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This is a show for burnt-out fashion designers (and TDs, PDs, patternmakers and beyond) who want more flexibility while still doing work they love. As a freelance fashion designer, you can build your fashion career on your own terms. Freelancing in fashion is the only way to get freedom in your day (instead of being tied to a desk). Whether you want to earn extra money on the side, fund your fashion brand, or replace your salary, the FDGP podcast will help you get there. Listen in for actionable tips and strategies to kickstart or grow your career as a freelance fashion designer, build your confidence, and create the life you want. Hosted by $100k+ fashion freelancer Sew Heidi, the show features interviews and strategy sessions with successful freelance fashion designers from around the world who've ditched toxic fashion jobs and taken control of their own destinies. This is the only place to get REAL insights from REAL freelancers who have built REAL careers on their own terms. (Formerly the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast.)
How do you land a freelance gig with WGSN without any experience? I'm gonna tell you the spoiler alert, and it's not that exciting. It comes down to relationships and adding value. Harshini is a super driven and hardworking freelance fashion designer who's learned a lot in her 7 years of freelancing. For a while, she was undercharging and working on projects she would ultimately resent.
Heidi:But then after going through my freelance accelerator program fast, she started landing projects she loves at, as she puts it, prices she loves. Harshini shares all about how she found her clients, including her first client WGSN. The hard lessons she's learned about pricing, including getting premium rates from Indian brands and how she has juggled her freelance career while being a mom. You're gonna love this episode of Fashion Designers Get Paid. Let's get to it.
Heidi:Hi Harshini. I'm so excited to share your story in the podcast. You've had a you sent me a very long email with everything that's gone on in your freelance career essentially and I'm really excited to dig thoroughly into that. Quick backstory on yourself in the fashion industry. What's your story?
Harshini:Yes. So, first up, hi. And I can't believe I'm on this podcast that I was listening to during the pandemic. If you don't I mean, if that's gonna surprise because I literally, chanced upon you through the podcast. So that's yeah.
Harshini:So it was like a pandemic listen and I was then it was a binge. So yeah. So happy that I'm here. And, yeah. Definitely, I would like to tell you a little bit of myself.
Harshini:So I've been in the industry for 8 years, and, I've been freelancing for the past 7 years. I'm a freelance women's wear designer and trend consultant, and I work with brands, women's wear brands, right from initial concept to preproduction. Yeah. So that's what I offer them. Yeah.
Harshini:And, yeah. It's been good so far. Yeah.
Heidi:And where do you live? No. I'm not sure
Harshini:right now. I'm based in Chennai, India. Okay. Gotcha. Yeah.
Heidi:So it's late for you now? Is it, like at night? 10:40 PM. Yeah. 10.
Heidi:Okay. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Thank you for coming on so late.
Heidi:No problem. Okay. So I guess we'll start with maybe your most notable claim to fame here as a freelancer is that you have freelanced for WGSN. Yeah. Talk us through that.
Heidi:How'd you get that gig? What did that look like?
Harshini:Oh, man. That was that was quite the journey, I think. WGSN is something, is a company that I wanted to work with or be associated with for a very long time. Mhmm. So I was, I was at my full time job, my first job, after my, BA.
Harshini:And, so during that job, that's when I came across WGSN, and then I love what they do and their reports. And so I was just like, oh, it would be so cool if I, you know, applied for a job and all of that. But they don't really have a large presence, like, in India, like, in terms of the head office or anything. It's more of a sales division. But I just sort of left that in the back burner, and then I went to London.
Harshini:And, again, I chanced upon them, but it just something just didn't sit right. And then once I finished my MA in London culture fashion and I came back here, I came across a trend seminar, and, I figured why not go and attend it. And then one thing led to another. I met the person who was presenting, and then I landed up with a freelance project, after that.
Heidi:Okay. Wait. Hold on. One thing led to another, and you met the person who was presenting. How did that actually happen?
Harshini:So, she was someone I was really looking up to. She's like, so she's the direct at that point, she was the director of mindset, the bespoke consultancy division where they, but right now, she's, I think, director of trend. She's also from London College of Fashion. Although I had no idea about this. This was, like, before the, you know, seminar, you kind of look up on who's speaking and all of that, and I was super inspired by her and her journey thereafter.
