IS THIS THE DAWNING OF A NEW AGE FOR INDIE FASHION DESIGNERS

This is only the start of a major shift that will bring exciting opportunities for fashion designers to work independently on their passion and create a work/life balance doing what they love!    

Society has been set up in such a way that prevented people going after their dreams.  The large retail chains dominated the market for so long and most graduates gave up their dreams of having their own fashion brand to work for these companies instead.    I was one of them….. When I left college I initially worked as an employee, working all hours, underpaid and I felt as if I was stagnating in “designer jail” …. Yet I did it for five years before finding the courage to be my own boss. 

Working really long hours, as an employee, in an understaffed, pressurised environment actually gave me a chronic health condition, so it has been my mission ever since to prevent young designers experiencing the same.

Yes, I found the courage to take the leap of faith ….  But most people who dream of being their own boss don’t.    Most stay in the perceived safety of being an employee because society makes it so difficult to work for ourselves.   Being self employed has been seen as risky and consumers didn’t trust unknown brands.  

But now there is a glimmer of light!   The pandemic fast-tracked a changing attitude and people are now beginning to question the morality of shopping with retail giants.   It’s now becoming much cooler and more original for consumers to shop guilt free from small independents, to do business directly with the designer and have a human connection.    This was unheard of just a few years ago!   

The internet has made it possible to connect directly with the consumer and this is just the beginning of more independence for designers!    

Just imagine a new society where its the norm for people to buy and sell from each other, completely by-passing large retailers.     There would be more originality, less mass production, less pollution,  more direct engagement, happier healthier people growing their businesses around their lifestyle working where and when they want.

When I was talking to buyers at big stores such as Harvey Nichols, Harrods & Selfridges … About a decade ago they were all saying the same thing…  that their customers would only buy from well known brands.     And, as a small unknown  independent designer I had to fork out astronomical fees for catwalk shows to become “known” and gain recognition from these buyers ……..    It was crazy!  ..   but that was before internet shopping and we had no way of reaching consumers directly.

So, through the pandemic it has been really heartwarming to see so many young designers just making clothes and selling them on the internet.   Designers like Hope MacAulay who built her knitwear brand on-line after graduating, financed only with earnings from her job at Tesco supermarket.  She now has celebrity clients, over 235,000 IG followers and sells in Selfridges.   Batsheva Hay started making patchwork dresses from scrap fabrics and she now sells to all the top stores like Browns and Matches. ….   How many designers have you seen sewing up garments and promoting themselves on instagram?….    Countless numbers of people are now doing this and in ten years time this will be the normal way that many businesses start up.

I used to dream of reaching consumers directly when running my business but it just wasn’t available then!

So designers please grab this opportunity. …And I invite you, a fashion entrepreneur with huge ambitions, a designer who wants to work on their passion to start this shift.  If we don’t  all take this opportunity now then things will just go back to how they were with large retailers polluting our planet and most people repressing their creativity and talent working for them in “designer jail”!

I mean, why would you want to wait until everyone else is doing this when you could start gaining experience now and get a head start.   

Imagine how awful it would be, and what a waste if people don’t recognise these opportunities and continue to follow the conventional routes, believing that working on their passion is too risky, or not for them,  allowing the retail giants to dictate our lives and fighting for a dwindling numbers of jobs.

If you want to meet other designers making this shift and starting their own independent businesses then join my free Facebook group HERE.