I would never have done that much work or e- mailed it for their use. I would only shown it in person. If they want that much work, they need to pay for it. Hire someone for a week. That’s at least a week’s work.
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I was once asked to do a project by someone with 10 years less experience. This was after meeting with the Group VP and DD who were fawning over two of the companies I worked for. Everything in my portfolio was geared for their own market. Information and designs presented in at least six different ways, as was my function at my previous job depending on the audience. When this Jr asked me for a project, I was floored and asked what it was that I presented that didn’t already fit with their aesthetic and price point, she had no answer. I wasn’t called back. Even after the VP and DD called me “the perfect person” for the job… blah blah blah.
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I was interviewing with Delta Galil (7 for all Mankind, Splendid) and was asked to meet at the Bleecker location. During the course of the interview, it was shared that this location had many challenges, mainly with spacing issues and overstocked. Issues that created a less than optimal shopping experience for their customer. I was never told this would be a “working” interview. As we were closing our meeting, I was taken to the floor and asked, how I would remerchandise the store to give it a less cluttered feel and how I would make the dark color palette of the holiday collection look more bright and vibrant. I wanted the job, but I did not give them my experience or time. I made a few general suggestions, but I did not offer to roll up my sleeves and actually execute, which I think is where the Delta Galil people where steering me to. Had it been established from the very inception of the meeting, I would have prepared myself and sure… worked the floor. But not as a last minute “What would you do and can you show us?”
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@BabySnakes Put watermarks all over it with your name and “do not copy”. When you send it, explain to them that you have placed the watermarks to protect your ideas - you can say that this is something you always do…and that way it is in writing that you object to their use of the work for anything other than consideration. Then, if God forbid, you see your work has been stolen, you have proof.
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i just did a 12 page project complete with trend, color, hand sketch, flats, and merchandised color ways, to be called by HR and told that I basically came in second to getting the role, I worked on it for a week straight. Thankfully i was able to finagle a free seven days on AI to do it. TIMES UP on free project. I too had no choice but to do this as this was a great role and huge company. Ah well
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Just wanna chime in on the comment above about how doing a project makes sense if you have less experience.
When I was fresh out of college I did a project for Kohl’s and they never got back to me or returned my physical work(which they required for me to give them)! I was so devastated since this was one of the first “major” interviews for me and I had a week to work on a project.
So I think it’s even more cruel to do that to young professionals and then never give them their work back and ghost them.
Because I was so focused on finishing that project I had to decline another one that had a shorter timeline.
So yes, if you have very little experience it kinda makes sense to do a project. But fashion industry is also very careless about these projects that they ask for, they don’t even care to give it back to you or give you feedback on it. In my case a simple “sorry we decided to go with another candidate” would have sufficed
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I came from a large apparel group, and our leadership preyed on young talent looking to get their foot in the door. Our recruiters had Senior or Junior “Apparel Designer” and “Graphic Designer” positions listed for months with the intent of gathering up free work. Internally we’d all be nervous that our jobs were being posted and question if there would be additional head count or if we were just being let go. Instead, the current designers would be passed portfolios and artwork from “freelancers” with notes/ changes attached.
Later find out we figured out these were projects submitted during design interviews. My executive once boasted “I cannot believe this person is willing to work for free”. They were delighted to string interviewers along with the promise of a full-time position-- prospective designers would submit project after project with positive feedback peppered with criticism each time to keep them thirsty.
Needless to say, this large apparel group has declared bankruptcy but I continue to caution young designers as I’ve seen this happen at both large and small companies.
Submit a portfolio of your work caters to that company and then, cut them off after 1 project. If a recruiter/ design manager cannot identify your talent from there, then you’re being strung along.
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If that doesn’t prove the need to ban projects, I don’t know what will. IT. IS. A. SCAM. Point blank PERIOD. It’s not a chance to flaunt skill or prove you’re a good fit. What is it going to take for us to realize that the fashion industry is corrupt?! Companies do whatever we allow them to get away with. Stop giving away your creativity for free and stop perpetuating this criminal activity!!
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I was interviewing for the Design Director position at Micheal Stars about 4 years ago. I’m a former NYC knitwear designer living in LA now, with a butt load of consulting experience at top contemporary brands in LA. I had a phone interview, and then 2 more interviews with the VP of HR and Merchandising, they loved me. I was asked to do a 3 group project. Since it seemed like just a formality, I did it, and was to present it to Suzanne Lerner. I had a meeting with her, the 2 V.P.s and someone else, whom I can’t recall. TBH, I thought I was getting hired. Suzanne looked at my boards, we spoke a bit, she made a comment about " women our age," which is exactly when I knew I wasn’t getting the position. Then I never heard a word back. I basically got ghosted. I finally got a response from an assistant they hired from within, then the position was open 3 months later. That was the last project I will ever do unpaid.
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Get paid for that one project. NO FREE WORK . It’s against NY and California labor laws, btw.
