Can you break into in-house brands from wholesale? (NYC designer)
Hey fashion designers of Reddit :)
I have a question and would really appreciate any advice. I’m currently working as a fashion designer in wholesale with an Associate title, based in NYC.
I’m trying to transition into an in-house brand (like Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Polo, Gap, etc.). Wholesale has been a great learning experience—I’ve gotten faster, better at trend research, and improved a lot overall. But it’s extremely fast-paced, and designs/pricing get heavily influenced by buyers, which can be frustrating. I really want to experience a more design-focused, in-house environment.
The problem is… every time I apply to these companies, I get an automatic rejection email. I’m not sure if I’m getting filtered out by ATS or if I’m just not a strong enough fit. I did get interviews before (Coach, Express), but didn’t make it through.
When I look at people on LinkedIn, a lot of in-house designers seem to have started with internships directly at those brands. I get that it probably helps a lot, but does that mean transitioning from wholesale is really that hard?
Is this move unrealistic? Or is there something I should be doing differently?
If anyone here has made a similar transition or works in-house, I’d really appreciate your advice. I’m pretty serious about making a move right now.
Thanks so much, and good luck to everyone out there—we got this.