The disadvantages of being an independent designer selling my own line may be numerous (financial risk, no established customer base or manufacturing chain ... wow, I'm depressing myself!!) but I still don't regret taking this path.
The freedom is worth it. With all the pressure of being a new designer, who needs the added pressure of deadlines from everyone from employers to showrooms to retailers? In The Fashion Designer Survival Guide, MaryGelhar describes the numerous delays that bese