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I am so glad this is a topic as I was interviewing for a senior roll and I was asked to do a lot of work, including a business plan, projections by account and yearly product flow calendar. Then the company decided they were not filling the role. I asked for another role then they ghosted me after 8 interviews and the work over 3 months. I feel a little violated by them as I am pretty sure they had me do the work to have an industry “expert” do it for free. I have never had this happen to me!! It is good to know (but not really as this is beyond horrible companies do this) that I am not the only one. How do you stop this??
I can’t agree more! It’s not like we can decline the projects but agreed on the comment above, we have resumes and portfolios for a reason.
I have a lot of years in the industry / a strong portfolio and I’ve done two very extensive projects (hand sketches, techpacks, extensive cad work, etc) for two top companies only to not even get feedback or an email saying they have recieved it after the projects have been handed in. It’s beyond rude and I hate doing all this free labour without the decency of a simple email back.
Enough with these projects.
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I’ve had a couple of those projects. I got paid for one because I was working through an agency. The other was a 30+ hr project 
I recently had this experience with Collection 18 (Collection XIIX). They posted a freelance cold weather position and during my virtual meeting with them to discuss the role/project, they told me they wanted me to do a test project to see my design capabilities (that’s what a portfolio is, or request to see samples of past work…) and if they decided to move forward with me, then they would pay me a day rate for this test.
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I don’t give away free work.
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The amount of work in their test project was way too many SKUs (20) and only when I told them that was too much and it would take me a lot longer than a day to designer did they tell me “just do as much as you feel comfortable”
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Since I don’t give away free work, I told them I would work on it for a day (8 hours worth of work) in exchange for my day rate. They did agree to this.
I wonder how many people did not call them out on this practice, did the test project for free, only to have them take their work and say, “sorry, you’re not a good fit” (thanks for the free designs we can now sample and sell!)? Luckily I’m not in a desperate situation where I need a gig right this minute like so many. I can understand how someone would accept this behavior for their survival but this practice needs to stop and it can only stop if we all put our foot down and say NO to free work.
Anyone have experience working with this company or also applied to this position recently?
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Michael Stars is notorious for asking for design projects from design candidates before ANY interview even takes place. It’s a joke. I will not do a project for any company where I have not atleast met people I would be working with. It’s a two way street. What if you spent time on a project only to discover you didn’t like the office culture, people you were supposed to work for, or the office itself? You have to spend the majority of your awake life at your job so it’s very arrogant for a company to do this.
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In California: Lulu’s and S by Serena (Serena Williams) both asked for projects BEFORE any type of interview (even a phone screen).
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Just finishing a project and have decided it will be my last. I’m done giving away my work for free. During this year I have done several projects only to hear they are “moving in another direction” or “your salary is too high.” I put so much work into these projects and they are just a waste of time. Our portfolios should be enough.
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I just presented a 12 page project, where I had to pay for illustrator to do, and they commented like I was presenting a collection on project runway. I was asked where are the back views of the 20 garments I sketched, they questioned logo placements, and so on. I DONT WORK THERE, AND I DONT KNOW THE RULES??? It was so so weird. I stopped everything I was doin for a week to do this. And I’m not even sure about this company because they have bad reviews all over this site and I know people who have worked here and they said it was awful. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I can do these anymore.
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Maybe the best way to empower ourselves as designers is to come up with a template for saying no to these projects? For me, being a major people pleaser, I have found that mentally preparing to turn someone down makes it a lot easier. It’s very hard when you still want and/or need the job, but for me its becoming more and more important to do so. Here is something I have come up with for myself for future free project requests:
Interviewer: We think you could be a great candidate but we need you to complete a project as the final stage of the interview process.
Me: Thank you, I am very interested in the opportunity and I feel like it could be a great fit. However, at this moment I can’t agree to a free project. I am willing to either do a project at X daily rate, freelance at X daily rate for a specified amount of time, or I have an extensive portfolio, resume, and references that I’d love to share with you. I hope that we can agree on one of these alternatives and move forward with the process.
If anyone else has any suggestions or edits for ways they have politely declined a project I would love to hear them! Let’s take our power back as creatives!
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A couple of months later, and I’m still being burned on this. I can’t get past the interview process, and can only get these “design tests” which aren’t tests at all, it’s free labor. People are desperate. I just want a job posting that isn’t fake, and is genuinely looking to hire. We’ve seen the same exact ones for what 3 years now? Maybe going on 4?
Along with those recruiters. I keep seeing the same ones pop up, time after time, and they still have nobody? C’mon you recruiters all have something to say, up until it’s time to actually get one of us hired. Then you ghost us.
So all this pandemic, I’ve been doing free project after free project. No feedback given, no update on the job application, just straight up ghosting. No pay either for these stinking projects. I asked them. They say “no”…we don’t pay.
I say, why not? They don’t respond. They just want to see the free project.
Ok, so I do the project.
Project submitted.
Their response: This isn’t what I asked you to do.
My response: Oh yes it was. Detailed description right here: and there it is in the email. Clearly labeled.
And…repeat. Next employer?
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