The Importance of Travelling as a Fashion Designer

Let’s get one thing straight: if you’re serious about fashion, staying put isn’t an option. In retail especially, travel isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. You can’t design fresh, relevant collections by sitting at a desk and scrolling through what everyone else is doing. Real inspiration? That comes from hitting the streets of cities where trends are born, changed, and reborn again. And here’s the key: knowing exactly where to go according to your brand’s style and customer needs. Because, spoiler alert—your customers aren’t living in one place, and neither should your ideas.

Think about it. Are you working on a streetwear line with an edge? You’re not looking at stores down the block—you’re booking a flight to places where streetwear is at its rawest. Whether it’s New York or Barcelona, the street style you see there is worlds apart from what’s familiar. And if you’re working on surf or skate, then it’s a one-way ticket to California, where that laid-back, effortless style oozes from the boardwalk.

Each destination is a masterclass in style, but it’s not just about the clothes—you’re absorbing how people actually live in them. I’ll never forget something a professor drilled into us at uni. He’d stand at the front of the room and shout, “Who are those people glued to the window of your brand’s store? How do they smell, what do they eat, where do they go, who are their friends?” The whole point was that knowing your customer on that level changes everything.

That’s why knowing exactly where to go matters. It’s not just trends you’re after, but the essence of the people you’re designing for—their lives, habits, the music they listen to, the food they eat. You’re seeing trends that haven’t even hit the runway yet and figuring out how to make them your own, with a style that resonates with your customer. That’s why you travel—to know them as if they’re right in front of you.

And then there’s the whole other side of the coin: competition. Fashion moves fast, and retail moves even faster. You’re not just designing for your customers; you’re competing for their attention, their loyalty, and their excitement. And here’s the hard truth: there’s always someone else out there with a similar vision, maybe even with similar pieces. The only way to truly know what you’re up against is by being on the ground, seeing who’s taking up space, and figuring out what they’re doing right—or where they’re falling flat. You might find a store halfway across the world with the perfect version of what you’ve been dreaming up, and you get to come back with a clearer idea of what needs tweaking and what’s going to set your collection apart. This isn’t about copying; it’s about understanding the global landscape so you can stay ahead.

The other reality is that fashion doesn’t stop, and neither should you. You can’t just do one trip and call it good for the year. Each season demands fresh eyes, new ideas, and a real-time look at what’s changed. Styles that were hot last season can be ice cold by the time your next collection hits the shelves. That’s why the most dedicated designers go back season after season, studying the subtle shifts, spotting new brands, and keeping their finger on the pulse of what’s happening out there. Missing a season means missing a beat, and in retail, that’s not a risk you can afford.

Travel is also where you find those key pieces that don’t exist in the safe confines of your usual go-to places. You’re walking miles, checking out independent shops, markets, even hole-in-the-wall boutiques that might have that perfect fabric, the right cut, or the unexpected accessory that completes your vision. It’s those long days with sore feet and a notebook full of ideas that end up creating the pieces people can’t resist. No amount of Googling or Pinterest-ing can replace that feeling of finding something on the other side of the world that clicks, that feels like it’s been waiting just for your collection.

And let’s not kid ourselves—this isn’t glamorous, curated “design inspo” travel. It’s intense, sometimes gritty, and more than a little exhausting. It’s back-to-back appointments, dodging traffic to get from one district to the next, racing to catch a store before it closes. It’s sketching on a café napkin between stops, grabbing quick bites, and jotting down notes before an idea slips away. But it’s worth every second. Because when you’re out there, not only are you building your collection—you’re building the brand’s story, giving it that edge that makes it resonate.

So, to any designer who thinks they can do this job from behind a screen, consider this your wake-up call. Book the flight, lace up your shoes, and hit the streets where the world of fashion is alive and evolving. Because your next big idea isn’t sitting in an office—it’s waiting in a window halfway across the world.

Ready to see some of this firsthand? Here’s a look at some of my travels, the cities that have fuelled my inspiration, and a few snapshots of those unforgettable style moments from around the world.