AN INTERNSHIP IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY
When people hear the words fashion internship they immediately picture scenes from the Devil Wears Prada and imagine an intern strutting around New York City in fancy clothes. But for people who have interned in fashion, they know that the industry is not as glamorous as it seems. People have this perception of working in fashion to be exactly how it is portrayed in the movies. They have expectations of attending fashion shows, going to photo shoots, having giant closets filled with designer clothes and getting invited to celebrity parties. But, unfortunately, life in the fashion industry is not a movie. The reality is that there are countless hours of hard work that goes into your job in order to make fashion look as beautiful and effortless as it does.
You might find yourself dragging a 20-pound rack of clothing for two blocks, in the pouring rain only to have them fall in a giant puddle. Or, you could be working late into the night to ensure an assignment is perfect and ready to go for the morning. The reality of fashion is tight deadlines, fast-changing trends, and new challenges presented with each day. But it is through these challenging times that you learn new things about yourself.
At ModaBox, we interviewed one of our interns, Kimberly, on her last day and asked her to tell us something that she has learned from her experience. She responded, “At first, I didn’t know that I was a good writer. I came into Modabox wanting to learn more about styling but actually found that I was better at social media work, blogging and copywriting. I learned that what you are initially interested in might not be what you’re best at. Try to focus and learn more about the skills that you are naturally great at”. The daily demands of the fashion industry can help you discover new skills that you never knew you possessed.
Our summer intern, Nicole, admits that she also shared a similar learning experience as Kimberly. Nicole began her internship with a focus in marketing, social media, and video development. But through creating blog posts, she has strengthened her writing abilities and discovered a new love for blogging. She added, “While I still love marketing and developing social media content, I am now more open minded to exploring a career in copywriting! From my internship with ModaBox, I have learned a lot about both myself and my new skills that I will continue to strengthen as I pursue future job opportunities”. Many people forget that fashion is a business and within each business exists multiple components. Fashion is not just design or art. It is creating a brand image with marketing, creating a voice with writing, and building an online platform with computer engineering. Fashion is born from a formula of interrelated parts all equally necessary to produce a successful outcome.
Working in the fashion industry is not just about expensive clothes, pretty pictures, or attending exclusive events. Behind the glitz and the glam, there are long days of hard work and dedication to achieve success. Fashion is chaotic, demanding, and constantly changing, creating a reality that rarely ever resembles the alluring experience that movies portray. But if you let it, the fashion industry will push you out of your comfort zone and open your eyes to endless opportunities.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, hit that green heart button below :)
Phromsavanh is a passionate serial entrepreneur creating business solutions in the industry she knows best — fashion. She is an innovative brand builder with multifaceted expertise in retail, marketing, strategy, business development, and consumer behavior. Phromsavanh is an acclaimed Keynote speaker and enjoys speaking on topics that include — entrepreneurship, minority women in business, leadership, women’s empowerment, E-commerce, shopping habits and personalization, fashion, retail, and motivational ideas for carving a non-conventional path. Contact Monica to have her speak at your company event or conference soon.