Harshini:And the trend seminar was insane. Like, she was so good. She's such a amazing orator, and I think kind of figured that WGSN trains the, like, the employees so well that that that they all have that same to her voice and the same, you know, presentation skills or whatever. So I absolutely love the presentation. And I just thought it would be nice to go and talk to her.
Harshini:And I didn't even go ask her for a job or anything. Like, I just said, oh, I I love what you're doing, and I would like to be somehow involved in it or try to
Heidi:do it, like, own. Email her or what was how to No.
Harshini:In person. So the trend seminar was in person.
Heidi:Oh, this was in person. Okay. Like I was thinking this was in line. Okay. Gotcha.
Harshini:This was this was pre pandemic. So after
Heidi:she gave the presentation, you know, I approached her and
Harshini:said went up to her and
Heidi:Gotcha. Yeah.
Harshini:Okay. So, Yeah. So I just, like, chatted, and then we we had a talk. And I sort of wanted to talk a little more about something that she spoke about, about how sustainability is gonna be big. I mean, this was back in I wanna say 2017, when sustainability wasn't so big at that point in time.
Harshini:Sure. And then she was talking about loungewear, and they were predicting loungewear. I mean, it's everywhere now. Yeah. And at that time, I was like, wow.
Harshini:This is interesting. Like, transitional clothing. I mean, all these terms are interesting, and I would like to talk to you about it. And we kept talking. Like, we really hit it off, and it was so nice, to chat with someone like that.
Harshini:And I felt she was very inspirational. And, I mean, that's about it. And I I didn't really ask her for a job because I knew that the visa situation was really tricky in London. Yeah. Being a being somebody from I mean, an international student, that sort of stops you from a lot of opportunities.
Harshini:So I just told her that, yeah, that, you know, it was it was tough for me to get a job there or whatever, but I love what you do and and that's about it. Yeah. And then I went home and I couldn't stop thinking about it, and I wanted to do something of my own. So I just sort of, like, stalked them and read everything that I could about trend research or whatever. And at and at this point in time, I hadn't applied for a full time job when I was back in India.
Heidi:Yeah.
Harshini:And I wanted to do something on my own, so I had quite some time on my hands. So I, tried to look at the latest trends and put something together. So I put, like, a I put, like, a capsule, trend report, range plan inspired by, you know, runway. So I sort of looked at, I don't know, more than a 150 designers. I I loved it.
Harshini:Like, it didn't seem too laborious a task for me. And then I sent her something that would that would be something that WGSN would do. And at this point, I was still looking for full time jobs there. Like, I was still interested in a full time gig. I didn't know if freelancing existed.
Harshini:I didn't know I didn't know it was a thing. Yeah. It's so funny because when I was studying, being a freelancer was viewed as somebody who who didn't who was a freelancer because they couldn't land a full time job.
Heidi:Uh-huh. You
Harshini:know? At least in India, that that was a perception. So I was like, oh, no. No. It's not come to that.
Harshini:Like, let me try for a full time job. So I emailed her, and I'm like, hey. This is what I put together. And she just gave me notes, on on it, and she gave me feedback. And I was so happy that she did.
Harshini:Yeah. And then she even forwarded it to, like, the runway catwalk, research department. And then they gave their feedback. And I was just, like, so grateful that I even had this conversation. So I was like, hey.
Harshini:This this is the takeaway that I have. I do know that, asking for a job is a little too much or whatever. So I said, that's fine. I'm I'm grateful for this conversation. And then I think I just kept I don't know.
Harshini:I just kept researching or doing the things that I wanted to do. And then, there was another trend seminar, I think. And then, she told me about it, like, a few months later. She was like, hey. I'm gonna be here.
Harshini:Do you wanna come and catch up? And I was like, yeah. Absolutely. So I go and catch up with her, and that's when I met the India team. And Okay.
Harshini:I sort of connected with them and shared emails or whatever. So this was just literally nothing. Didn't go anywhere. Just emails back and forth. And then out of the blue, the India person asks me, hey.
Harshini:So there's this project in, the Asia Pacific office, and, you know, they're looking for someone, and this is, like, the topic. Would you be interested? Then I said, yeah. And then she's like, have you done this before? And I was like, no.
