Fashion Portfolio: 5 deadly mistakes that will cost you the job

[@ruchiikax]

#1 Including designs from every category #2 Including hand illustration #3 Including school Projects #4 Showing your hand sewn designs #5 Showing too little or too much inspiration

[@SewHeidi]

Great summary!

[@rossellaleonardi2908]

I think the most common mistakes are in order: fashion illustration, school projects, confusing moodboard. I liked how we can turn these errors in strenghts :)

[@SewHeidi]

yep! there is always opportunity for a learning experience :)

[@AlexandraBoadu]

This is helpful.. thank you, honestly I have been struggling to get a job in a fashion industry for the past three years now from graduating in a BA Fashion design course. I do not know what I'm doing wrong and now I am updating a new portfolio, I still don't get a job. It is pretty sad. :( I will keep trying and your videos have helped me x

[@SewHeidi]

It is competitive out there - it could be your portfolio ;). Have you tried alternative job routes like I discuss in this video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZLGiYqXmLZmhMk

[@andreas_adventures]

Same. Only it's been about 6 years. :(

[@deborahwolff5651]

Good luck to you! The right fashion company will.hire you!

[@little4kingkong]

"with a portfolio you can create in one weekend? ideal but sounds crazy!

[@SewHeidi]

Have you checked out the free guide and given it a chance? My bet is you're spinning your wheels on things that don't matter ;) successfulfashiondesigner.com/fashion-portfolio/

[@little4kingkong]

I haven't checked it out yet. What i have done is to remove lots of pages from my portfolio after looking at this video. It gave me a better and clear understanding of what i need to have in it. I will definitely, check the free guide out. Thank you for all the huge help!

[@SewHeidi]

Yep - chances are you have WAY too much which is why it takes forever. Go through the book and then come back and let me know how it went!

[@little4kingkong]

@@SewHeidi HI Heidi, I read your book. I have to thank you for all the time & effort you put into this book. It's very well detailed, and I could say it covers almost all questions a designer who wants to create a portfolio would have. My only question, which I think I didn't see/read in your book is how many designs I should do per group? And yes, I had way too much! I was so happy when I read your book and saw this video because I could understand everything you were saying on how to execute each step!

[@etamika]

Thank you Heidi! This video came at a good time. I've been wondering why I haven't landed a SINGLE fashion job yet. Not a single request for an interview! #1) GUILTY. I'm such a show off #2) Good! I can't draw anyway, so I'm happy about this. Sometimes I just wanna skip the sketching and go straight for the flats, but school has drilled it into my head that I needed to have sketches for every collection, so I just do it. It's honestly the most frustrating part of a collection. #3) No joke. Upon finishing fashion school almost 2 years ago, I've been redoing my school projects to look more professional. #4) This will save me money! #5) I don't think I'm guilty of this.

[@SewHeidi]

You are not the only one...give a shot at revamping based on the advice here - and check out my free book for all the step by step instructions to getting your portfolio done ;) successfulfashiondesigner.com/free-ug-fashion-portfolio/

[@irfanzahid4643]

Thanks Heidi. This taught me about mood or inspiration board and this video is great for ppl who have not read or don't have time to read your ultimate guide for making portfolio. I loved the book n this video summarizes all

[@SewHeidi]

Awesome Peter - yes, it is a good quick summary of the book :)

[@darinakalinova2180]

Thank you, I am doing school now and that is exactly what is happening. Constantly pushed to do hand illustrations which as you rightly said are not perfect and I would not present them at all. While Adobe is not given that much space, which is nonsense. So, because I am rebellious. I have objected this concept. Will do special course of adobe to become professional. Love your videos. Thank you a lot.

[@SewHeidi]

You’re welcome! Glad you’re taking the initiative 😣

[@uday_bali_creates]

i don't have words to thank you because this was a much needed video for me.....

[@bringiton5282]

You have no idea how good I feel listening to this. Fashion design student here and you've voicing my exact thoughts ! There's an element of 'Welcome to the real world !' and fashion school is kind of a shelter from reality. It doesn't give you half of the skills needed on the job.

[@SewHeidi]

It is a total shelter! Glad you found this so helpful 🙌

[@EileenVincett]

All of this!!!! Yes!!! KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!! Have a flexible portfolio that can be interchanged based on the brand you are interviewing with. Such great tips!!! I'm an Accessories Designer and scribbles/concept thru to finished product images...showing that you know the WHOLE process... broken down into maybe 2 or three portfolio pages (Concept/Collage/Scirbble/Presentation CAD/techpack CADS/FINISHED PRODUCT is key! Awesome/Fab video.

