still doing pretty well.
We all think about being in fashion because we want the glamorous that this industry has, but let me tell you, sometimes you can be happy, make money and also be in the fashion business doing something that nobody else is interested in doing. My first internship, also during fashion school in Brazil, was at a printing company. The company I worked for did everything. We would create the prints according to each client’s request, we would develop seasonal prints to sell to clients who didn’t know what they wanted, and, mostly, we would print everything in-house. The company was prepared to provide the prints, but also had the machines to print all kinds of fabrics with different printing techniques. Who was the owner of the company? Oh, he was just a guy who also graduated from fashion school and decided to start a business that provided help to other fashion brands, instead of starting a clothing line.
Another good example I love is pattern making. This is a niche in this industry that is very technical and detailed oriented. Speaking from experience, I hate pattern making! You have to learn how to transform a 3D view of the body into paper. All seams, alignment, measurements, everything needs to be perfectly done, otherwise, the garment won’t fit. Not a lot of people focus on this area, even though pattern makers are some of the most well-paid professionals in fashion. Especially now that we have new computer programs that you can create patterns all digitally and print them in real size - which can save a lot of time and money.
One of my readers' biggest fears is to start their fashion line, failing and throwing money out of the window. It is understandable! Even if you have all the money in the world, let’s face it, nobody likes to waste money. But the truth is that, if you want to work on the creative side of this business, you have to keep your mind open and see opportunities nobody else is seeing. No, I am not telling you to give up on your dream of having a ready-to-wear brand and presenting your line every season of New York Fashion Week. If that is your dream, you have to go for it! But always keep in mind that being creative and authentic is not enough anymore. Remember, you will always have the option of starting in a niche where nobody else does, making money, and coming back for dreams. You just have to invest wisely.
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