Are you curious about the Fashion Industry, but don’t know where to begin? 

You’re not alone. Not everyone is a fashion veteran (like moi), and not everyone has a fashion degree. For those of you who have a skill and want to “dabble” into the world of fashion, here are some business ideas to get you moving in the right direction.

Fashion Industry Nail Artist

This is a great business to start on a small scale. There’s a high demand for Nail Artist in the fashion industry. Jan Arnold, co-founder of CND.com (Creative Nail Design Inc.) knows all to well of this demand. The Huffington Post featured her in an article here. It details why CND Inc. nail art had their own spotlight on the runways during fashion week 2015.  Nails, or nail art, is a million dollar industry increasing in popularity. In the past, no one cared how a models fingernails looked on the runway. Now magazines are doing features on them. Fashion forecasting companies are also adding the hottest nail trends to their reports. Designers who can’t afford an actual nail artist backstage are now investing in creative press-on nails. Guess who could be designing them…YOU! If being a nail artist in the fashion industry interest you, then I suggest you start with a portfolio. Nothing fancy, just a small photo album of designs with an actual hand model or without. I purposely didn’t mention getting a website, because that’s an investment for people who are serious about their craft. If this is a side gig for you, then just create a tumblr or facebook account for now. Getting work as a Fashion Industry Nail Artist is all about making connections. Contact fashion designers, models, event planners, even jewelry designers. Let them know who you are, what you do, and tell them how you can benefit their business.

Fashion Research Specialist

Believe it or not, some people don’t like to do research. They either don’t have the time or energy. Don’t assume just because a person can “GOOGLE” something, that they’re a researcher. No, there’re people who are so good at finding information that you’d swear they work for the secret services. We all know that person who somehow finds the best deals, discounts, pop up shops, plane tickets, jobs , etc. by simply searching online. They get better results than the average person who searches using the same methods. If you’re someone who loves to surf the net then this business would suit you well.  To start,  buy business cards, then set up a tumblr or facebook account.  Show off your industry knowledge  and feature reviews from satisfied business clients. Wondering who would hire you? There’re fashion designers, who need information on the best fabric stores, manufactures, model agencies, employee backgrounds, pricing, etc. There are also businesses that need trend forecasters. Not all retailers can afford subscriptions to a fashion forecasting company (which can run in the thousands!). What YOU can do is offer to create research reports detailing the latest trends in fashion, makeup, or anything else for a reasonable fee. Fashion research specialist can find work almost anywhere in the industry. As stated before, you just have to put yourself out there!

Fashion Music Composer

If you’re good at producing music, then why not use your talent for the fashion industry? Designers don’t solely use music for fashion shows. They use it for videos, events, websites, and online portfolios. Sure there’s tons of mainstream music out, but remember copyright infringement. A Fashion Music Composer can create catchy instrumental tracks, then sell them out right for a decent price. Fashion boutiques need music too. You can create a custom soundtrack and give shoppers a unique experience.  There are also fashion students presenting senior collections who could use a good music composer. Fashion companies and sites need music for professional interviews and vlogs. There are endless options. Usually producers already have platforms to showcase their music. Since I’m not too familiar with them, all I can suggest is sound cloud. link and #hashtag everything, and make sure there’s a way for people to contact you easily.

These are just a few freelance business ideas. I will definitely add more as they come to me. Until then please feel free to comment and give suggestions :). Also, share this article with other fashion enthusiast via social media (I have twitter and facebook buttons above). Soon I’ll be posting an article titled “How to Charge for freelance Fashion Services“. So subscribe and keep informed:)