Well this semester FLEW & I have to say, it was hectic. Juggling school, work, & an internship was tough but I managed to do it. I spent a lot of time searching for
an internship, so I was more than happy to accept an offer from one of my
favorite designers, Christian Siriano. I went into this internship expecting a
number of things. I had painted a picture in my head of what an internship at a fashion
house looked like, and experienced something slightly different…
I started the internship at the
most hectic time for a fashion designer, Fashion Week. The Christian Siriano
show was a few weeks away and there was still a lot to be done. I began by
running many errands, such as picking up fabric from textile companies and
dropping off garments at nearby factories. It was already more than I expected,
being that I had never truly walked around Manhattan by myself before. The
day of the show was hectic, to say the least. I got to the office, received my
backstage pass (which I still have, hanging next to my rosary beads!), and then
we were off. I
remember one of the assistant designers pulled us interns aside into a small
huddle. She gave us a nice pep talk and told us that it was only going to last
a few minutes, but it was going to be chaos. We were to make sure that all the
models got dressed quickly, and also that no photographers got anywhere near
them while they were changing. She also told us that we had to pay attention
and that we were not allowed to be on our phones. I was a little nervous, but I was reassured by the fact that I was on a team of other interns.
The
show started and it was exactly what everyone had said it was going to be:
about 10 minutes of complete madness. The music started and models were running
around to find their place in line. Once they had their entire looks put
together, they had to go back to hair and makeup for touch-ups. A few of the
models had second looks during the show. This resulted in clothes being thrown off
and quickly put back on. People were yelling, mostly to pesky reporters to get
out of the way. Garments were being steamed right before they made it to the
runway. It all happened at once, and before I could even blink it was over. We
all let out a big sigh of relief as we heard the crowd cheering from backstage.
I was completely exhausted when I got home, but I am so lucky to say that I was
even there.
I always said that when I would intern, I would do
more than they asked me to do and make sure I let everyone know that I am
available if they need anything. However, it took a few days for me to adjust
to the new environment. I was a little intimidated at first, which made me
hesitant about introducing myself and asking anyone in the office for help. I wanted the people in the office to
like me, especially Christian. Once I got to know everybody, it became a whole
lot easier to talk to them. Any type of professional development course can
teach you about business etiquette, but some companies are not that formal. I truly believe that even the most confident person would
still be a little shy when going into a company that they have admired for a
long time.
Since
I am about to begin my senior year, I am really starting to think about exactly
what marketing position to go after in the fashion industry. At first, I
decided to look at offers for a marketing associate, and then a few years down
the line, a marketing director of a huge fashion house. After this internship
and being so close to the actual clothes, I started to reconsider. I noticed
the stylist that the company uses when selecting final looks for the fashion
show. She is a well-known stylist and works not only with designers, but with
magazines as well. I think that would be a really exciting field to go into. It
is definitely risky and will take time to build a portfolio and gain
credibility, but it could be worth it.
I also noticed the
woman who handles all the PR operations of the company. She is contacted by
magazines, celebrity agents, and stylists to pull certain pieces for events.
She also has a fashion blog, which has been noticed by a few magazines.
Successful bloggers sometimes gain access to fashion shows and a-list events. This was also something that caught my
eye, and I am still in the process of making up my mind. All I know is that I
do not want to be sitting at a desk all day. I have always wanted to go into
fashion, so I would like a position where I can be active.
Like I said
earlier, this internship has shown me some things that I have expected and some
that I did not. I knew that I was going to “get my hands dirty” and do more
work than usual, considering my actual job requires me to be at a computer all
day. I did not realize that I would be working with people of all departments.
I had absolutely no idea that I would get to go to the fashion show, which was
a very pleasant surprise. Coming from a small suburb in New Jersey, I was not
used to running around in such a busy city all day. I learned so much about
myself, the company, and the Garment District. It was a great learning
experience and I am glad to say that I did it.
I would highly
recommend interning, especially if you want to be in the fashion industry. It
serves as a wake up call, considering the media paints a certain picture of
what the fashion world looks like. It is a great way to "test the waters" and it will certainly help you decide whether or not you want to be in the field. Christian Siriano is a great company filled with
amazing people and I feel honored to have worked with them. I am looking
forward to seeing the company grow and what is in store for the future!