[@SewHeidi]

Yeeesss you know your stuff!! So great to meet you here...and I may have just sent you an Insta DM...

[@manasaeidi6370]

hand sewn vs tech pack was the best guide, thank u

[@humairafaria3810]

I'm really fan of yours after watching your advices

[@arezooaref6403]

This was a great video. I did all these mistake in my portfolio😥

[@rupalsaini7254]

Thank you, I was so confused about wht to put in my portfolio or wht not but now I am clear and confident. Love u😘😘😘😘 #from 🇮🇳India

[@SewHeidi]

Yesss! So glad to hear ;)

[@MaryDavisSANeDIEGO]

I REALLY enjoyed this video! Although I am not focusing on fashion design per se (instead, broader surface pattern design), my takeaways from your 5 points were: 1. Check Your Assumptions & Instead Align Your Actions to Industry Realities: 1) What the market wants; 2) What recruiters want; and 3) Conscious self-assessment regarding what skills you need to work on and develop to get you to the next level. 2. Focus on What Really Matters: I like how you said to tailor your presentation to what THAT particular brand produces, and not present a hodge-podge "I can be everything to everybody" portfolio. 3. Show You Know the Industry: Both #2 (present your designs in AI) and #4 (showing hand-sewn designs vs. including the tech pack which is far more relevant) seem like those two things alone would put a fashion designer ahead of her/his competition. Lastly, your Golden Rule is incredibly helpful to designers in any endeavor. There is a time to be an artistic visionary and unicorn, and there's also a time to mindfully create for consumption and what is actually marketable.

[@missqlalah]

Thanks Heidi! My hand sketching is not like the glam ones you see on IG. They're above mediocre but I'm bad with drawing body parts but good at drawing clothing. Most of my sketches look like a ghost is wearing them. 😂😂😂

[@SewHeidi]

I would focus on including Illustrator fashion flats then. If your hand sketches of the garments are good for the "rough" inspiration part, then include them! But I would def. not include poorly drawn bodies ;)

[@nuhamomin5688]

Thank you so much! This really helped clear up a lot of confusion! 😃

[@alfanjabeen656]

No doubt this vedio is full of helpful advice Heidi, before watching this video I was thinking about including my best UNI projects and some personal design of dresses, but now?.thank you. from #Pakistan

[@mariahdanielle4341]

I have a internship interview and this helps me so much for what to put into the profolio.

[@SewHeidi]

Amazing so happy to hear!

[@manasaeidi6370]

your the best, a life saver!🧡💜💓💕

[@docgallery]

Thanks for the guide heidi. It helped me in arranging my portfolio the right way.

[@nairs7352]

Thanks for your Video 😊👍

[@Sol_Larrea]

thank you sooo much!! you are amazing!

[@Mysicalgreenunicorn03]

Re tech packs in Portfolio... do you show tech packs for all garments? That seems excessive right? Is it just a few key pieces?

[@SewHeidi]

Yep ☺️

[@katyschildmeyerksapparelde2441]

Spot on with the fashion illustrations, hand seeing, and etc. I critique designers on quality of work and what is problematic. I ask the students to think about leaving the ego on the sketch pad. Look realistically at work. Devil’s in the details! The inspiration board part cracks me up!

[@SewHeidi]

Yes!!! Devil is in the details, not the fancy artistic stuff that isn't actually used in the industry! Sounds like you're an amazing teacher :)

[@katyschildmeyerksapparelde2441]

I think it’s important to allow wonder to happen, but more important to be honest with the students about their work. I sat in on critique with Bob Mackie and he said that it’s better to hear it in a classroom than from the buying public, especially as the companies will sometimes just let you go if you can’t deliver effectively on a dime. I also let them know that we have some of the smallest job opportunities in the entirety of the job markets. I see so many with broken hearts and big student loans. Want to give them a fighting chance if this is the chosen line of work. I have a feeling you work the same way.

