SFD038: Hard Lessons Learned From a Career in Fashion

Stamatina is a designer who finally gave up on her fashion career dream, and wanted to share her fashion career lessons. Now, I don't want to start this episode with a negative tone. Or make you feel like you too will have to give up on your fashion dream. But I wanted to bring Stamatina on the show after she sent me an email that said this: "I REALLY wanted to get the “dirt” out THERE!!! I wanted to LET people know my REAL life experience and how much money, time and sweat it took for me to finally give up my lifetime dream!! I felt it was my responsibility to save these newbies / young fashion designers who really had no clue what they were setting their selves up for!!! If I could go back and start over, oh boy!! I would do everything so differently today because the lessons I learned were very expensive and affected not only myself but my family as well." Here's the thing: We all go through tough times and learn the hard way. There are stepping stones for everything in life. But sometimes hearing other people's fashion career lessons can help make these experiences a little easier for ourselves. So in an effort to continue this week with more honest conversation in response to last week's dialog about the painful truths of working in the fashion industry, I invited her on the show. Here's a little bit of her backstory: Stamatina gave her hand at launching her own collection of dresses and resort wear. After investing $20k+ of her own money, some overhyped fashion shows that didn't result in any sales, and falling down the "I'll just put this on my credit card" trap, she shut down her business to pursue a fashion design job in NYC. Unfortunately, those jobs didn't bring her the happiness or joy she was searching for. She got stuck in abusive workplaces with bosses who didn't appreciate her. So she put her fashion dream aside to pursue a career in beauty. In this episode, Stamatina shares her unfiltered experience of what worked, what didn't, and what she would have done differently. She also shares why she doesn't regret doing any of it. In the interview (which I know you'll love) we cover: The realities of working in fashion What it takes to have your own fashion label Why you need to start slow (crawl before you run) Being smart about utilizing fabrics + colors + trims across multiple styles Considering costs and how quickly things add up, especially in relation to how much you can actually sell your designs for Having agreements with your pattern makers and other vendors and being clear about what you will get Knowing when to stop, slow down, say no, or just go a different route Having a strong stomach for working in this industry The importance of standing up for yourself What school doesn't teach you compared to what's expected in real life (be prepared to figure things out as you go!) Listen now for an industry insider's peak into fashion career lessons, so your journey may be a little smoother. Guest Info & Resources Stamatina on Facebook Stamatina on Instagram Enjoy the show? Help us out by: Rating us on iTunes - it really helps! Subscribing on iTunes - I appreciate each and every one of you!