Marketplace Success Story: Evgenia Petrova

By Rebecca Goodine - April 8, 2021

We asked Digital Clothing Designer Evgenia Petrova about how she first discovered the craft, and we learned how she stays innovative with her ArtStation Marketplace store today. Read on to learn about her current work as well as what she has planned for the future.

Find this outfit by Evgenia on the ArtStation Marketplace >

Finding a Love for Digital Fashion

Around four years ago Evgenia Petrova was working in digital design and game development as a 2D artist. After looking into Daz Studio and Marvelous Designer to learn how to create better characters, she found creating clothing so exciting that it became her main work focus. Shifting from character concept art and into digital fashion became her niche.

Eventually, Evgenia also found herself with several Marvelous Designer projects of her own. She realized that selling them might make other people’s learning and character creation pipelines easier, and so she started making a few sales online.

Evgenia’s gloves tutorial for Marvelous Designer, Clo 3D >

At Home on the ArtStation Marketplace

Evgenia joined the ArtStation Marketplace after it became open to all artists. “After the ArtStation Marketplace was launched and became available to all users, I was one of the first to put all my products on there,” she told us.

It made sense because it’s convenient and the seller earns more.

Get this Victorian blouse tutorial and project >

When planning new designs today, Evgenia finds inspiration both online (“Pinterest”) and from her real-life friends and acquaintances.

I think how a certain design would fit and look on a specific person. Whenever I choose a reference, the end result doesn’t resemble it at all. I really enjoy how clothes and my designs change and transform during the creative process. It’s fortunate that I am not bound by anything and have complete creative freedom.

Find this men’s raincoat Clo 3D, Marvelous Designer project here >

Being Adaptable as an Entrepreneur

The greatest lesson Evgenia has learned as an entrepreneur is to expect the unexpected when it comes to product marketing and development. However, that doesn’t mean she’s unprepared. Some of the successful techniques that she’s used for honing in on her target market include leaning into in-demand products, and providing good customer service with discounts and fair prices.

Life doesn’t always happen as you want it to be. Sometimes you expect a product to be a hit and end up being mistaken. People are strange…

…People like sets, people like discounts, people like low prices and high-quality products. It’s easy.

Get this realistic jeans tutorial and project >

Find Success in Staying Unique

As for what’s next, Evgenia’s already looking to the future. She told us that she plans on creating a large course on Marvelous Designer in the near future. There will be lessons for people who are just getting started in clothing design, as well as for people who are more experienced.

One can expect to find that her future offerings stay true to her style; her final word of advice for other ArtStation Marketplace sellers is to create something unique.

Create something new, find something that nobody else does. By pushing tons of very similar products to the market you’re over-saturating and ruining it. Pour your soul into it, develop a unique style. Then everyone would think ‘Hey, that dude is cool, he creates one of a kind cool things, I’m going to buy his next product as well.’ When people are making an effort to express themselves through their product designs there is healthy competition, and buyers have a variety of good products to choose from. Copying and mimicking other people’s art waters down the overall quality and decreases your creative value.