Even though I've been out of the Fashion game for a while, I still hear from people in one of two situations:

  • Prospective students who feel like their entire future depends on getting into a famous Fashion school, right now.
  • People wanting to start their own label, armed with nothing but a dream, a "friendly" Alibaba manufacturer, and an online course promising to teach them everything — including financial advice (which, if not illegal, is at least highly unethical).

I've made both of those mistakes myself, and there were consequences. Since I was lucky enough to bounce back after life handed me a very large slice of humble pie, I want to give you the pep talk I wish someone had given me.

None of it came from stupidity or laziness, it came from a toxic combination of naivety, urgency, and not having the right support around me: at 19, I genuinely believed I was already "too old" to wait on a decision about my education. I was surrounded by family who were either apathetic or overbearing, and school offices who were a lot more interested in selling me their quickest available course than in what was actually right for me. I took bad job and internship offers out of pure desperation. And I kept getting blindsided by how tricky manufacturers could be, and by "industry experts" running courses that overpromised and underdelivered.

So here's the actual talk (that I'll probably update over the years):

Don't decide out of urgency or desperation: Whatever you think will take three months might take six, or a year. That's not failure, it's just how the industry goes, how school timelines go, how skills and knowledge and experience are built.

There are no shortcuts.

  • For students: a rushed portfolio shows. Over-editing or stretching thin work to look fuller shows even more. Skill gaps are painfully obvious to the experienced tutors at the schools you're aiming for.
  • For aspiring founders with no industry background: please, please get some real work experience first. A "proven system" might work once you already have a business up and running — but a tech pack and a manufacturer are just the very beginning. Launching a collection comes with a very real risk of ending up with a pile of unsold stock (look up how many luxury brands have literally burned unsold collections).

Don't put all your eggs in one basket: don't be so confident of yourself, trust Bertrand Russell's quote that says "The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubt." Keep researching, even after a YouTube video or a coach hands you what feels like a definite answer.

Sometimes you just have to try something and find out: It's called FAFO or "working with ambiguity". And yeah... it kinda sucks. So don't take ridiculous risks but do accept that some uncertainty is inevitable.

Prospective Fashion students: please do not apply to only one Fashion school!!! I mean it. (Don't ask me for the full story, it's actually embarrassing so don't do it yourself)

People wanting to start their own label: I don't have a tidy one-liner for you here. That in itself should tell you something.

Some reading that might be helpful

On 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)
  • Quick read: No Money in Their Prada Purse by Aya Noel (1Granary issue 6, June 2020)

On career goals & the job search:

  • The What Color Is Your Parachute? series — a lovely, no-nonsense book with the kind of "timeless advice" a lot of paid courses promise. It's cheaper, and it gets updated every year. You might already have the skills you need — the exercises are great for slowing down and figuring out what you actually want.
  • The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a favourite for many people. Not quite my cup of tea, but easy to find a free PDF of if you're curious.
  • You should get familiar with LinkedIn, even with all the inflated BS (find solace & have a laugh on Reddit to shake if off after: r/jobs, r/recruitinghell, r/LinkedInLunatics)

And two things your Fashion school probably never taught you: how to actually write a good CV, and how to spot red flags in a job ad.

The gap between expectation and reality is real. If your stomach is churning, hit the brakes before you burn through your money, your time, your mental health, and your sense of your own competence.

Genuinely wishing you all the best,

Olivia S.