As I mentioned here a few times, I started my journey in the fashion industry back in the day when I started Fashion Design in Brazil. I tried a little bit of everything in this industry. Fashion designer, graphic designer, editorial coordinator, buyer, retail manager, visual merchandiser, fashion writer for many blogs in Brazil (lol, have been a fashion writer longer than you guys can imagine), and fashion producer. I moved to NYC with no idea what I wanted to do for my career. I worked hard, stayed focused, things happened, and I made my way up. Obviously still have BIG plans and goals. But something funny that I learned about this industry, is the fact that a lot of people trying to make it are not actually fashion educated. And let me tell you, you will need to learn a lot about the basics to make in this scene.
In a simple comparison here: I educated myself to be in fashion. I learned EVERYTHING about this industry inside and out, back and forth. I spent years studying to have knowledge in any area of the fashion industry. So, do you guys think I would be a great trader? Like, WTF? If I wanted to be a trader I would have to study to do so and to make sure I know what I am doing.
Something I noticed living in the US for the past 5 years, is the fact that most people here finish high school and start college for something that they like, but not something that they want to pursue as their career. Like my first roommate, who studied music but became a graphic designer. Or like one of my ex-boyfriends who also studied music but opened his own bar. Or like my former coworker who studied psychology but wanted to be in fashion. In Brazil, the reality is very different. We finish high school and start college for something we love and will pursue as a career forever - main reason why we all have crazy anxiety in the last year of high school, lol BUT FOR REAL!
I am a bigger believer that you are your dreams. There are no limitations to your dreams and goals. Even if you do not have any education, you can pursue your dreams, learn and work hard to conquer your goals. Perfection comes with experience and hard work. My old roommate, my ex-boyfriend, and my old coworker are successful and great at what they do, but obviously, they studied hard and educated themselves from the basics until the hardest part of their jobs and industries.
The fashion industry is often not taken seriously as a legitimate career path. So much stereotyping from people who have no idea what happens behind the scenes and how important this “glamorous and luxurious” industry is for the economy. I get a lot of “you do not need a college degree to be a designer” and “oh, how hard can it be to draw a piece of clothing?”. And believe me, if you dig deeper into this industry and the investment needed for a successful clothing line, IT IS VERY HARD! No, you might not need a fashion degree to be a designer, but you definitely need to learn about the business you are jumping into. This is another thing we go through with our clients ALL the time. As a production manager, we run our clients through the very first stage of developing their clothing line, until how to make seals.
I have worked with so many clients who come to the fashion industry just because they think it is fancy and cool to have a fashion brand. They did not care about understanding and learning about how things happen in this industry. Those are the ones struggling with sales and are not successful. Meanwhile, the clients who wanted to learn all steps and wanted to educate themselves from the simplest to the most complicated detail, are the clients who are successfully selling their products, making profits and investing in their next seasons.
Like any business and any career, you have to educate yourself to know what you are doing, know where you want to be, and have the right people helping you. As my father always said, “if you are not 100% sure of what you are talking about, then just shut up!”. Hard, but true, lol! I am not telling you that as a creative designer, you should know how to make patterns, but when you learn everything from the very basics, you expand your knowledge about the market you want to be in. I am not saying that you should go get a marketing degree to be able to do your own marketing campaigns but work with a team who does know what they are doing and they will guide you and teach you what is best for you and your brand. I keep repeating this here, but it is true: fashion is a business. And in this case, more than that, it is a career path.
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