Fashion and the Free

In this week's episode I will be talking to Womenswear Designer Hannah Blurton to discuss whether Fashion Interview Projects are necessary to the interview process or just an excuse for fashion brands to receive free designs. As well as hearing her personal story on the topic... Hannah is a highly successful Brazilian-American designer based in Los Angeles and has been in the fashion industry for over a decade working for many well known retailers. She sat down with me to tell her story which has negatively impacted the way she feels about the industry. She believes her work was stolen from a large corporate fashion brand after she submitted her designs in 2020 as part of the interview process.  We will not be naming the brand in this episode as the goal of this discussion is not about naming and shaming. It's about bringing taboo topics from within the fashion industry to the surface, to encourage conversations with the hope of bringing change. This is a subject I personally feel extremely passionate about so I couldn’t wait to hear Hannah’s story and discuss her feelings on the topic… Useful links: Visit Hannah's ⁠Website ⁠ to find out more and get yourself on her waitlist for her upcoming courses! Follow and get in touch with Hannah on Linkedin Ad: Visit ⁠Fashion and the Free Studio⁠ to find out more on how we can help with your fashion brand Visit our website ⁠⁠Fashion and the Free⁠⁠ for all the latest fashion articles, stories and advice Read the article 'Endless hours and stolen work, is it time to put an end to fashion interview projects?' Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review, it helps other fashionistas to find us!

British fashion consultant and expert Elizabeth Stiles joins me to reveal the secrets to selling your fashion product- along with some incredibly useful tips for showing up on social media. Elizabeth has worked in the fashion retail industry for over 15 years across buying and selling departments for some of the biggest names and suppliers in the industry. Several years ago, she decided to leave the corporate world to start her own business working with small independent brands, passing on her industry insider knowledge to help them scale with success. With the vast increase of independent fashion brands in the past few years combined with Elizabeth’s friendly and personable approach it’s no wonder she has seen her business grow from strength to strength. Her success story on social media is definitely a lesson we can all learn from. I couldn’t wait to hear all her incredible advice and industry insider secrets! We did this interview back in April so I am so glad to finally be sharing this with you! Useful links: Visit Elizabeth's Website to find out more and get yourself on her waitlist for her upcoming courses! Follow Elizabeth on Instagram Ad: Visit Fashion and the Free Studio to find out more on how we can help with your fashion brand Visit our website ⁠Fashion and the Free⁠ for all the latest fashion articles, stories and advice Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review, it helps other fashionistas to find us!

If you listened to last weeks episode you’ll be aware that this is Part 2 of the 'How To Become a Successful Freelancer' discussion. In this episode we conclude with Anna Douglas to find out how she walked away from the corporate fashion world to start her own freelance design business and how she is teaching others to do the same. Anna owns Aydo fashion studio and provides education and coaching for fashion freelancers and designers. She has been in the fashion industry for almost a decade now and strives to help other freelancers, teaching them the things she wished she had known when she started. I couldn’t wait to hear her story and find out her top tips on how to become a successful freelancer in fashion. We did this interview back in April so I am so glad to finally be sharing this with you! Useful links: Visit Anna's Website Follow Anna on Instagram Ad: Visit Fashion and the Free Studio to find out more on how we can help with your fashion brand Visit our website ⁠Fashion and the Free⁠ for all the latest fashion articles, stories and advice Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review, it helps other fashionistas to find us!

The Fashion and the Free Podcast returns! After a 3 month break, I'm back with an amazing line up of fashionista guests! In this episode I am going to be talking to two Fashion Freelancers and consultants, Charlotte Jade Johnson and Anna Douglas to find out how to become a successful freelancer. This episode is split into two parts- this week in part one we begin with Charlotte! Charlotte is a sustainable fashion business consultant and creator of fashion founder- a program with monthly coaching and mentoring. She helps entrepreneurs to launch and scale their fashion businesses with sustainability at the heart of their brands. She also has her own podcast and successful social media channels.  During our chat we discussed the positives and challenging side to being a freelancer, as well as top tips for time management, useful tools and how to find new clients. We did this interview back in April so I am so glad to finally be sharing this with you! Useful links: Visit Charlotte's Website Follow Charlotte on Instagram Ad: Visit Fashion and the Free Studio to find out more on how we can help with your fashion brand Visit our website ⁠Fashion and the Free⁠ for all the latest fashion articles, stories and advice Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review, it helps other fashionistas to find us!

In this episode I am joined by Ashleyn Przedwiecki and Madison PM Cline from Fashion Revolution US to discuss how we can all be a positive force for change in fashion and to find out more about their upcoming annual event, Fashion Revolution Week. Fashion Revolution is a non profit organization which strives for an equitable and just fashion system that benefits people and the planet. They have grown to become the world’s largest fashion activism movement and are approaching their 10 year anniversary.  With their annual Fashion Revolution Week fast approaching, what better time to chat to the team about their incredible work and how you can participate and make positive change… Useful Links: Visit the Fashion Revolution Website Learn more about how you can take part in Fashion Revolution Week Check out their US Instagram page Check out their main Instagram page Ad: Visit Fashion and the Free Studio to find out more on how we can help with your fashion brand Visit our website ⁠Fashion and the Free⁠ for all the latest fashion articles, stories and advice Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review, it helps other fashionistas to find us!

