We asked fashion recruiters: WTF is going on at the moment?

The industry may not be collapsing – but it is resetting.

By Jorinde Croese

When we first began speaking with designers a few months ago about the changing shape of in-house fashion teams, a common thread emerged: anxiety. As one junior designer put it: "Whenever I see a new creative director starting now, I instantly think: most of the team will get fired now."

What began as a piece about team dynamics quickly turned into something bigger – a reflection of how fragile jobs in fashion have become. Designers across levels voiced similar concerns: “There’s a big, big, big hiring freeze within LVMH. It’s one in, one out in every house. So the way they’re getting around it is hiring people as freelancers. All that matters for them is headcount.”

Another spoke of the churn in senior staff: “In the pre-collection team, in the last three years, I’ve had 14 different seniors.” And a design director said, grimly: “Even if you have a contract, you can be out. There isn’t much difference between freelance and employee. The only difference is made when they want to have you, and they don't want you to work for anyone else.”