Peer down the catwalk runways of London Fashion Week and you'd be forgiven for falling in love with the gloss and glamour striding by. It's an attractive career choice; the fashion industry is a multi-million pound monster that promises fame and fortune for those lucky enough to break it. But falling in love with fashion is sometimes where the dream ends.
Fashion design is seen by some as one of those difficult art degrees, the kind met at graduation ceremonies with a slight smile of uncertainty: "oh, good luck – you're going to need it". Endless opportunity is not something that defines the design market.
Well, that's what I thought until I met some of this year's fashion design grads. Among them, the trend for success in fashion design is most certainly not dead. If anything it's ripe and ready for the taking. And if you don't believe me you can hear it straight from the clothes-horse's mouth:
"Every area of fashion design is in hell right now."
OK, bad start but it's important. Eleanor Glen – a freelance designer fresh out of Falmouth University – believes that it's the best state the business can be in with the lasting burden of recession.
"Whether we like it or not it's actually good for the industry because it just shows how unsustainable it is and how much it needs to change. Now, designers are developing how we produce things and where from and by whom, it gives designers, however new, an opportunity for something new and different."
And with new practices and approaches, so too comes new opportunities. The fashion design industry is taking a good look at itself and trying to grow and expand – outwards and upwards. And if there's one sure fire way of making the most of this slump then it's with the smaller-sized local designers that will give you something interesting to get on with.
"Tea-making internships are just not how it works; it's not productive and it doesn't make you a good designer. It burns you out and you lose all your self confidence and expression" adds Eleanor, who took an internship with London-based fashion designer Tanya Sarne and her label Handwritten.
"I've had the best run. Tanya has been incredible in showing me what fashion should be and how you should be treated as a graduate and a professional."
Sarah Olivia Swaffield – a fashion and contour design graduate from De Montford University – agrees that smaller design set ups are where the most valuable experiences are. "You're under a microscope the whole time, but in a good way," she said. "The way you react, work, cut and talk about fashion is being picked up by the two/three/four people around you and you are always going to be noticed."
And that's where the opportunities begin to arise. Both Eleanor and Sarah are reaping the benefits of a smaller, more-intimate environment. Since graduating Eleanor has been invited to the Sri Lankan Design Festival as a guest designer and Sarah has been helping develop garments for FHM cover shoots, tour outfits for Cheryl Cole and brand launches at Selfridges.
"It's about having more responsibility" adds Sarah, who works with luxury lingerie designer Nichole De Carle in SW6. "I could be pattern cutting and mass producing for bigger sales, but at what cost? With Nichole I design garments, generate ideas and work with every section of the label: business, PR, advertising, management, fabric sourcing and so on."
But how do you infiltrate those smaller fashion boutiques? Sarah explains that – although a tired cliche – you need to persist and keep filling your CV and portfolio, but keep it relevant. "Don't work in shelf-stacking because it pays well" she said. "Work in retail chains or fashion writing and get a blog; you never know who might see your work."
Both Eleanor and Sarah also advise young wannabes to resist the fakery of the business. The reason these smaller companies are such a success is because of the mutual respect and close relationship with the designer and team.
Eleanor finished our interview with a little inspiration: "As a young designer you are no less than your boss; you are the most valuable tool they have. And if you stick to your guns and speak your mind you will be valued so much more than the person that sheepishly agrees with it all and tries to do what they think they want to hear."