In this episode I am joined by Sarah Ilston, Branded Content Editor for Hearst UK, to find out how to get a job at a fashion magazine... Sarah has an incredible background in fashion. She actually began her career as a fashion designer for some of the biggest retailers in the UK, but later switched roles entirely to pursue her love of writing as well as her interest in working for fashion magazines. Fast forward to today and Sarah is now the Branded Content Editor for Hearst UK, one of the largest media companies in the world.  Find out more about her journey into fashion magazines and get some top tips on landing a role in the industry. Useful Links: Visit our website Fashion and the Free for all the latest fashion articles, stories and advice Read some of Sarah's articles via the links below: Harpers Bazaar Red Magazine Online Womens Health Prima Red Magazine Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review, it helps other fashionistas to find us!

With an overwhelming amount of confusing terminology out there it's hard to know what really makes a fashion brand truly sustainable... In this episode I am going to be taking a deep dive into the world of sustainable fashion with CEO and Co-founder of 1 Atelier Stephanie Sarka. Join us as we find out what it takes to make a brand sustainable- from on demand production to transparency and regenerative agriculture. We also clarify what many of these terms actually mean! Stephanie has an extremely impressive background and extensive knowledge when it comes to this topic, not only is she a pioneer in this space, she is a seasoned entrepreneur and worked for the likes of Coach in the 90's. Her independent brand 1 Atelier is a unique luxury made to order business model. It offers clients a unique opportunity to create one-of-a-kind luxury accessories through their digital design platform. At the same time, they are revolutionizing the industry with a smarter, more sustainable and socially responsible approach - bringing in raw materials only as they need them, handcrafting each piece to order, dramatically reducing waste and their environmental impact. Useful Links: Check out the website 1Atelier Follow 1 Atelier on IG Learn more about the Farm to Arm collection Visit our website Fashion and the Free & keep your eyes peeled for our key takeaways article from this episode Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review

If you're interested in a career in fashion there are many roles you can choose from. In this bite-sized solo episode, I highlight 6 important jobs in fashion necessary to create a fashion collection and the skills each one requires.  Useful Links: Visit our website Fashion and the Free for all the latest fashion articles, stories and advice Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review, it helps other fashionistas to find us!

Have you ever asked the question 'How can I work in fashion without a degree?' It's safe to say you wouldn't be the only one to ask that! In this episode I am going to be talking to fashion expert Robyn Dombey to discuss the options available to anyone wanting to get into the fashion industry without a degree. Robyn is in the unique position to have had full insight into the many options available to enter the fashion industry. Not only has she been a designer for some of the biggest names in the industry including Marc Jacobs and Urban Outfitters, she is also currently the Executive Director at a Fashion school in Philadelphia, Made Institute. Since Robyn has seen many success stories first hand, I couldn’t wait to get her insights and advice on how to get into the industry without a fashion degree… Useful Links: Check out the Made Institute website Follow Made on IG Made Institute Fall 23 Fashion Certificate Program Made Institute Jump Start Program Visit our website Fashion and the Free & keep your eyes peeled for our key takeaways article from this episode Follow Robyns label Blue Bangs on IG Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review Recommended Resources Mentioned On This Episode: How I Built This Podcast with Guy Raz Business of Fashion Podcast That Will Never Work Book Fashion Business Manual By Fashionary Vogue Runway Vogue Business Fashion Editorials.com WWD

Have you ever thought about pursuing a career in fashion abroad? Perhaps you're in need of your next adventure but don't know where to start or how to go about it...  In this episode I am going to be talking to Senior Designers Laura Flanagan and Mel Gilfoyle about their experiences and advice for working in fashion overseas. Both Laura and Mel have been designers in the fashion industry for over a decade. Originally from the UK, they both left their careers in London in 2015 to start new adventures overseas. Laura has since worked in Hong Kong, Australia and in the new year she will be moving to Canada. Mel has since worked in Beijing and Dusseldorf in Germany. We will be diving into the highs and lows of having a career in fashion abroad and providing you with an idea of what the process looks like from visas to relocation packages. With so much experience of starting a life overseas between the 3 of us, I can’t wait for you to listen to our conversation, so sit back and enjoy as we get into our chat.. Useful Links: Check out the Diary of a Fashion Expat series by Laura Flanagan Visit our website Fashion and the Free & keep your eyes peeled for our key takeaways article from this episode Reach out to Mel and Laura via Linkedin Remember to hit the like and follow button so you never miss an episode! Please kindly consider leaving us a 5 star rating and review