Portfolio Bootcamp is a self paced course that helps you build a fashion print portfolio that’s cohesive, market focused, and gets replies when you pitch. Start today and work through it at your own pace.
Ready to create a surface pattern design portfolio that finally gets you replies when you pitch?
SELF-PACED COURSE · INSTANT ACCESS
"Embarking on Portfolio Bootcamp was one of the best decisions I made to advance my career as a creative professional. The experience not only refined my work but also equipped me with the skills to effectively pitch my creations to potential clients."
Adriana Avant
Why Your Surface Pattern Design Portfolio Isn’t Getting Replies
Building a portfolio takes real effort. Putting your work out there takes courage. And when you don’t hear back, it can feel defeating.
But buyers don’t pass because your work isn’t beautiful. They pass because it wasn’t made for them.
I’ve sat on both sides of the table, pitching my own work and being pitched nearly 1,000 portfolios as a creative director and buyer. The designers who get replies aren’t always the most talented. They’re the ones who understand their market, commercially as well as aesthetically, and make it easy for a buyer to see where their work fits.
Portfolio Bootcamp is a surface pattern design course built for fashion. It gives you the same perspective I use when I review portfolios, so you can build a fashion print portfolio that’s focused, market-aligned and ready to pitch.
You don’t need to create more or work harder.
You need a strategy. One that aligns your work with the right market and gives you the confidence to pitch with intention.
what designers say about portfolio bootcamp
"It is honestly the best industry course I’ve done."
Julie Bunyard
"Leslie’s advice to clarify and focus on my design niche and study that market to truly understand and design for it in a commercially successful way was career changing."
Kelly Lahl
"The amount of information that you provided to us was above and beyond my expectation."
Manni Singh
"I now have a portfolio that I am proud of and will begin pitching next month!"
Phyllis Orzall
Surface Pattern Design for Fashion vs. Licensing
Many surface pattern designers believe one portfolio works across every market. It doesn’t.
"Your prints work for any surface" is one of the biggest myths in surface pattern design. What works on a water bottle won’t necessarily work on a swimsuit or dress.
As a buyer, I was regularly pitched licensing portfolios: one-way prints shown on bedding, wallpaper and yoga mats. Beautiful work, but it didn’t answer the questions I was asking as a fashion buyer. It taught me something I still teach today: not all portfolios are meant for all markets.
Fashion buyers read a portfolio differently. They’re looking for:
End use: who the print is for and what product it’s going on.
Layout and scale: prints that work on a garment, with a clear sense of where motifs land.
Commercial color: palettes they can actually put into production.
Exclusive art: almost every fashion print sale is for exclusive rights, so buyers want original work made for them, not art that’s licensed to many.
And you don’t need several full collections to get there. Eight prints, structured the right way, can carry a market-ready portfolio.
Portfolio Bootcamp is built for designers who want a fashion print portfolio. If you’ve built a licensing portfolio and want to pitch fashion, you’ll see exactly what fashion buyers need that it isn’t giving them yet.
What You’ll Walk Away With
The Market Aligned Portfolio Process is a Step by step system to help you build a pitch ready portfolio so that you can stop second guessing your designs and start pitching with clarity and confidence...and get replies.
A commercially focused mini collection
A fashion-ready portfolio
your fashion print portfolio
Introducing
Protected by My 30-day money back guarantee.
Clarity about exactly who to pitch and what to pitch
Portfolio
Bootcamp
before you start:
- Already have a developing style, but it isn’t translating commercially
- Want to move from making art to creating market-ready work
- Want a portfolio that communicates clearly to buyers
- Are ready to pitch but lack clarity, process or confidence
You don’t need to be an advanced designer. You do need to be ready to commit to building your portfolio with strategy and intention.
Do any of these questions sound familiar?
you'll get the most from it if you:
- What should a fashion print portfolio even look like?
- Can I just design one collection that works for every industry?
- What market is my work a good fit for?
- How many designs should I have in my portfolio?
- How do I know which types of prints and colorways to include?
If you’ve asked yourself even one of these, Portfolio Bootcamp was created for you. It’s for surface pattern designers who want a professional, fashion-focused portfolio, whether you’re pivoting into fashion from another industry, building your first client-ready collection, or refining your niche.
