There are certain people who were just born to work in fashion; and not only that, but they also love and breathe it and everything that goes with it. Of course, the love of fashion isn’t enough to get your business going, regardless of whether you’re setting up a fashion studio, a creative agency or even dreaming of running your own fashion magazine. Aside from a great deal of knowledge on the way the industry works, you need to network and have a good number of associates and helpful connections in the field. You also need to familiarize yourself with the economy, budgeting, and how to attract clients and advertisers – simply put, there is a lot of groundwork to be done. However, if you’re already setting up shop, you’ve probably already done your homework and are ready to dive in and make your dream occupation reality. There is just one more thing that you have to take care of – an incredibly alluring, aesthetically pleasing and motivating workspace. Now, every entrepreneur needs a working environment that gets those creative juices flowing, but given that you’re diving into the fashion world, your workspace calls for slightly more effort and a different approach to design, so let’s just find out what it is that your space requires for you to be a success and start getting you where you want to be.

On a few occasions, we were able to catch a glimpse of the office of one of the most powerful names in fashion – the one and only Anna Wintour. The first thing to do is to find a killer space, preferably one with floor-to-ceiling windows. There is just something about natural light that puts people at ease and makes them feel good – the people who will inevitably frequent your office, whether they are candidates to be interviewed for a position, potential clients or even sponsors or future investors. They say that you should dress for the job you want, not the one you have. This applies to office spaces as well. When you invite important people who can do wonders for your career, you need to wow them with your space and give an impression that you have your ducks in a row and are ready to take on any challenge. This is what plenty of natural light and a spacious office with clean and minimal white walls will do. It will exude professionalism, and it will work like a charm not only for the visitors, but for you as well.

Gorgeous minimalistic shelves are a must. They are the perfect storing solution for all your binders, fashion books and stacks of magazines you’ve probably acquired and continue to purchase. Not only are they a chic visual element but they’re practical as well, especially when you make the effort to categorize everything from your documents to books, magazines and everything else that you might need. Make sure everything is neat and color-coded. Use gentle pastel hues and refrain from playing with too many colors.

Although this is a professional environment, you need to bring in some personal touches and make the space your own both for the sake of your productivity as well as for a sense of warmth that your visitors need to feel in order to feel comfortable and at ease. A chic vase on your table always filled with your ultimate favorite flowers is definitely one of them, as it sparks something in you but also tells the world a bit about who you are. Pleasant scents in an office space are a definite must, so make sure you find the perfect organic home fragrance with the scent of your choosing – one that brings serenity, calmness and productivity to your mind. A great planner with a motivating message never hurts – and it will also save your life as you probably don’t have an assistant reminding you of every obligation you have during the day. A comfortable and stylish chair that offers plenty of support is another must – there is no productivity without comfort. Speaking of chairs, there should also be a couple of them in front of your desk, equally stylish and in sync with the rest of the space, so the people who frequent your space are comfortable as well. A stylish lamp (it can be a vintage one from your home) is also a nice touch as it will remind you of your home – your safe place.

Now, many young entrepreneurs choose gallery walls to fill the blank white space that surrounds them as they serve as great motivators (depending on what you chose to put on the wall) as well as chic and modern decoration. However, as someone who’s in the fashion world, perhaps it’s better to surround yourself with images that inspired you to go down this road to begin with – iconic magazine covers, articles that blew and continue to blow you away to this date, as well as photos of fashion legends or even iconic and truly inspiring quotes by those same icons. However, don’t go overboard with this last one as you don’t want to look like a fangirl. After all, you’re trying to make these people your equals and hopefully rub shoulders with them, so while paying homage to photographers, designers and models is great, do it in moderation.

All of these items can be found in affordable furniture stores such as Ikea and similar ones, and you can even have old chairs reupholstered to your taste and completely personalize your office on a budget. The gallery wall is one of the most affordable elements as stylish frames can be found anywhere from home décor stores to flea markets. The point is, you don’t have to invest a million to get your dream office, you just need to find your style and the execution that won’t break the bank.