Harshini:I haven't. But here's the presentation that I put together for WGSN, and, you know, I've run this by this person. Self
Heidi:directed project. Yeah.
Harshini:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, and that I'm happy to, you know, really learn and, you know, do my best and, all of that. And she was like, oh, okay.
Harshini:I mean, she wasn't she didn't sound too, you know, convinced, but I told her that I'll put together a CV, and I'm happy to do a mock presentation or a project for them as well. Uh-huh. And because, you know, the learning is what I want. And then she said, okay. That's fine.
Harshini:And I kind of put that in my email as well when I was emailing them. And they said, oh, let's schedule a call. And then and then it just, you know, I just landed the project after that because it was insane. I couldn't believe what was going on.
Heidi:You built a relationship though.
Harshini:Yeah. I did.
Heidi:Yeah. Like, the the like, to put it super simply, you built a relationship and you led with value. You were like, thank you so much. I love the presentation. And then, also, I just wanted to show you this mood board, this trend report that I put together.
Heidi:Yeah. And you just built a relationship based off of value. Yeah. And that's how some of the best gigs get landed.
Harshini:Yeah. I think I didn't strategize at that point, to be honest with you. I I think it was just something
Heidi:That was just how you were doing it. It
Harshini:I was just like I was just like, I want to learn this field that is so so, I don't know, nuanced and so niche. Yeah. And not too many companies do this. At least now, there are quite a few companies. But at that time, there
Heidi:weren't too many. Doing trend reports and forecasting.
Harshini:Yeah. Doing trend research or to have courses that kind of delve deep into it, and you kind of learn only by doing this. So Yeah. That way, it was it was really cool. And, yeah, it was it was amazing.
Harshini:I've never felt more fulfilled by a project, than than what I did. It was insane. Like, even though I haven't met, like, you know, the Hong Kong office people in person, it was all, remote, but it was insane. Yeah.
Heidi:Yeah. It's funny. I some people sort of innately through their just this is how they operate. They do what you did. They build the relationship.
Heidi:They offer value. And that is an amazing place to start. Some people have to learn that skill. Some people
Harshini:are more
Heidi:a little bit more like, hey, I'm looking for a job. Do you have a job? Right? And they it's just for whatever reason, the way they were brought up or the their environment or culturally sometimes. Right?
Heidi:Okay. So you get this, like, dream opportunity. Yeah. Yeah. Then at some point, you are doing trend for another company that's not growing as well.
Harshini:Yeah. This is, like, way many like, so many years fast forwarded. This was, like
Heidi:How long did you work with WGSN on a freelance basis? So, you can say
Harshini:that I they have me on file or whatever. Like, they that I that they would reach out to me if they have anything related to India. Okay. Because they work with hyperlocal insights. So I did 2 I did 3 more projects with them Okay.
Harshini:And, which was over a span of 3 years. Okay. And, yeah, I mean, hopefully
Heidi:more. Yeah. Okay. So you're working with them and then I'm working with them. Then So at some point, you land this other client that you Yeah.
Heidi:Emailed me about. You're like, Heidi, what do I do?
Harshini:So that was so I think the context is, so this was, yeah, this was way before WGSN happened way before I got married and had a child And this, other trend, company so I guess I don't know. After you have a child, I took, like, a 9 month, break because I needed it. And I could do it because I was freelancing. And, it was just at that that mark where I was like, okay. I'm getting back to work now.
Harshini:And, and then this project came up, and I didn't wanna say no. Because I was like, hey. This is Trend Research. I wanna work with them. I mean, however, I guess I guess it's the low self esteem of of of a new mom that you just undercharge.
Heidi:You're not sleeping. There's a baby on your body, like, all the time. It's tough. Yeah.
Harshini:Yeah. You're not making the best decisions. No. No. You're not.
Harshini:So, so, yes, I just quoted something, and I was just like, I I need this project. That's it. Like, I I am getting back to work. This is my identity. I'm a walking mom.
Harshini:And so yeah. So yeah. And it didn't go so well because, 1, I guess I I mean, you can say that as a starting point, it was on me because I have set the bar so low in terms of rates. The price is down. Yeah.
Harshini:And then, this I mean, the what happened was scope creep. Like, it really like, every project. I mean, I guess that happens with startups. Mhmm. Because this is, again, a startup company, and they wanted me to help me help them put together things in place.
