Working at a Fashion Design Firm vs. Freelancing

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March 08, 2005

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If you work for a firm, chances are that you will have a more regimented work experience than you would if you worked solo. You will probably have to work nine-to-five hours. You will probably have to work in an office with other designers, and you may have to interact with factory managers or head designers on a regular basis. Your office environment might be pleasant, or you might have a small cubicle close to a crowded workroom. You may have to direct and supervise workroom staff and assistant designers. You might have the stress of knowing that you will potentially be laid off when the design for a fashion show is completed.

If, on t


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he other hand, you go solo as a freelance fashion designer, you'll find that you can, in general, set your own hours. If you don't want to start until noon, you can do that. You can set up an office at home. You might be able to design for private clients, rather than large apparel manufacturers. Freelancing comes with its own demands, however. You'll probably spend more time as a freelancer taking care of the business side of design--from invoicing clients, to finding new clients to create designs for. And you will have to have the self-discipline to finish a design assignment according to the client's deadline. Finally, you'll need to own the equipment that would be available to you at a design house, such as tools for measuring and cutting fabric, and a computer for computer-assisted design.