Jonathan Mitchell, fashion designer and founder of J Mitchell Design
As a young fashion designer, I knew I had a lot to learn.
I studied fashion for three years and graduated with a degree, but there was only so much that could be covered in that time. I felt I had some natural ability in design, but I was lacking the wider industry knowledge needed to truly progress. At that stage, I understood creativity, but not yet the commercial, technical and strategic realities of fashion design as a profession.
Finding that first job was crucial if I was going to make it as a fashion designer.
Early ambition and the reality of breaking into fashion
My graduate fashion show generated a small amount of interest and led to a handful of interviews. One of those was with Adidas, which felt like the perfect fit. I went through two interviews, but there never seemed to be a clear position available. After a few months, the momentum faded and I made the decision to step away for a while.
I applied for a working holiday visa for Australia, bought a plane ticket, packed my bags and ended up having the best year of my life. At the time, it felt like a pause. In hindsight, it was the first lesson in understanding that careers do not always move forward in a straight line.
When I returned to England, I came back with renewed motivation and a clear decision that I wanted to build a career in fashion design. I began applying for roles again and eventually a good friend of mine, Dan Winkworth, came through with a lead. Dan had been a year below me at university and had secured a role at Moss Bros. They needed extra support, and I was offered an interview.
Learning the foundations of real fashion design work
I was taken on on a minimum two day a week freelance basis. For the first time, I began learning what a career in fashion design actually involved. Mood boards prepared for meetings I was not allowed to attend. CADs created for meetings I also did not attend. Tech packs, graphics and general design support.
It was a valuable starting point, but it was not sustainable. Living in London on a part time freelance income was not realistic long term. I asked about going permanent, but it was not an option, so I reached out to recruitment consultants, which led me to my next role.
False starts and early career lessons
That next role was with Bench, a Manchester based streetwear brand that had been well known in the late 90s and early 2000s. I joined as an assistant menswear designer in their London studio, believing this would be my big break.
Shortly after starting, I discovered the company had been sold and the London studio was earmarked for closure. I learned new skills, added work to my portfolio, met good people and then found myself back speaking to recruiters once again.
Not long after, Puma hired me as a fashion designer at their head office in Herzogenaurach. For the first time, I felt like I had a proper fashion job. I fitted in well, learned how to design full seasonal collections, developed my technical knowledge and gained an understanding of how large global fashion brands operate.
After five years, I believed I had learned everything I could as a designer at Puma. In reality, I had learned a lot, but I was still only seeing one part of the industry.
Stepping into freelance fashion design
I left Puma and moved back to Brighton, where I set up my own fashion design studio and began working as a freelance fashion designer. I launched Brighton Fresh Design Studio, freelanced for multiple clients, started my own fashion brand called Sloth and invested in T shirt printing equipment.
More importantly, I began learning skills that fashion degrees rarely teach. Web design. Basic accounting. Marketing. Business planning. Pricing. Client management. Cash flow. Everything required to run a business rather than simply work within one.
After five years, the business stalled. I was earning enough to survive, but nothing was truly thriving. The risk no longer felt justified, and I decided to step away again to reset. This time it was a few months in Asia followed by more time in Australia.
Returning with clarity and perspective
Once again, I returned motivated and soon secured a full time role as a denim designer at Next Sourcing in London. I re entered corporate life, but quickly realised I had changed. I felt overqualified, under challenged and increasingly aware of how limiting narrowly defined job roles could be.
When a friend, Matthew Salter, offered me a role with more responsibility at a smaller company, I accepted. It was a great role and one I genuinely enjoyed, but it coincided with meeting my partner, who lived in the north of England. That prompted another move.
After reaching out to Rob Warner, I was able to get my foot in the door at Umbro, leading to a move to Manchester and several years designing football kits and teamwear.
Choosing independence over structure
By this point, I knew full time corporate design roles were no longer for me. I struggled with environments where knowledge sharing was discouraged and job specs were tightly controlled. I left and took on a short term contract at Dare2b, working on skiwear and activewear.
While there, I built the website for J Mitchell Design and began laying the groundwork for returning to freelance work properly.
Building a sustainable fashion design business
In 2017, I started my second stint as a freelance fashion designer. This time, I approached it differently. I continued working with Dare2b, reconnected with old contacts and slowly built new client relationships. I committed fully to marketing myself, refining my positioning and putting my work in front of the right people.
The business has continued to grow steadily, with profits increasing year on year. My design skillset has expanded far beyond what it was earlier in my career. I now work comfortably across menswear and womenswear, across multiple categories.
More importantly, I now understand that fashion design is only one part of the picture.
What this journey really taught me
Design is a small part of a much larger skillset. Strategy, communication, commercial thinking and long term planning are just as important. That broader understanding is what allows a fashion designer to build something sustainable, adaptable and resilient.
Careers are built over time. The skills I rely on today often come from roles, mistakes and decisions that did not make sense when they happened. There are no shortcuts, only accumulated experience and the willingness to keep learning.
Final thoughts
If you are early in your fashion career, or somewhere in the middle of it, progress is rarely obvious in the moment. It only becomes clear when you look back and connect the dots.
At J Mitchell Design, I use that experience to help brands and founders navigate the fashion design and manufacturing process with clarity and confidence. From concept development and CADs to tech packs, sampling and production support, my role is to help clients avoid costly mistakes and build products that are commercially viable, not just creatively strong.
If you want to explore how I can support your brand, you can view my consultancy work here: J Mitchell Design consultancy. If you are specifically looking for support with sampling and production, you can also see my fashion manufacturing services here: fashion manufacturing support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a non linear fashion career a problem?
No. In fashion design, non linear careers are common. Different roles, brands and projects build commercial judgement, technical confidence and creative range, which often becomes a long term advantage.
What skills do fashion designers need beyond creativity?
Strong fashion design is essential, but so is communication, time management, product understanding, commercial thinking and technical knowledge. CAD development, tech packs and clear specifications are often what turn a good idea into a manufacturable product.
What is the difference between a fashion designer and a freelance fashion designer?
A fashion designer may work in house within a brand team. A freelance fashion designer supports brands externally, usually across multiple projects, bringing adaptable expertise, speed and specialist knowledge without the commitment of a full time hire.
How do you build a sustainable career in fashion design?
Build depth in your craft, learn how the industry works in practice, and develop business skills alongside design skills. Strong relationships, consistent delivery, and understanding production realities are what sustain a career over the long term.
