The Fashion Freelancer’s Safety Net

Contracts, Deal Memos & Getting What You’re Owed

There’s a moment in every fashion freelancer’s life where your stomach drops —
not because you’ve styled five racks of impossible-to-steam looks on two hours of sleep,
but because payday comes and goes… and your bank account is still giving ghost town.

The shoot wrapped. The credits rolled. The client posted the final images.
But somehow, your payment has disappeared into the same black hole as your childhood Tamagotchi.

Welcome to the unspoken epidemic of the fashion industry:
being underpaid, overworked, or just plain ignored when money is due.

It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t photograph well.
But it is the conversation we need to have — especially now I’ve just hit #3 Rising in Fashion & Beauty on Substack (!!!)
No more ‘hoping for the best’. No more sending ‘just chasing this again…’ emails into the abyss.

This post is your freelancer safety net.
Not the soft kind made of metaphors — the real kind, made of contracts, deal memos and industry-proof practices that mean you get paid, every time.

And before you think this doesn’t apply to you because “you’ve never had issues before” —
neither did I… until I lost £7,000 from a regular client I adored.
No written confirmation. Just trust.
(And trust me, you can’t pay rent with trust.)

So whether you’re styling a red carpet, assisting a campaign, shooting for a magazine, or consulting for a brand —
this one’s for the freelancers, the fashion fixers, the behind-the-scenes powerhouses who deserve better.

Here’s what we’re about to unpack:
– The difference between a contract and a deal memo
– Why you need one even if you're working with friends
– The non-negotiable details that should be in every single job doc
– What to do if payment is late (without burning bridges)
– Templates that save your sanity

Let’s make getting paid properly your new normal.
The full toolkit — including templates, terms, and what to do when clients go quiet — is waiting just below the paywall.
Tap in, and let’s sort this together.