How to Successfully Sell Your Fashion Designs
A Practical Workshop for Fashion Designers and Creatives
Selling fashion is about more than creativity. It requires a clear understanding of how retail really works. This hands-on workshop is designed for anyone who wants to sell their own designs or curated collections by others, professionally and profitably, in brick-and-mortar stores.
Many emerging designers struggle not because of their designs, but because they lack practical sales and retail knowledge. This workshop closes that gap with real-world insights from everyday retail practice.
What You Will Learn
Pricing and Retail Logic
Learn how pricing works in physical retail environments and how to calculate prices correctly and sustainably. Topics include standard retail margins, sales tax and price calculations, sales commissions and commission-based models, as well as common pricing mistakes and how to avoid them.
Sales Fundamentals for Fashion Professionals
Selling is not just about the product. It is about how you present and communicate it. This part of the workshop focuses on practical sales skills that can be applied immediately. Participants will learn effective product presentation techniques, the structure and flow of a successful sales conversation, psychological principles behind buying decisions, and how to approach customers confidently and guide them toward a purchase.
Working with Retailers
Participants will also learn how to successfully place their collections in stores, from the first contact with retailers to long-term collaboration. Proven strategies and real-life examples from professional practice will be shared.
About the Instructor: Katja Ellwart
Katja Ellwart is a textile manager with decades of experience in the fashion and textile industry. She runs her own upcycling fashion brand, has worked in retail for over 20 years, and previously owned and managed her own store. During this time, she mentored and sold collections by numerous young fashion designers.
She repeatedly noticed that many talented newcomers lacked essential knowledge about retail sales, despite its importance for commercial success. Through this workshop, Katja shares her hands-on expertise to help designers bring their fashion to market successfully and sustainably.
Date: 26 February 2026
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm ù
Cost: €35,70
Location: Große Bleichen 21, Hamburg
