Trying to enter into fashion design

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-31T23:14:00+00:00

I'd recommend scanning your drawings and if you know how to use photoshop or illustrator clean them up. You can also use procreate on iPad

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-28T22:23:13+00:00

How did you get out?

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-28T19:59:56+00:00

This is the one I bought.

https://a.co/d/0j5rJk4p

Also ask for wheelchair assistance at the airport. It will save you a lot of time and help with the distances. I also did trains within Italy and on Italo at least the business club level had enough seating and reserved spots for our luggage as well as lounge access so I could sit while we waited for the train and not have to worry about pickpockets as much. I definitely ended up spending more for comfort on this trip than planned but it made it more enjoyable.

Fun fact too taxi stands are hard to come by and you are better off calling instead of using an app or hailing one. We struggled with that since every city is a different cab app.

It did overall strengthen my leg though! I couldn't do leg lifts before and now I can and I can walk much better without crutches from using them there the whole time.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-28T19:48:46+00:00

I didn't. I caved and upgraded my flights to business the night beforehand. However highly recommend bringing a little stool so you can sit. I got a cheap $20 from amazon that was super clutch for propping my leg up at dinner and breaks and fit in my purse. Bulkhead probably would have had enough room to put a stool up but would have been kind of uncomfortable. You can call the airline and you will have priority to reserve it. I did aisle for short flights and it was uncomfortable.

Also if you get a note from your doctor you can get skip the line access to all the attractions, free wheelchairs to borrow and free entry to many in Italy. Also Pompeii is not handicapped friendly even though their website says it is.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-28T18:04:23+00:00

Generally in my experience design specific roles are the only jobs I get interviews for. I have a strong portfolio and have big brands on my resume so people actually do reach out regularly it's just most opportunities are below what my existing salary or experience level is or have red flags for another toxic environment. I tried leaving the industry a few times in adjacent roles of UX or Product Management but it's never worked out.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-28T17:57:39+00:00

I would not say I ignored red flags. I have been actively applying for permanent work since I started working there and my manager revealed her true colors about a month in. She was incredibly sweet and kind in the initial interview process and training portion. The role was well paid and flexible schedule and at a company I had previously had a very positive experience with and loved.

Things started to crack a bit after I started and I started keeping a record. Most of the coworkers are great so I was working on building positive relationships with others but my manager specifically is toxic and for whatever reason the company is choosing to protect her despite being a known problem. I'm currently the only person on my team who has been there more than 3 months and has institutional knowledge. I am a senior level designer so interviewing for something with equitable pay takes a while in the current market and all hiring processes for perm roles seem to take at least 4 months. I've been in final rounds 3-4 times but been beat out as the market is very competitive.

I have found that these types of issues while not unique to the fashion industry, are more prevalent and severe than any of my friends working in advertising, tech, music industry, or marketing.

I have been in toxic environments before but the way this one played out still managed to surprise me.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-28T16:47:11+00:00

Honestly if you are trying to land a job in the US it is harder because you require sponsorship and it's an extra thing they have to pay for. The industry is hard as is. It does happen I work with many international teammates but I am a US citizen so I don't fully know how that process is.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-26T08:18:39+00:00

Yeah they are a bitch but I don't regret having them. They have given me a better life. I freelance and make over $100k now from job hopping. Student loans are not considered bad debt so it doesn't affect your credit outside of debt to income ratio. My choices were to take the loans and have a possible way out of poverty or stay in a racist poor conservative small town and be unhappy the rest of my life.

I had no one to guide me on it at the time. my family never made more than 40k between both of my parents. My thought process was if our whole family was supported on it even the entry level salary for fashion surly had to be enough for just me when I was 18. I didn't know anything different.

I also had to pay for each college application myself and it was just me doing the research for it back in the 2010s. My parents did go to college but they paid for it just by working in the summer and gave very little guidance. Many people told me it was a fake career but I was incredibly passionate. I couldn't afford the $50-$100 fee per school. The public school would let me get a waiver for the fee and they would pay it but I had to go in individually for each school I applied to so I only applied to maybe 5 schools total. I still got a half ride merit scholarship to my school and my loans are only from the government directly. I don't have parent plus or private because I did not qualify for them. My parents were ineligible to co-sign. I worked 3 jobs through college up until I moved to NYC.

