Teaching Fashion Online: What a Lost Cushion in Greece Taught Me About Sharing Knowledge Globally

In the 1990s, I spent several months living on the island of Rhodes, Greece, recovering from severe back pain. Those months were meant to be healing, and they were, but they also taught me something far more profound about creativity, resilience, and letting go.

I couldn’t sit anywhere at all without a specially designed cushion, an ergonomically shaped one that supported my back and let me function. Sadly, wherever I went, it went too. Cafés, buses, and beaches it became my lifeline.

Then one morning, during a trip into town with my husband and our 18-month-old daughter, I left it behind 'somewhere'.

When I realised it was gone, I felt a wave of panic. We searched everywhere, he hotel, restaurants, shops, the pavements, and yes, the taxis too. My husband retraced our steps across the town, hoping it might have been handed in somewhere. We even contacted the main taxi stand in Rhodes. With more than 500 taxis on the island, they said there was no hope of finding it.

For days, I was miserable. That cushion wasn’t a luxury; it was the difference between participation and pain. Eventually, in desperation, we cut a piece of foam from our daughter’s hotel cot mattress and shaped a makeshift cushion. It wasn’t pretty ( at all ), but it allowed me to sit again, uncomfortably, but just enough to carry on.

Then, a month later, we hailed a taxi to visit another part of the island. My husband opened the boot to put our pushchair inside, and there it was, my cushion, sitting right on the back seat.

It wasn’t the same taxi we’d taken initially, yet somehow, it had found its way back to me, across an island, through countless journeys, and after we’d long stopped hoping.

A small miracle, yes, but one that’s stayed with me ever since.

The Lesson That Found Its Way Back

That cushion taught me a truth I didn’t fully appreciate until much later: what we create and release into the world has a way of coming back to us, sometimes changed, sometimes delayed, but always meaningful.

As fashion educators, we pour our energy into shaping creative minds. Our knowledge, our teaching methods, our philosophies, they become our professional “cushions.” They support our students and our practice. But too often, we hold that expertise tightly within classroom walls.

When you begin teaching fashion online, you’re doing something both courageous and generous; you’re letting that knowledge travel. You’re allowing it to reach students far beyond your studio, your campus, or even your country.

And like that cushion, what you share has a way of coming back to you, through new opportunities, professional recognition, and genuine human connection.

Why Fashion Education Belongs Online

The fashion world is moving faster than ever. Students today learn through digital platforms, social media, and global collaborations. Yet what they still crave, what can’t be replaced, is mentorship, wisdom, and guidance from experienced educators.

That’s where online teaching shines. Creating online fashion courses allows you to:

• Reach a global audience — share your expertise with students anywhere in the world.

• Create sustainable income — once built, an online course can generate revenue continuously while you focus on other projects or teaching.

• Preserve your teaching legacy — your lessons, techniques, and insights live on for future generations of designers.

• Increase visibility and credibility — being an online educator positions you as a thought leader in your field.

Fashion education doesn’t lose its soul when it moves online, it gains new reach and relevance.

Perfection Isn’t the Goal, Connection Is

When I made that makeshift cushion from cot foam, it wasn’t perfect, but it worked. It kept me going.

Your first online course might feel like that, too: a little uneven, improvised, or not quite what you envisioned. But it doesn’t need to be flawless to make an impact.

Students don’t want perfection. They want connection, to feel your authenticity, hear your stories, and learn the lessons that only come from lived experience.

So, start imperfectly. Record a single class. Teach a short workshop. Share one aspect of your expertise. You’ll be amazed at how far it travels.

Here are Five Useful Steps to Create And Launch Your First Online Fashion Course

If you’re ready to expand your teaching beyond the classroom, here’s a simple checklist to get started:

1. Define Your Focus
   Choose a topic that reflects your expertise, whether it’s fashion design, pattern cutting, styling, or sustainability.

2. Plan a Signature Lesson
   Start small. A focused, 30-minute masterclass is enough to test your concept and build momentum.

3. Choose Your Platform
   Tools like Kajabi make it easy to upload videos, PDFs, and assignments, no tech background required.

4. Film Authentically
   You don’t need a studio. A quiet space, natural light, and your genuine teaching voice are enough.

5. Launch and Learn
   Publish your first version, gather feedback, and improve with each cohort. The sooner you start, the sooner your course starts serving others and earning for you.

Tip: Keep your course “evergreen” available year-round. That way, it generates income continuously while you focus on live teaching or new projects.

What You Give Will Always Find Its Way Back

When you share your knowledge, it doesn’t disappear; it multiplies. Your lessons, your voice, your craft, they reach students you may never meet in person, yet your impact will echo through their work.

Just like that cushion that somehow found its way back to me on a Greek island, the teaching you release into the world will return to you in gratitude, recognition, and growth.

Start today. Teach fashion online. Let your knowledge travel further than you do.