Fixing Fashion: Why the Industry Needs to Talk About Mental Health

The Glamour and the Grind

Fashion dazzles. The shows, the styling, the travel, the creative buzz.
But behind the runway lights is a quieter story — exhaustion, pressure, and silence.

For many working in the industry — designers, buyers, PR execs, stylists — burnout has become the norm.
You keep pushing, keep smiling, keep producing, because that’s what’s expected. The pace never slows.

From the outside, it’s success.
From the inside, it’s survival.

When Image Becomes Armour

Elena, a senior buyer for a global fashion brand, puts it simply:

“People think it’s glamorous, but I spend most of my time on planes or in showrooms under fluorescent lights. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t exhausted.”

In fashion, image is everything. But that same image can become armour — a polished surface that hides exhaustion, anxiety, and self-doubt. The expectation to look composed, even when you’re barely coping, keeps people silent.

There’s an unspoken rule: Don’t crack. Don’t slow down. Don’t show it.

Toxic Culture, Quiet Burnout

The industry rewards perfection and punishes pause. Long hours, unstable contracts, relentless travel, and a culture of comparison leave little room for humanity.

It’s not just the schedule — it’s the silence.
People don’t talk about mental health in fashion because vulnerability is seen as weakness. But the truth is, it’s strength.

Therapy creates space where you don’t have to pretend everything is fine. It gives language to what’s been buried under deadlines and deadlines disguised as opportunities.

Why Mental Health Belongs on the Runway Too

Fashion shapes culture — which means it can change culture.
If the industry wants to lead conversations about sustainability, diversity, and innovation, mental health must be part of that story.

That starts with individuals.
When people in fashion get the support they need, they can set new standards: healthier workplaces, more realistic expectations, and leadership that values people as much as output.

How Therapy Supports Fashion Professionals

Therapy isn’t about stepping away from fashion — it’s about staying in it sustainably.

It’s a space to:

• Process constant stress and travel fatigue.

• Explore identity beyond your role or title.

• Untangle anxiety around competition, image, and burnout.

• Build coping tools for a world that rarely slows down.

When you understand your limits, you perform better — not worse.

Practical Grounding for Fashion Professionals

Fashion runs on speed, but healing needs stillness.
Try this simple grounding ritual:

1. The Pause Between Shows.
Take one minute between meetings or fittings. Feet on the ground, deep breath, shoulders down. A reset is more powerful than a collapse.

2. A Pocket Ritual.
Keep something small — a ring, bracelet, fabric swatch — as a tactile reminder to breathe when things spiral.

3. The Check-In.
Ask yourself: Am I performing, or am I present?
That question alone can shift you from autopilot to awareness.

Reflection

Where in your career have you been told to “keep going” when your body or mind needed to stop?

That moment often reveals where care should have started.

The fashion industry doesn’t have to break people to make beauty.
Therapy helps those inside it slow down, process pressure, and lead the change from within.

If you work in fashion and you’re ready to talk — privately, confidentially, and without judgement — this space is for you. Get in touch to explore therapy that understands the pace and pressure of your world.

These reflections are drawn from real experiences shared with permission. Names and identifying details have been changed to maintain confidentiality.

Read Time: ~6 minutes