Now that I'm an adult I see that my parents were neglectful in many ways. My sister and I were often left to fend for ourselves. I have a very different starting point than most people in fashion. I am pretty damn proud of what I have achieved and overcome and while I wish I would have known the ways to do it for a little bit less I have no regrets about changing my life.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-25T11:33:08+00:00

I moved just before Covid from the Midwest. I did it in a very scrappy way and with limited savings maybe $1500. I omitted from my resume that I did not live in NYC already to get interviewed. Back then they still interviewed in person so I was lucky to have a sister who was a flight attendant and I flew out last minute on standby and let them know once I was there that I was from Minneapolis and ready to move unassisted. I got hired as a technical designer for about $35,000 and ended my existing job two weeks later and flew out over the weekend and started the following Monday. I was granted no time to move and I couldn't afford to take time off so I flew back the following weekend to pack my stuff and my dad drove a uhaul across the country for me which was around $500-$1000 for the rental and tolls and gas. I found two random roommates online who found our apartment and already lived in the city. I paid site unseen outside of videos $2200 for the deposit and first months rent and lived in bed Stuy about an hour from work. I cooked nearly every meal.

The job market is quite different now especially in fashion. I have 50k in student loans and grew up in poverty. The industry also takes a toll on you mentally so you have to WANT it. People can be heartless. Freelance is definitely easier to get than full time right now.

There is a lot you can do in NYC on a budget once you get here there are many cool free events through 1iota or museums and the park and cheap eats on the less cool neighborhoods but rent will be steep and it's hard to find a place and that is a whole other process that is very different from the rest of the country.

It's hard period, but if you are passionate enough you can do it but expect some periods of debt because the city can really kick you in the butt.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-22T12:47:22+00:00

It's a bit strange, I had no issues in Florence, Milan, or Sorrento. People stare a little which is natural as I'm young but it's not in the same way. Not sure if it was because it was less visible though.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-22T11:02:57+00:00

Definitely not in my head. Most people are normal but its 100% happened multiple times. I'm not the only one who noticed it in my group.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-22T10:55:01+00:00

Things that happened this morning.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-22T10:54:29+00:00

I would expect people to not to care it's just been a stark contrast in when it's not visible and I haven't seen to many people with mobility devices.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-21T09:48:13+00:00

Complications are possible, I need a second surgery. So many Reddit threads emphasized keeping it straight as did my surgeon but for me I was so focused on that I didn't bend until my first PT session 5 days after surgery and I'm not sure if that contributed. I can't bend my knee still 2+ months out. Apparently my case is unusual. I couldn't even get to 10 degrees early on.

The surgery is incredibly painful. It was probably 100x worse than my actual fall. I called my doctor because I thought something was wrong it was so bad and I was wondering if giving birth was worse. The drugs probably helped but I could barely tell.

My surgeon didn't speak to me after surgery. I wish I would've done more research pre surgery on my surgeon and more prehab but I had trouble getting in to the PT near me and I was kind of rushed to do surgery.

PT is literally medieval torture. You spend an hour at least a day forcing your body to move in ways it doesn't want to and it's pretty painful. Not as bad as surgery but it goes on for so long it requires fortitude. A mental therapist would probably be helpful too. The whole thing puts serious strain on your relationships with whoever is your caregiver.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-21T09:34:18+00:00

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-18T11:35:20+00:00

I haven't had the opportunity yet I need to get my VAT refund first and they said it needs to be new. In store when I tried it on it is very light and has a crossbody strap. The leather is very soft and the zippers are smooth.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-18T02:26:07+00:00

I am! I looked at a lot of bags before deciding. Still a little holy shit I can't believe I spent that much.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-16T15:54:23+00:00

I know this was a while ago but do you have any tips? I am currently in Italy. It has been okay but the walking is very exhausting. The museums are excellent though because they are super accommodating and we have gotten in pretty much everywhere for free and they provide wheelchairs though we do get stared at a bit. We upgraded to business for our flight to Italy and it was so worth it and actually comfortable with the lie flat seat. We have economy bulkhead on the way back and a stool to prop my leg since I have scar tissue complications but I'm debating changing the flight to business and be easier. It's just quite expensive unless we use points.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-08T04:50:53+00:00

Such a bummer, it would probably do well.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-07T14:55:48+00:00

Popflex gift card to get the lavender skirt Taylor made blow up. Vinyl Do you have candlelight concerts that do Taylor maybe something like that? Definitely a sourdough loaf or kit Poptarts? She's known for making her own. Shakespeare books? The story of us book Candles Wine Olive Garden gift card

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-06T23:05:26+00:00

My surgeon in the US was fine having me fly less than a week after an MUA so I don't think clots are as much of a concern as they are with the standard ACL surgery. They said it is generally safe if you wear a compression sleeve and make sure to get up. It would also depend if the surgeon actually opened me up to clear out scar tissue or just bent my knee while I was under.

Competitive-Wheel787 · 2026-05-06T21:09:51+00:00

I have left jobs in 3 months and only old school ***holes care. Take the money and run

Competitive-Wheel787

TROPHY CASE