[@SewHeidi]

YES, of course, wonder is important. But the broken heart thing you mention is all *TOO* common, which is why as educators we have to focus on realistic skills...unfortunately, it happens infrequently. The stuff I see coming out of FIT, Parson's, etc, is terrifying. Hard lessons will be learned on the job, of course there are things that can never replace real life learning, but whatever we can do to prepare them for the real world, ie difficult critiques, is priceless. Cheers to better education - I can feel your passion and desire to do a better job for these students :)

[@katyschildmeyerksapparelde2441]

Sew Heidi ditto! Scary stuff! I have a friend who teaches in Singapore. Same thing is happening there. It’s good to know there are straight forward teachers! ❤️ Have a great week!

[@alapps3720]

Awesome! So glad I found you!

[@SewHeidi]

Yay! Me too!

[@m0mof0sho]

Extremely helpful and appreciate your insight. Needed this! Thank you.

[@savannahjackson7978]

Hello thank you for your video I feel like it really helped me a ton. I have a background in graphic design but trying to go back to school for fashion merchandising. I do believe this will greatly benefit me by doing theses steps. Thanks again 😊

[@hniarostom6229]

Thank you for all advices ..I just download your guide it's really great...Thank so much

[@SewHeidi]

You’re welcome! I know you’ll love the guide :)

[@iLoveLeatherNYC]

Good advice, thank you for posting. It would be helpful if at the end you walked us through your portfolio and demonstrated how to apply the advice that has been related. You are a rockstar.

[@SewHeidi]

Did you check out the free portfolio book? It walks you through this all, step by step :) successfulfashiondesigner.com/free-ug-fashion-portfolio/

[@fashionbloggerjoym68]

Great maam you explained amazingly

[@sangitachavan189]

Hi Heidi Your video was so on target. Thank you , you have a great gift in your articulation and delivery. I have 2 questions ... Question 1: I have taken a break from the industry to raise my family and am looking to get back in. Hence my resume is quite dated. Any suggestions on this issue ? Question 2: I have experience in many different areas of fashion. Understood and completely agree that hiring managers only want to see what you can do for their company. Hence would you suggest doing separate portfolios ? How many groups per portfolio ? Looking forward to your response and Thank you again

[@SewHeidi]

Hi Sangita! Wishing you the best of luck and wish I could reply here! But due to the overload of inquiries I get on various channels, I'm unable to personally give advice. Which is why I created fashionindustryfriends.com - a place where you can get the support you need in your fashion career!

[@Jeepnaut]

You’re a Godsend, Heidi. Much love

[@dioragj2807]

Hello Heidi. Thanks for everything you teach. It is def REAAAAL 🙌

[@SewHeidi]

No other way to do it!

[@roxananicholson6680]

Heidi, You are amazing. Keep sending me all your videos . Thank you, Roxana

[@SewHeidi]

Aww of course! So glad to hear :)

[@trimelody4589]

Can you please tell something about which sort of portfolios to send for uni/clg admissions?

[@emilykatz3370]

Great advice. Thank you for sharing!

[@SewHeidi]

You're welcome and so glad you enjoyed! I would love to know - what was the most surprising mistake for you?

[@emilykatz3370]

@@SewHeidi Because I've been working with a factory for some time now, I wasn't too surprised by them but I feel that they're all good things to know for someone who is entering the industry, . The points go right along with keeping work clean and functional. So often when I am requesting flats, they are to be specific to a new line, being particular pieces. So receiving a few, clean flats of the exact pieces that I am looking to produce is perfect.

[@rossellaleonardi2908]

Sometimes, it is supposed to have strong illustration skills, but I think it's not for entry level designers or they just want you to do all the job, without proper compensation!?! Or make you believe that you need to invent some kind of avant-guarde/super fancy stuff! The fact is, also, that not everyone can afford an expensive college and have quick access to famous fashion houses! I've been making all the errors until...now. I am 30 and self-taught. Let's focus on prior things, first. And see what happens!

[@SewHeidi]

Fashion illustration is really over-rated. Yes, in some of the high end houses, designers do this kind of work. But MOST jobs are not in high end fashion - they are in every day fashion brands who make clothes for every day people. Think about what MOST of the clothes are available for purchase - every day clothes. But glamour sells, which is why fashion illustration is so "popular". It's just not that practical for most jobs ;)

[@rossellaleonardi2908]

Thank you, Heidi!!!

[@SewHeidi]

You're welcome :)

[@brucehunter3040]

I have a portfolio that shows my capabilities from shoes to bags to graphic design to collection womenswear and press from vogue and harper's bazaar no AI flats and no tech packs in the past I have gotten the jobs from sheer talent that the owners saw. What to do now?