Harshini:So, you know, you just keep doing more and out of passion and interest. You know, lines get blurry, and I ended up doing quite a lot. And then we kinda had to check-in and, you know, I increased my rates a little bit more. But then they weren't willing to stretch beyond another point. And then I don't know.
Harshini:I just started, feeling very resentful of the work because I was getting really good projects outside of this in women's wear design.
Heidi:They were paying a lot more.
Harshini:That were yeah. They were paying my full rates. And it was work that I loved, but I didn't feel that I was putting in so much work and not getting anything in return. You know what I mean? And and more than anything else, people who think so much about the rates, you know they are not the clients for you.
Harshini:Like, it's like and I remember reading that in fast as well. Like, you call them the repeat our clients. Yeah.
Heidi:Pain in
Harshini:their ass. That's literally what they are. And then you just realize, how do I break up with this toxic relationship? And then, yeah. And then finally, I think I had a conversation, and then, I at that conversation, I realized I wasn't being valued at all.
Harshini:You know, and you kind of get these feelers when, you know, when you're presenting and all of that, and then I realized, okay. Fine. This is just not a good match for me, and, I think it's time to move on. Yeah. And it was recurring income.
Harshini:It was like you know what I mean? Like, it's, constant work every month, but you're paid super low. And it was such a tough decision to take because how do you say no as a freelancer to stable income? And then, you know, how do you it it's tough one.
Heidi:And so Yeah. Go ahead.
Harshini:Yeah. Please. What what do you wanna ask me?
Heidi:I mean, I guess I was just I'm wondering, like, where what was the tipping point? Like, you're like, okay. Well, it's stable. It's ongoing. But, also, like, I'm doing so much more than I'm getting fairly compensated for.
Heidi:So, like, what was the tipping point where you're like
Harshini:The tipping point was I know it was So the budget, so I kind of outsourced a little bit of the work to another freelancer. K. And, so she was working with me on, like, previous projects. So we had, like, a good relationship, and so she would, take care of, certain things. But what happened was, it took so much time that my entire chunk of time that I have chalked out for work would go only in this, and I couldn't concentrate on the other clients.
Harshini:And it wasn't doing justice because they are paying my full rates, and it's nowhere near the ball ballpark of what these people are playing. Mhmm. And I wanted to make more time to pitch and get new clients as well. Mhmm. And this was coming in the way.
Harshini:Mhmm. And I felt I can't keep going on like this. Right? Yeah. So yeah.
Harshini:Which is why I sort of Are you
Heidi:willing to talk about some of the numbers?
Harshini:The actual rates? Project?
Heidi:I guess all of them.
Harshini:For the
Heidi:I mean, whatever you wanna share.
Harshini:Sure. In terms of dollars, I think per report, I think it was not the best at converting, but I wanna say it was, You
Heidi:could put in the email You were initially
Harshini:If you wanna pull that up. Yeah. Okay.
Heidi:I assume if is I wanna make sure you're comfortable to share. Yes. You initially were charging them $95 per report, and then Yeah. You increased it to a $120. Yes.
Heidi:Yes. K.
Harshini:And, that was still How
Heidi:much time were you putting into each report?
Harshini:It would take me, I think, around 6 to 8 hours. K. But, I mean, I was I didn't calculate hourly clearly. Right. Right.
Harshini:Because I've just sort of given them a round number. But now I'm kind of doing a project based pricing, but, hey, at that time, it just didn't really work. And, yeah, and simple. Like and and more than anything else, it was it was just, I guess, the mentality because, I mean, for them, the reports, them restructure everything from the ground up, and I don't think that that I need to do that. Like, I need to stretch and do that.
Harshini:Yeah. But I wasn't getting the, like, the value of what like, I wasn't I felt like they weren't understanding the value that I was bringing by offering these things because Yeah. You don't just blindly say that I'm gonna build your structure from ground up. It's it's because I have some plans that I'm willing to put in the work. Yeah.
Harshini:But yeah. So I felt like yeah. 1, definitely the rates, and 2 yeah. I guess it it was just in wasn't a good fit. Yeah.
Harshini:Yeah. Okay. But I think it's the best decision I made. Yeah. How did you how
Heidi:did you break up with them?
