NYCFashionista
New York, NY
Female, 33
I’m the Creative Director/CEO/Jill-of-all-trades at my very own cold-weather fashion accessory business. I design and market a line of knit-based fashion accessories (scarves, gloves, hats) aimed at the contemporary market. My work can be found in several specialty boutiques in the US and Asia.
Finding more time to design and create. As this is only my second season, I spend almost 80% of my time focusing on sales and building distribution.
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The fashion community is small - high-priced wardrobes usually come free or at a steep discount from other friends in the industry. If you like clothes, working in the fashion industry has its perks!
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Precisely because it's so easy to set up online store fronts, many more independent designers are showing and selling their work online. It's become exceedingly difficult to cut through the clutter. In this environment, consumers are relying more on retailers to assume a curatorial or "tastemaker" role to make sense of all the stuff that's out there. Some good examples are Opening Ceremony and Tenoversix. An emerging designer would typically need their help in establishing a following for their line or label. Having said that, it's totally doable for a new designer to build their own distribution, but it would typically involve a big financial investment and a brick-and-mortar retail presence. Tory Burch and the t-shirt brand Johnny Cupcakes built their businesses this way.
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Pay-scale varies widely depending on employment circumstances. Anywhere from $70,000 a year for a competent freelancer in a major metro area to $300,000 for a creative director position at a mainstream fashion label. Expect $0 if you're in the first year of launching your own fashion business.
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I design a line of knitted accessories with a contemporary, "design-forward" aesthetic -- think your funky high school art teacher who suddenly has a corporate job and needs something sophisticated she can wear everyday while still expressing her flair and individuality. My designs rely on graphic patterns and stitches, so designing on a small scale with accessories allows me to work in more experimental concepts in my designs -- can't say I'd be able to do the same thing with apparel. I also like working with knits because of the instant gratification involved in creating your own fabric and patterns. I get to experiment and see the results in real-time. For someone who's a control freak like me, it's a great medium to work with.
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They can be your best friend if you invest in building a business relationship and deal with each other in a respectful, considerate manner.
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I had a black knitted cap from my FW12 collection that was a big hit in the Orthodox Jewish community! Two women who ran a retail operation from their apartment in Brooklyn saw my collection at a trade show and placed an order of 200 black hats! You never know where the next sale is coming from...
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