Tips

Real-world tools and advice for surviving the chaos: from practical hacks to navigating showrooms, rentals, and contacts, to pricing your work without selling your soul. We’ll also reflect on why, despite it all, this work can still feel deeply fulfilling.

Camila Barvo

(Textile Designer, Master’s Degree in Textile Art)

Q: What surprised you most about the job?

Fashion is so idealized. People think it’s all glamour—but the behind-the-scenes of making fashion isn’t like that. It’s people working hard every single day. That shattered the illusion for me. It's a beautiful experience, but you can't be naive and expect it to look like the polished final product sold to the client.

Q: What impact has this job had on your mental health?

I learned not to take things personally. Everyone’s just trying to deliver and handle the designer’s expectations. Right before fashion week, everyone would go full DIVA mode: “bring me this, take me there.” At first, I blamed myself, but eventually I realized it's collective stress. Everyone’s just comparing themselves to the global fashion market. You grow a thicker skin.

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Right before fashion week, everyone would go full DIVA mode

Q: What’s something no one taught you, but you had to learn the hard way?

Managing an embroidery team. I had to sit with the embroidery team and help translate textures into actual ideas. That was a big challenge for me—I'm used to being very hands-on and developing ideas by doing. Trying to explain to someone exactly where I want a bead to go or how I want the thread to move is difficult. Translating the mental image into execution is a whole skill. On top of that, embroidery timelines often clashed with fashion schedules, which are always in a rush. You’d be asked for a dress with eight hours of embroidery, and then get feedback asking for changes that required even more time—but still needed it ASAP. That taught me how to build a team that can meet tight collection deadlines.

Q: What experience had a lasting positive impact on you in this profession?

Working as part of a fashion brand team really marked me. It helped me understand the full process behind a garment—every step of the chain that leads to a dress hanging in a retail store, ready for the final consumer.

Amalia Triana

(Dancer)

Q: What would you say to someone who wants to work in this field but has no contacts?

I’d tell them that contacts aren’t just something you “have” from the start. Sure, some people get them through privilege or by name, but that’s not the only way—and definitely not the most common. The entertainment industry can be full of favoritism, but it also has space for people who show up and build something real. It’s crucial to understand all the roles you can bring to a production and start knocking on doors from there. If you don’t have a portfolio, start building one, and as you go, you’ll meet people who will introduce you to others. This isn’t a job for someone who’s shy. You’re exposed most of the time—you need to put yourself out there.

Manuela Alvarez

(Fashion Model)

Q: What do you love most about your job?

I love being able to express myself without saying a single word. Every pose, every look, every expression says something. I also love traveling to different places, meeting people—whether it’s new models just entering the industry or the rest of the crew—and being part of visual projects that inspire.

Belu Bergagna

(Fashion model)

What’s your favorite part of the job?

Getting to travel, meet new people, discover new cultures, and not having a routine.

Adrián Cuerdo

(Fashion Photographer)

Q: What keeps you going through the tough moments?

When I’ve been stuck doing too many commercial jobs that don’t inspire me, I make time for a personal project. Those are the shoots that remind me why I love this job. That creative recharge is essential—it keeps me going.

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creative recharge is essential—it keeps me going.

Barbie

(Fashion Model)

Q: What do you love most about your job?

What I love most is seeing the final results of a shoot.

For three months, I worked as a fitting model for The Tour – Victoria’s Secret 2023, and it gave me a front-row seat to all the effort designers and their teams put into making their vision come to life.

But my absolute favorite part of being a model is runway. I’ve walked many shows in Venezuela and Colombia, and now I’m hoping to walk for major designers in Europe soon.

Camila Villegas

(Owner and Founder of the clothing brand Drimia)

My advice: even if you can do it all, ask yourself—at what cost? Your mental health is non-negotiable. Learn to delegate, surround yourself with a solid team, and don’t lose sight of why you started. What was once your dream shouldn’t turn into a nightmare. Take care of yourself so you can sustain it in the long run.

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Your mental health is non-negotiable. Learn to delegate.

Q: How do you stay calm and protect your emotions?

Honestly, I wish I had the magic formula. I was recently diagnosed with panic attacks, and that forced me to rethink how I was managing everything.

Entrepreneurship is super romanticized, but the reality is you’re stressed 24/7—about payroll, deadlines, last-minute problems… And in fashion, everything moves at lightning speed. The moment you launch a collection, you’re already supposed to be thinking about the next one.

Q: What advice would you give someone dreaming of ‘working in fashion’?

Be consistent and patient. In the beginning, your designs might not be the best, but if you keep learning and listening to your audience, you’ll gradually refine your creative vision.

Inspiration comes—but you need to be ready for it: by working, testing, making mistakes, and learning.

It’s also key to understand that this isn’t just about glamour. It’s discipline, strategy, and a deep passion for what you do.

Gustavo Quiceno

(Art Director)

Q: What’s a trick you always use that no one taught you?

Staying calm—no matter how chaotic things get. If my team sees I’m calm, they feel calm too, and everything flows better. Over time I’ve realized that being the steady one sometimes matters more than any visual reference.

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Staying calm—no matter how chaotic things get.