Harshini:So I sent them an email, like, sorry, a text message. Because I felt like email is too suddenly out of nowhere professional. You know what I mean? Because I was in a text conversation.
Heidi:Okay. So
Harshini:you texted them normally sometimes? Okay. Yes. I followed your advice, and I waited for them to, give me the payment. And then Yep.
Harshini:Yeah. Because I figured, okay, that's definitely an issue, and that's something we need to, think about. And so Yeah. By the time I waited for that, they were also already ready to go for the next season and the next set of reports. So that's when I said, hey.
Harshini:This is, you know, not not a good fit. And, I also said that, you know, it it's not doing justice to my time because I have other clients who are paying me full rates and all of that, and I wish you well. And literally, like, thing like yeah. I didn't make it I just didn't give too many reasons. I was just like Mhmm.
Heidi:Yeah. Yeah. Not a good match. I've I'm busy with other clients. Yeah.
Harshini:But I did thank them and everything and all of that. Yeah. Yeah. So it's pretty, pretty solid.
Heidi:Take it? They take it okay? It was like, okay? Yeah. I think I
Harshini:mean, I don't get a response for a few hours. I mean, that's quite a lot On text. For a text message. So maybe they had a panic attack. I don't know.
Harshini:And then after that, they just said, yeah. That's fine. All the best. Like Good. Good.
Harshini:And then I knew that, okay. It's fine. Like Yeah. Yeah. I feel better when I'm getting new clients.
Heidi:Yeah. So talk to us. I wanna hear about these other two clients that you're working with that are paying full rate. What is your full rate? How are you calculating that?
Harshini:So I'm doing project price. And, so the project price, I have different, like, packages of, like, what I'm doing. So, depending on what they would like, like concept, collection, sampling, I sort of pitch accordingly. So I think it varies between 1,000 to $3,000 at this point for
Heidi:that entire project.
Harshini:Yeah. Yeah. For the for what they need. Okay. Because I'm offering, you know, an end to end service, like from concept till preproduction.
Harshini:Okay. And some clients want textile design as well, which I do kind of offer because it's women's wear anyway. And Okay. So I kind of yeah.
Heidi:Yeah. So where'd you get these 2 other new clients that are paying your full rate?
Harshini:Yes. So, I connected with someone who is my, alumni, from London. And so she runs, like, she has her own consultancy business, and she helps, small brands in India, stock wholesale in the in different countries. So US, Australia, UK, and, they so she isn't really any she doesn't have anything to do with design. She's a marketing agency.
Harshini:Mhmm. But she wanted she felt like there was a gap where clients wanted this help, and so we kind of connected. And then and then we worked, on 2, 3 projects. Yeah. And, yeah.
Harshini:And so the the the initial price for them was quite a shock for sure. But, but once we started getting on discovery calls and talking to them about the value that we're bringing and what we're gonna be doing, it worked really well. So so I assigned 2 3 clients through her. Okay. And, now I've signed a new client on my own.
Harshini:And Amazing. Has this news?
Heidi:Yes. Where did this come from?
Harshini:This is as of, I I think, last 2 weeks and surprisingly through LinkedIn. Yeah. Yeah, they found me. Like, and it was really interesting. It's a small brand, and she wants to launch her first collection.
Harshini:So, yeah, I'm super excited. And, yeah, I'm like, finally, like, for all these years, I've been working with so many different types of brands, different sizes of brands. But for the first time, I feel like, okay. With small brands, you have so much more potential and so much more value that you can really show. And, so that was that's been really nice.
Harshini:And, finally, I feel a little confident. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Heidi:What's making you like, what change that is is helping you feel more confident?
Harshini:Definitely fast. I have to say it. Yeah. Because, I didn't know that there were so many people doing this. I didn't know that there was such a demand for it.
Harshini:And even though I've been freelancing for 7 years, I didn't focus so much. And, you know, I think once you become a mom, you become super productive. Oh, like Yeah. You hit the kids' mommy.
Heidi:Like, hyper product. You're, like, all of a sudden getting something done in 5 minutes that you used to spend, like, 5 hours on. Yeah. Yeah. For sure.
Harshini:It's like a giant shark tank.
Heidi:Use your time.
