Debbie Hartsog - Creative Careers in Fashion

2007 Debbie Hartsog

All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan-American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

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Published by Allworth Press
An imprint of Allworth Communications, Inc.
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010

Interior design and page composition by SR Desktop Services, Ridge, NY

ISBN-13: 978-1-58115-467-2
ISBN-10: 1-58115-467-4
eBook ISBN: 978-1-58115-792-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hartsog, Debbie.

Creative careers in fashion : 30 ways to make a living in the world
of couture / Debbie Hartsog.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58115-467-2 (pbk.)

ISBN-10: 1-58115-467-4 (pbk.)

1. FashionVocational guidance. 2. Clothing tradeVocational guidance.

I. Title.

TT507.H243 2007

746.9'20711dc22

2007012688

When I began the process of writing this book, I had no idea what an interesting journey it would become. Im honored to have been presented with an opportunity to dive into the fashion industry and explore so many interesting and creative careers in depth. What I did not count on was the privilege of meeting so many wonderful and inspiring artists, all of whom added the flavor and spice to this book. It did not take long to realize that these artists all have a common bond. When you read their stories and their comments as they talk about what they do, you will discover that these folks are following their dreams and have found their bliss, or what they feel passionate about.

This book is dedicated to those who are brave enough to go after their dreams and to those who offer them the encouragement to go for it! My heartfelt thanks goes to those who have personally offered encouragement, enthusiasm, and inspiration to me in my artistic endeavors.

A very special thanks to Tad Crawford, Nicole Potter-Talling, Jessica Rozler, Allison Caplin, and the dedicated staff at Allworth Press. Thank you for making this book possible.

Thank you to all of the artists and professionals who gave of their time and knowledge, and shared their stories, images, and artwork. You filled this book with insight, wisdom, and great entertainment. A special thanks to Michele August, president of 212 Artist Representatives, thank you for your help and for making me laugh through all of those tough times.

A special thank you to my friends and family for understanding the pressure and time that it takes to write a book. Jarrell Hartsog, Francie Anderson, Julie Stecher, Leslie Addison, and Mike Hartsogthank you for always being there without fail. Tammy Brown and Victoria Davis, I thank you for your friendship and encouragement. Aras Delon, thank you for your patience, love, and understanding (Now we can finish your screenplay!). Alyson Sattler, thank you for tolerating my sleepy eyes during edits and for believing in me. James Terrile, thank you for your encouragement and unforgettable words of wisdom. Dr. Dianne Van Hook, thank you for showing me what stick-to-itiveness is all about. Dr. Bethany Marshall, thank you for steering me away from the edge of the cliff during the writing of this book. Im so glad I didnt jump.

A special thank you to Dana for lending me such a beautiful creative space to write. And to Dan Anderson, I thank you for the sparks that served to remind me that I had a book to write and quitting was not an option. Thanks for having faith that it could be done. Oh, and a big thank you for saving my computer from an untimely death at the very last minute.

A big thank you to my kids, Haley and Holly, for being so understanding this past year. I hope both of you feel good about the sacrifices we made to create this book. Im certainly proud of both of you for hanging in there with me. Now we can finally go have some fun!

My interest in fashion began before I started kindergarten. I spent hours going through our Sears and JC Penney catalogs with my mother by my side. She would help me carefully cut out models wearing beautiful clothes. We would put an entire collection together to form a make-believe world and create fashion shows using our favorite designs. No publication was safe in my house.

Then Barbie came along, and the clothes, shoes, boots, hats, and ball gowns were my dream world. My grandmother taught me to sew using her old singer sewing machine. She made beautiful quilts and would give me scraps of fabric so that I could learn to make clothes for my dolls. I would spend warm summer days upstairs at Grandmas house, creating glamorous gowns, sweet summer skirts, and simple dresses.

During high school, I landed a job part time in a small boutique. I loved being around fashion and found that the job afforded me the opportunity to learn a lot and explore my creativity. The store manager allowed us to create displays of clothing and accessories in the store. I loved working in the window most of all, dressing the mannequins and building a scene around them to entice customers to come into the boutique. The only problem with that first job was that I couldnt keep a nickel in my pocket. There were too many beautiful fashions to purchase.

I worked for several years in that little boutique, and although I loved the business of fashion, it was hard to see beyond the borders of the small town where I grew up. I felt as if the fashion universe was a magical place filled with creative professionals who lived and worked a world away from my home. I was not able to make my fantasy into a reality until years later.

There were many options available to me when I left my small town to pursue a career in New York, but I had my heart set on modeling. After struggling for a few months to find the right agency, I ended up signing a contract with the Ford Modeling Agency. My modeling career was nothing like I imagined. It was filled with carving out time for go-sees, competing with hundreds of girls for that one job, keeping up with my portfolio, and trying to support myself in New York. It was fun to transform with the help of a skilled makeup artist and see the results in print. There were tense moments as well, like modeling a 15,000 fur coat with a ridiculous matching hat on the runway and being ordered not to dare to sweat!

Some of the most memorable moments in my modeling career happened when I stepped outside of my profession and into other roles. There were times when I styled a fashion shoot, assisted a photographer, or organized a fashion show. My best friend worked at Elite Models, and we often spent afternoons going through composites at her agency in search of the perfect image. Although I did not pursue any of those fields as a career, I gained valuable experience and exposure and realized that there are quite a few exciting careers in the fashion industry.

One of the reasons why I wanted to write this book was to open up the world of fashion to those who long to find their home within the industry, no matter where they live. Admittedly, living in New York or Los Angeles is advantageous, but you will find stories in this book from creative individuals who live in small to average-sized townsall doing the work they love and finding their role in the industry.