An accidental discovery of New York's Premier Vision textile trade show set Esti Heshin on the fabric design career path. In this post she tells The Print School about her creative upbringing and the exact stepping stones that lead to her towards her dream design career.

Growing up in NY I have the best memories of my mom taking me shopping on Fifth Avenue on Sundays.

We would go to see the beautifully decorated department stores. She also an artist and loves floral prints and when we'd find a dress with a print we'd analyze it and we were very particular about what we liked. So I think this is actually where my journey began looking back.

After graduating college in 2017, I got an entry-level job at a local graphic design firm.

I photographed products and created catalogs but wound up designing packaging mostly. After about two years I felt I could do much more creative-wise. I always loved fashion and art and really wanted to pursue a job I where I wouldn't count the hours...

Words by: Bec, Creative Director

Reading time: 4 mins

We’re moving into the third year of the pandemic, and we’re fatigued!  History shows that upheavals in society create very large shifts in culture, be it music, art, fashion, and 2022 proves to be no exception.

We want optimism.  We want connection.  And we’re going to go out there and grab life by the horns!  This year is all about positivity.  Read on to see how this will reflect in what we wear and buy.

1. The Return of Parties

We want to go out dancing till the wee hours, we want to celebrate every milestone, every occasion.  

Sidebar: We are SO excited for the return of our trend reports, now called The Print Pattern Forecast. Download the latest pack and get a better, more comprehensive peekaboo at which trends will help to SELL your designs this year. Don't risk getting it wrong... get it RIGHT starting now.

Party-wear needs florals and the return of loud, clashing...

German born–Australian bred, Sue imbues her love of fine art into dense, allover designs aimed at the European market.

Even back [when i arrived in Australia in my teens] I was so into decorative, patterned design but there was no such thing as 'surface pattern design' and I never fit 100 percent into the mold of fine artist.  As I [got older] and started to work in the real world I was drawn more and more to commercial art so studied a certificate in illustration.  The course introduced me to the world of Photoshop and digital art, which I continued to develop my skills in with a certificate in graphic design.

I am totally into flora and fauna

and so I am constantly inspired by the world around me.  I think I am a typical creative, often trying all sorts of new things and ideas.  And I just love to create!

I have done all kinds of work in this industry now

from freelancing internationally, working for a print design studio in LA  and then starting...

Words by Lyndsay, Creative Lead and Senior Designer

Tried to sketch a realistic-looking flower and hated what you created? Flowers have lots of teeny tiny details (roses, in particular, have up to 40 petals) and it's hard to not only include every nuance, but to make it come together in a readable, realistic way.  So how do the pros create such clean and believable hand-drawn blooms?

There's a secret. A special little trick that we use. Because we draw A LOT of blooms (you know it).

It's a one word answer to your woes: simplify. Follow our steps below, and then create the floral artwork you're aiming for.

1. Really look

Pick a flower from your garden (or your neighbour's – we won't tell) and focus on it. Look closely at any veins on the petals and notice the direction they’re going in. Do any of the petals fold over or curl up on themselves? Turn it around in your hand to view it from different angles, and take note of the foreshortening of the petals facing...

I'm a freelance surface pattern designer based in Brisbane.

Before, I was in clinical research and my background is biology. I primarily work in home interiors, designing wallpaper, soft furnishings and cushions. 

I don't think homewares were a conscious choice.  

I developed a style over the years and it seemed to naturally fit more for home textiles than it did for fashion or greeting cards. I remember trying my hand at lettering and I was just terrible! It took a few years of doing different courses and trying things out [to] hone my style and it naturally fit into interiors. I have a general interest in interiors too, so it probably went hand in hand.

It all started seven years ago...

I was an Australian expat in the US after I had my first child. It's a little cliche, but when you're on maternity leave you have time to reassess what will work with your new lifestyle. I came across surface pattern design and I thought, “Of course, it makes sense.” For...

Words by Lyndsay, Creative Lead and Senior Designer

Are you a surface print pattern designer? Want to make money selling your prints one day? Unless your goal is to work as a designer inside an established studio, you'll need some sales skills. Yep, not only do you need to know how to design impactful, impressive, and on-trend designs, but you'll have to convince a customer to buy your design (and not someone else's!).

So what does it take? Well, we'll tell you! We're Longina Phillips Designs and we've learned a thing or two about selling prints over 30 years of being in business. Read on for our top sales secrets and turn your creative mind into money now!

1. Curate an enviable collection with broad appeal.

If you want to create a commercially viable, diverse, and desirable selection of work, you'll need to offer a broad array of styles. Customers have different needs and so the more looks you can supply, the greater your chance of having the right print at the right time. ...

Words by Lyndsay, Creative Lead and Senior Designer.

Ready to turn your passion for design from a side-hustle into a successful business? We’ve got an unmissable opportunity for you. For the first time ever, we’re sharing the exact steps we took to build Longina Phillips Designs into the world-leading studio it is today in our brand new course, Comprehensive Business Builder for Surface Designers.

We’ve got a wealth of knowledge to share when it comes to the business of working in surface design. Whether it’s building a brand name, working across markets as a freelancer, or connecting with agents - we’ve been there and done that. We’re committed to helping the next generation of designers live out their design dreams, so read on for 5 reasons why you can’t miss out on our brand new course! 

1. Get taught by leading industry experts.

Here’s the big one - this course will give you access to the exact strategies that have made...

Words by Lyndsay, Creative Lead and Senior Designer.

Struggling to create at a commercially viable pace? You’re not alone. Keeping productivity high in the fast-paced world of fabric design is a daily challenge, even for those of us who have been in the game for years. 

But, while we Longina Phillips Designs designers can sometimes find it hard to fly through a brief, we have one important ace up our sleeve: Adobe Photoshop training. Or, more specifically, certain skills that help us complete a job much faster than when following textbook (aka. more longwinded) processes.  

Fellow designer Steph and I recently sat down with our lovely social media coordinator, Morgan to chat about pace and productivity and the Adobe Photoshop training that has helped speed our work the most.

Morgan: When you first started in the fashion industry, did you find the expectations to finish designs quickly quite shocking?

Lyndsay: For sure. I remember being at university...