Harshini:Yeah. Was that It's giant. So there's this, what's his name, Kevin something, mister wonderful on Shark Tank. So he talks about how yeah. So he just talks about how most of his invest like, investments have been women run businesses because he's like, I invested moms because they are the ones who bring in the money.
Harshini:They don't
Heidi:wanna get shit done.
Harshini:Yeah. Absolutely. So it's like, working through chaos and all sorts of, un unpredictable messes thrown at
Heidi:you. Yeah.
Harshini:So I guess yeah. It was the it was the right time for me also. FAST came at the right time. Because then I knew that I could structure my pricing in such a way that I can niche down and focus on women's wear and, you know, wovens more specifically. I don't mind doing casual knits, but, I mean, you do talk about how you you know, we can figure it out as we go along and Yeah.
Harshini:Yeah. But for now, this is what I was thinking, and I was thinking of niching down even more to resort wear. But I haven't really taken that specific, step because, I mean, resortware, I feel I mean, it's quite a tricky, category because it's it's more season than category. And at this point, it's it has a whole set of brands on its own, but I'm still figuring that part out. Like, do I wanna niche down?
Harshini:Do I wanna stay? It's something I'm figuring out. But, yeah, it's been good. Yeah.
Heidi:You have time to figure it out. Yeah. This is awesome. I love your story so much. Thank you.
Heidi:How does it feel like not to okay. I will just tout fast. But, like, you you made the comment in your email, when you first were start when you first did those trend reports for that first company Yes. For $95. You said I was, this was way before Fast, and I was really undercharging.
Heidi:And then after Fast, you're, like, charging the right rates and stuff. So I feel like your freelance career now is quite different than it was before fast. Like, how like, you said mentioned confidence and and obviously, like, the pricing you're charging. You're like, I'm charging what I'm worth, and I'm getting that. And you even commented, like, the brand that you're you're the brands that you're working with with your marketing agency friend.
Heidi:Yeah. The price was a shock to them, but then you went in, you did the discovery calls, and you pitched yourself and presented the value that you were actually delivering. Presented the value that you were actually delivering. So, like, how would you maybe compare and contrast your freelance career before fast versus after fast? How does it look different?
Harshini:I think, 1, hourly based pricing I think, 1, hourly based pricing
Heidi:is not something
Harshini:I consider at all. Mhmm. Or rather, to even, think about, you know, your time specifically, because it's not a big thing in India. Like, they don't pay you hourly here in for design for freelance design. Everything is poor like, it's poor design or Poor deliverable.
Harshini:Back. Yeah. Yeah. And the varying rates on it doesn't go much up or up or down. It like, it doesn't change depending on how many experience you have or how many years of experience you have.
Harshini:You know what I mean? So it it was a very different system that I had seen over here. And in the UK, I think they charge day rates. But I hadn't come to that but I hadn't come to that or figured that out at all. Mhmm.
Harshini:But, yeah, I guess after FAST, I figured that I can that it's under my control. And I can set these prices depending on what I'm comfortable with and then slowly figure. Because I I mean, end of the day, you wanna be, happy doing the work that you do and, you know, and at the same time, being compensated fairly. Yeah. And, yeah.
Harshini:And and there were a lot of clients, asking me to, I don't know. Like, this is before fast. But the rates, they were unhappy with the rates that I was charging, Radu. Like, they wanted it to be much lower. And, it was tough to say no.
Harshini:But I felt like, you know, if you say yes, you're just stuck in that loophole again. And so after FAST, I think I it just opens your, mind to the fact that there are possibilities. There are so many freelancers working with the brands that they love. Mhmm. Charging the rates that they love.
Harshini:I'm like, wait. Really? Are these people real? They're on drops? Yeah.
Heidi:Wait. Like, before you enrolled in FAST, you were like, is this real?
Harshini:Like, really skeptical? I was binging on your podcasts. And I went and looked up all these people. And I think there were 1 or 2 people from India.
Heidi:And I'm like, okay.
Harshini:So so there are Indians as well. Like, there are other people Yeah. Like, it's not just it's not just you know? So it really blew my mind. And I was like, maybe this is what I need.
Harshini:And it it gave me structure and to understand how to talk to clients, the value that we bring. You know, just it just gave me structure to all the to everything that I was doing. Like, how you spoke about WGSN and all of that. I was doing the things, but I just didn't know the, you know, the plan or the strategy or things like that. I didn't have it so streamlined.