[@SewHeidi]

Read my free book on portfolios - the answers are in there ;) successfulfashiondesigner.com/fashion-portfolio

[@shuangzhang6125]

Thank you!

[@SewHeidi]

You are so welcome!

[@snearkesdsf7495]

Hi I have a question, in the video you said including illustrations could actually hurt you, however if you don't show the final line up illustration and just show process and flats, how will the hiring manager actually get the whole design idea?(if you are not going into a production, I mean) or do you mean include simple line up illustrations and just leave out fancy artsy illustrations?

[@SewHeidi]

Your flats should show the designs sufficiently. You can include hand sketches is that’s part of your process.

[@CandaceJordan00]

Thank you!!!! Loved the video!!

[@SewHeidi]

Thanks Candace - what did you love about it?!

[@ntone888]

with the self directed project - how far do you take it ? for example if I want to work at nike and do a self directed commercial project, do I try to make it and and photograph a model and alll that or is it more showing my concepts in the visual language the factory would need ? sorry if a dumb question :) best realistic advice on youtube!

[@SewHeidi]

Have you read my free book on fashion portfolios? You can find all the answers you need there: successfulfashiondesigner.com/fashion-portfolio/

[@asaplocky]

how many pieces are included in a project? is it just one or multiple?

[@jillogicaljelly3627]

Do you know what differences you would make to this if you are focusing on the sewing side rather than the design side?

[@novabrooks9550]

Thanks Heidi ❤️ How does this change if it’s an application to a design school rather than for a job? Xx

[@SewHeidi]

What do YOU think? How could you use these same tips and use them for applying to school? I want you to think about this creatively first :)

[@SeraphineClarisse]

it was rough, but useful

[@SewHeidi]

What was rough about it? 🤔

[@bigfatuglypig33]

do you have to be a good freehand artist to be a designer? In other words, do you need to know how to draw?

[@SewHeidi]

Nope, you sure don't: successfulfashiondesigner.com/fashion-designer-cant-draw/

[@seaniahmcleod2903]

what app to do it on?

[@rossellaleonardi2908]

The video of a life!!! TOP

[@SewHeidi]

Aw so glad you liked it! What was your favorite part?!

[@nehamarathe7756]

I am trying to make portfolio but getting confused about making final garment .Is it necessary to include final garment? Also I have done my internship in bridal wear & I have all the rough sketches of the garments should I include that in my portfolio

[@SewHeidi]

I go through all of this in my free book ☺️ successfulfashiondesigner.com/fashion-portfolio/

[@GabAlexis]

Could we show our Senior Collections if they are Marketable?

[@SewHeidi]

What do you think?

[@GabAlexis]

I’m thinking yes! 🙃

[@Aboni-rw7uy]

So.. All the amazing illustrators we see all over social media, they just do fashion illustration as a hobby or something? They are not in the industry? They're designs are not being made? 🤔

[@SewHeidi]

Yep! *MOST* of the time they are just drawing designs that already exist for fun / to get exposure. *SOME* may be commissioned by designers to create "beautiful sketches" of existing garments. But *very* rarely in the majority of fashion brands will an actual designer create something like this as part of the design process.

[@irfanzahid4643]

No no to my knowledge these illustrations help in high fashion where you make one piece from one illustration and most of illustrations express mood of the garment in artsy way. It's like artsy pieces on runway just for marketing. Is it right Heidi?

[@SewHeidi]

There is truth to this, but how many designers / jobs are actually this? Maybe .0001%. Which is why fashion illustration is really over-rated. Yes, in some of the high end houses, designers do this kind of work. But MOST jobs are not in high end fashion - they are in every day fashion brands who make clothes for every day people. Think about what MOST of the clothes are available for purchase - every day clothes. But glamour sells, which is why fashion illustration is so "popular". It's just not that practical for most jobs ;)

[@Aboni-rw7uy]

So in the industry, what does a fashion "designer" actually do? Draw flats? And where do these artsy pieces go? They're not sold or used somewhere else.... Then what's the purpose of those? Is it just for the sake of a fashion show? @~@

[@SewHeidi]

Runway shows are just that - shows for marketing and publicity. Do you ever see people in real life wearing that stuff? Maybe at the Met Gala...but that's about it.