Who Portfolio Bootcamp Is For
Know exactly which fashion market your work is for, and stop designing in the dark.
Turn your style into market-ready fashion prints, without losing what makes it yours.
Build a cohesive mini collection that has a purpose and a buyer in mind.
Train your eye for strong layout, scale and color, the way a professional designer does.
Complete a surface pattern design portfolio that buyers understand and respond to.
Pitch with confidence using The Pitch Toolkit, and start getting replies.
By the end of Portfolio Bootcamp, you will:
Here’s how the course is broken down, step by step.
Inside Portfolio Bootcamp
Style Direction
Explore your influences and instincts to build a deep well of ideas that make your work yours.
Art Direction
See your work through your buyer’s lens and make confident calls on layout, scale and movement.
Color Direction
Build color palettes that feel like you and work season after season for fashion clients.
Design with intention, not just inspiration, and plan a unified collection with flow and variety.
DEVELOPMENt
client direction
Choose your market focus and align your work with buyers’ needs without watering down your style.
MERCHANDISING
Merchandise your collection for visual impact, a clear story and stronger buyer interest.
MOCKUPS
Bring your designs to life and help buyers envision them on real product.
PORTFOLIO LAYOUT
Present your work like a pro, with a strong bio, clear flow and only your best work.
PITCH TOOLKIT
Portfolio templates, list building exercises, pricing guide and a pitch & follow up process.
Your Bonus: Pitch Toolkit
Not sure how to lay out your portfolio?
Portfolio Templates: InDesign + Canva
Editable layouts in both programs, plus an InDesign walkthrough, so you can build your portfolio in the tool you already use.
Not sure who to pitch?
Brand List Builder
Research and build a targeted list of the fashion brands you want to pitch.
Not sure how to reach them?
LinkedIn Lead Generation
Find and connect with art directors and buyers, with a connection strategy and a lead tracker.
Not sure what to say, when to follow up or what to charge?
The Pitch Process + Pricing Guide
Email templates, a follow-up structure and pricing guidance for every route into fashion: custom commissions, in-house roles, agents, and studios on consignment.
past clients include:
I’ve been working in the fashion industry since 2007. I’ve been the freelancer sending out her portfolio and hoping to hear back, the in-house designer learning as I go, the founder of White Buffalo Studio, and now the person on the other side of the table at my agency, The Print Book.
Somewhere along the way, I started noticing the same thing over and over. So many talented designers were pitching beautiful work that simply wasn’t made for the buyer in front of them. Seeing it from both sides taught me what gets a yes, what gets overlooked, and how to position your work so it lands.
That’s why I created Portfolio Bootcamp: to help you build a collection made for the fashion market, with the insight that comes from the buyer’s side of the table.
Hi, I'm Leslie Kenehan
Creative & Sales Director Selling Exclusive Art to Fashion Buyers
“The workshops encouraged me to focus my work and find my unique selling point as a surface pattern designer. The actionable tips and information shared in Portfolio Bootcamp made the process so much more intentional and effective.”
Tanya Freitas
“I really enjoyed Portfolio Bootcamp. I learned how to find and focus on my style through the exercises Leslie shared. Her wealth of knowledge opened my eyes to the fashion industry’s expectations.”
Renea Gallagher
“I was spinning trying to figure out how to create a portfolio for a while before I found your class. Taking your class helped me create a portfolio that I actually liked and that felt true to me, relatively quickly. Now I’m pitching!”
Amy, Designer
“I learned so much from Portfolio Bootcamp. I’ve been designing patterns for a few years, building up my portfolio, and now I finally know what I need to do to begin marketing. I can’t thank you enough, Leslie, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and experience.”
Beth Krommes
“I’ve identified my market focus and really narrowed down my print style to create the right prints for the market I’ve chosen. I’ve also created a dream client list.”
Jacqui Slade
“I honestly gained so much knowledge and understanding of who I am as a designer. Leslie delivered the content in such a clear, concise and relaxed way. The content is broken down into simple and achievable steps.”
Fiona White
My Promise to You
Find comfort in knowing you can invest risk free. I believe in this program so much that I’m removing the risk for you with a 30-day money back guarantee. If Portfolio Bootcamp isn’t what you expected and it didn’t support your needs, just email me within 30 days and share what didn’t work for you. I’ll refund you in full, and your feedback will help me make the program even better.