Harshini:I think that's a better word. Yeah. Yeah. So it you kinda helped me streamline things and yeah. Get the ring too.
Harshini:Love. Yes. I love that. The cash money. Yeah.
Heidi:Are the so you're working with 3 clients with your friend and then a 4th client that you got through LinkedIn. Are they all for where are those clients based? Are they all in India?
Harshini:Yeah. I mean, one is in Paris, but she's an Indian, in Paris who's trying to do a collaborative collection. Okay. And there was one in Finland as well. Again, an Indian in Finland.
Harshini:Okay. But what's interesting is these are Indian brands who are looking to, pitch to foreign buyers. So Mhmm. Buyers so you kind of design with an Indian sensibility, but something that can be worn by, women abroad. So Europe and the US, which really interested me.
Harshini:Mhmm. Which sort of also gave me this insight about all the brands in the US and Europe who produce in India. Right? Because it's cost effective. Yep.
Harshini:And, how that could be something that, you know, I can really niche down also into. Like, that's something that I can really bring value to.
Heidi:Yeah.
Harshini:Because I'm looking to, work with international clients as well. Yeah. And that would be really cool.
Heidi:Yeah. To then help them source into their production in India because you're physically there and, like, obviously, have a different type of network and access to than someone abroad has.
Harshini:Yes. Yeah. I think I realized that during the, I mean, I did a small stint with Zara. And, a freelance? Was like, yes, freelance, but not directly.
Harshini:It was through the it was through the supplier side, through the Oh, okay. Through the buying and supplier side. Yep. And that sort of gave me an insight into this. Like, how how, you know, such big brands producing in India in such Yeah.
Harshini:Large quantities. Yeah. You do have, scope to to grow there. Yeah.
Heidi:You're you've already taken off. And I just I know, like, in 6, 12, 18 months, it's gonna be, like, a whole different thing.
Harshini:I hope. I hope. I mean, it's just You've already done so much. Balancing motherhood, your freelance career, and everything, it's it's quite, quite the task, but it keeps you motivated. Yeah.
Harshini:How old is your kiddo? Just 1? He's 2. He's 2. He turned 2 a few days back.
Harshini:Yeah. Yeah. Where How old is Errol?
Heidi:Errol is well, he'll be 4 in February. So he's a little older than a little more than 3a half. Yeah. Yeah. How are you balancing that?
Harshini:Do you have help? Well, I found a playschool.
Heidi:Yeah.
Harshini:Yeah. Yeah. I think I think it worked well for him as well as me. So Oh, really? Yeah.
Harshini:Yeah.
Heidi:I Errol went into daycare when he was about 14 months. Mhmm. And that it was a it was really good for both of us.
Harshini:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's nice.
Harshini:And, yeah, I can't wait to see how this grows and, what I make out of this, because, you know, niching down has always been something that, you know, I'm I was afraid to do. Because, because you crave variety as a freelancer and or at least as an individual. And you don't want to say no to opportunities that come your way. I think that's it's as simple as that. And you also wanna learn or rather, I wanted to learn a whole bunch of things.
Harshini:So I dabbled with a lot of, you know, areas. But now I realized that, okay, I can actually structure this into the way that I wanna go, which is to help brands right from trend research to, preproduction and, you know, sampling. So that way, I kind of have a a hold on the whole process. But,
Heidi:But, like, specific kind of I mean, you said women's wear. You said mostly wovens, perhaps even focusing so much on, like, resort. So, like, what
Harshini:why do you feel so
Heidi:much more comfortable and or creatively fulfilled niching down now? I may maybe just you got the opportunity to explore stuff previously and now you feel good? Or yeah. Like
Harshini:Yeah. No. I felt like I was doing men's wear as well. Like, if there was a men's wear t shirt project, I would say yes to it. And then it was, things like that.
Harshini:So there was, a women's wear active, person who'd come to me. I would say yes to it. But it's not like I enjoyed doing that. But right now, I know that I wanna work with small to medium sized brands.
Heidi:Mhmm.
