Laid Off in Fashion or Footwear? Here’s Your 5-Step Recovery Plan

If you’ve been laid off from a fashion or footwear company in the last several months, I want to say something to you before we get into any strategy at all: 

This is not a reflection of your talent. 

Over the past 18 months, Nike, DSW, Designer Brands, Puma, VF Corp, and Adidas have all made significant cuts. These aren’t small companies that ran out of money. These are global brands making calculated structural decisions, reorganizing operations, consolidating roles, responding to market shifts, and managing costs in an uncertain economy. The people caught in those decisions are often some of the most experienced, capable professionals in the industry. 

So, if that’s you right now, I want you to hear this: you didn’t end up here because you weren’t good enough. You ended up here because the business changed. 

And now, the question is: what do you do next? 

I’ve walked many professionals through this exact moment. Here are the five steps I take every client through after a layoff in this industry. 

Step 1: Give Yourself 48 Hours, Then Shift into Strategy Mode 

I mean this literally. Give yourself two days to feel whatever you need to feel. Surprised, relieved, angry, scared, all of it is valid. Tell your family or your close friends. Take a walk. Sit with it. 

But after 48 hours, I want you to make a conscious decision to step into strategy mode. Not because the emotions are over, but because staying in reaction mode will slow you down. The sooner you start moving with intention, the faster everything else will follow. 

That shift in mindset, from “this happened to me” to “I’m choosing what happens next”, is the single biggest predictor of how quickly someone lands after a layoff. I’ve seen it over and over again. 

Step 2: Get Clear on What You Actually Want Next 

Here’s where most people make their first mistake: they immediately start applying for the same role at a different company. 

I understand the impulse. It feels safe. It feels fast. But if you were already feeling restless, underutilized, or ready for something more before the layoff, this is your window to do something different. 

Before you update your resume, ask yourself honestly: 

• Do I want to stay in the same function, or is this a chance to pivot? 

• Do I want to stay in this sector specifically, or am I open to adjacent industries? 

• What kind of company culture, size, and pace do I actually thrive in? 

• What would “winning” look like for me one year from now? 

You don’t need perfect answers. But having a direction, even a rough one, will make every step after this sharper and faster. 

Step 3: Audit Your Resume and LinkedIn for Your Next Role 

Your resume and LinkedIn should be marketing documents for the future, not history reports of the past. 

Most people’s resumes are a list of what they did. What a hiring manager in this market wants to see is the value you created, the problems you solved, the results you drove, the things that happened because you were in the room. 

As you update both, keep asking yourself:

“Does this tell the story of where I’m going, or just where I’ve been?” 

A few things to check on LinkedIn specifically: 

• Your headline should reflect your target role or function, not your most recent title. 

• Your About section should speak directly to the kind of work you want to do next. 

• Your most recent role description should lead with impact, not just responsibilities. 

“Your resume is not a history report. It’s a marketing document for your future.” 

Step 4: Activate Your Network — Intentionally 

I know “network more” is advice people are tired of hearing. So let me reframe it. 

This isn’t about attending events or connecting with strangers on LinkedIn. It’s about having real conversations with real people who know your work and care about your career. 

Make a short list this week: Who are the 10 people in my professional life who would pick up the phone if I called? Former managers, colleagues, mentors, industry contacts, vendors you’ve built relationships with over the years. 

Reach out to 5 of them. Not to ask for a job. Just to reconnect, share where you are, and ask what they’re seeing out there. You’ll be surprised how quickly a genuine conversation leads somewhere. 

In fashion and footwear especially, relationships are everything. The next role is often more likely to come through a person than through a job posting. 

Step 5: Get Your Story Straight 

One of the things I work on with every client is how to talk about their layoff in an interview. 

Here’s the truth: interviewers already know layoffs are happening across the industry. They’re not going to hold it against you. What they are paying attention to is how you talk about it. 

A strong response is brief, matter of fact, and pivots quickly to what you’re looking for next. It shows self-awareness and forward momentum. Something like: 

“My role was eliminated as part of a broader restructuring across the company, it impacted a number of positions in my department. I’ve taken some time to get really clear about what I want to do next, and I’m genuinely excited about this opportunity because [reason specific to the role].” 

Practice that answer out loud until it feels natural. The goal isn’t to be rehearsed; it’s to be confident. 

You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone 

If you’re in the middle of this right now, I want you to know that there is a path forward, and it’s closer than it might feel. 

I’ve put together a free one-page Industry Layoff Recovery Checklist that walks through everything in this post in a quick, printable format. Download it below and keep it somewhere visible as you work through your next steps. 

And if you’re ready to work through this with someone who knows this industry and has helped a lot of people land on the other side of exactly where you are right now, I’d love to connect.