It is unrealistic to expect me to have all the answers you need - especially regarding: financial advice; visas and immigration; career counselling or recruiting insights; business and manufacturing insights.

Also:

  • If you've already had many unsuccessful applications or business fails, I highly recommend you diversify your research and support groups;
  • If you do find yourself in repeated patterns of self-defeating thoughts and behaviours despite your best intentions to make it in Fashion or otherwise: please look for mental health resources to address these issues!
    DO NOT assume they'll be gone if only you can get into that Fashion school, or get a job at that brand, or start your own brand etc etc etc.

Other helpful reading

The Fashion dream vs the industry reality:

  • The most beautiful job in the world: lifting the veil on the Fashion industry, by Giulia Mensitieri (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020)
  • TL;DR - No money in their Prada purse by Aya Noel (1Granary issue 6, June 2020)

Career goals & job search:

  • 'What Colour is your Parachute?' series: very handy book with the sort of "timeless advice" many self-paced online courses claim to provide - except the book is much cheaper and updated yearly.
    Maybe you don't need "more skills", but if you do, the exercises in the book can help you slow down and make a better assessment of your existing qualifications vs. what you ultimately want to achieve.
  • Wishcraft - How to get what you really want, by Barbara Sher, aka. the godmother of life coaching: pretty good book to get started, emphasizes building a support network instead of glorifying hustle culture or regurgitating Instagrammable quotes.
    The digital version is free.
  • Many people like The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron. Not my cup of tea, but should be easy to find a free PDF if you want to have a look.
  • Reddit support groups: r/jobs, r/recruitinghell, r/LinkedInLunatics...
    Your Fashion school will most likely not help you with the seemingly obvious task of writing an appropriate CV.
    Much less teach you about healthy boundaries in the workplace, or how to spot red flags in a job ad.