Harshini:And I want to, help them, design their collections. And it's clearly, like, it's casual wear. Like, it's not women's active or it's not women's swim. It's specifically wovens. So we're talking tops and dresses and light jackets, things like that.
Harshini:And people seem to really want a lot more print right now. And so I mean, print is also something I've done. But I felt like I can weave that into this, you know, realm of fashion and find my space. Yeah. If if that makes sense.
Harshini:Yeah.
Heidi:No. It makes absolute sense. Yeah. I am pumped for you, Harshini. This is amazing.
Heidi:I mean Thank you. It's some massive progress you've already made. And I know so much more is, is coming your way. Congratulations.
Harshini:Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Heidi:Yeah. Where can everybody connect with you online?
Harshini:So I think on LinkedIn, I can add my link there. And Instagram, well, it's it's all over the place. It doesn't have my freelance design work. But, yes, I guess, email and LinkedIn would be great. Okay.
Heidi:We'll put those that information in the show notes. And I will end with the interview that I ask everybody at the end, which you know because you're a builder. Girl.
Harshini:But it's one thing
Heidi:people you're like, wait, is she really legit? And now here you are. I love that It came full circle. What is one thing people never ask you about freelancing and fashion that you wish they would?
Harshini:Wow. Of everything, I didn't think about me being asked this question. But, yes, I think, I think people don't ask freelancers much about what they actually want to do because I feel like, like, I don't know. In terms of, their services or what they wanna do. Like, I don't know, their passion, if you if if I can say.
Harshini:Like, you end up being a business owner, like, you because you're a small business on your own. Mhmm. And you end up strategizing so much that you sort of get lost in in all of the admin work and all of that. So I guess maybe a question that you can really ask them is what what do you really, really enjoy doing? You know?
Harshini:Something that maybe you you don't think about money for or something like that. Because that way, you kind of really tune into things, and I guess the strategy aspect comes in naturally, and you don't have to think, okay. So because I've done art, I'm gonna do only textile design. Or if I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do only that. So maybe that's something that people I I guess dabbling with different things also helps you, niche down.
Harshini:But, yes, the question is definitely, you know, because a hobby is different and a business is different.
Heidi:Mhmm. And
Harshini:I think merging these two aspects is really difficult. Making money, doing what you love, it's not as easy as what people say. Yeah. So, yeah, so I guess that's that's a question. Because it's it's tough being a freelancer.
Harshini:It's not the easiest. No. No. And, so I guess yeah. I don't know.
Harshini:Did I answer your question? Yeah.
Heidi:I think so. I mean, basically, you're just saying, like, what is the thing that you what I kind of heard was Yes. What is the thing that you just love to do? Like, if money wasn't an issue, like, what is An issue. You have to do?
Harshini:Yeah. Yeah. What is
Heidi:that for you?
Harshini:Honestly, it's it's what I'm doing, for sure. And you're getting money for it. I am getting
Heidi:money for it.
Harshini:I mean, I was undercharging. I think that kind of explains it.
Heidi:Yeah. You're like, well, I mean, I enjoyed doing the trend board, so what the day.
Harshini:Yeah. Yeah. No. I guess it's it's, definitely more of the trend research. Design for sure, because I love putting looks together, and I love, you know, creating and the whole process of creation.
Harshini:Mhmm. So, yeah, I mean, yeah, pretty much what I'm doing. There you
Heidi:go. That's a great answer.
Harshini:Yeah. So that's yeah. That's about it. Yeah.
Heidi:You're in a great spot. Congrats, Harshini. You've done some amazing work and gotten some amazing success from it. I appreciate you coming on the show.
Harshini:You. Thank you so much for having me, and thank you for doing what you're doing, honestly. I think it's it's such a unspoken about I I don't know. Like, people don't talk about freelancing and fashion. And, again, the industry has its whole set of, you know, like, secrets or whatever.
Harshini:You you don't get to know this. You don't read it anywhere. Mhmm. And you doing this opens up avenues for fa freelancers all over the world. And I would never imagine that in a pandemic, I would chance upon a podcast like yours and and even figure that this is gonna help me majorly in my career.
Harshini:I don't know. How many ever years? 4 years by 4 years after. You know? Yeah.
Harshini:So that's that's insane. So Yeah. I love what you're doing and Thank you. Purely appreciate, yeah, everything that you do. So thank you.