09 Jul Role of Fashion Intern: What to Expect
Thrown into the swirling, color-saturated world of fashion, an internship can open doors, dispel myths, and even find you a niche you never thought you would fit.
The role of an intern in the fashion industry is not simply a label. It’s a role that includes all kinds of responsibilities, opportunities, and important learning experiences.
Curious about what to expect as a fashion intern? We’ll tell you everything you need to know in this post.
What Does a Fashion Stylist Intern Do?
Want to know what you’ll do during your fashion internship? It will vary widely by where you work, but here are some common tasks you might expect to tackle.
1. Design Styles
Creating and conceptualizing outfits is at the heart of the job. Interns often assist in sketching ideas and bringing them to life, learning the nuances of silhouettes, colors, and textures.
This early involvement in the design process is where you can forge a personal relationship with the craft.
2. Research Trends and Fashions
Observing and understanding current and emerging trends is non-negotiable for any fashion intern. You’ll source inspiration from the runway to the streets, feeding your passion for what’s new and what’s next.
3. Purchase Fabrics and Assemble Accessories
Your hands-on experience begins here, as you scout, select, and sometimes negotiate with fabric and accessory suppliers. This exercise enhances your resourcefulness and business acumen.
4. Cut and Sew Fabric
Yes, interns do get their hands dirty. Tailoring and sewing are skill sets you’ll refine while bringing designs to life. It’s a chance to understand the production side of fashion and appreciate the labor that goes unnoticed in the final product.
5. Contact Material Suppliers
Communication skills are key when corresponding with material vendors. You’re not only a conduit for the designers but a negotiator, team player, and sometimes, a peacekeeper, all rolled into one.
6. Plan and Arrange Photo Shoots
From mood boards to model selection, you’re knee-deep in the logistics of a photo shoot, ensuring that every element aligns with the grand vision. It’s a high-pressure, high-reward domain, offering an education in meticulous planning.
7. Manage and Plan Special Events
Internships often include a stint in event management. This might mean coordinating a fashion show, aligning schedules and details down to the millisecond, and learning how to corral the unexpected.
8. Locate Wardrobe Pieces
Your organizational skills will shine as you juggle the wardrobe elements for each look, ensuring that every item is on hand and accounted for. This attention to detail is where the magic of a meticulously produced fashion shoot takes root.
9. Manage Administrative Tasks
Internships often come with the less-glamorous duties, such as replying to emails, handling phone calls, and sometimes their modern counterparts – managing social media accounts, drafting press releases, and other tasks that keep the wheels of the fashion engine in motion.
10. Brand Promotion
You’ll engage in brand promotion, perhaps by attending trade shows or assisting in marketing campaigns. This offers you a peek into the broader business strategy of a fashion line.
11. Writing and Editing Publications
The responsibility of crafting compelling narratives around brands and collections might fall on your shoulders. These are the stories that will eventually catch the eyes of the public and the press.
12. Miscellaneous Errands
From picking up coffee for your team to last-minute errands, remember that no task is beneath you. These experiences, however trivial they may seem, are a part of the comprehensive skill set that you’re developing.
What Makes a Good Fashion Intern?
Now that you know what you’ll be responsible for in your fashion internship, here are some key traits you’ll need to be successful.
- Attention to Detail: In fashion, details are where the magic happens. Adept interns catch what others miss – a subtle seam, an overlooked stitch – and in doing so, they elevate their work to an art form.
- Creativity and a Sense of Style: Injecting your own flair into assigned tasks can set you apart. Your unique take on a design, a layout, or a marketing concept can be a breath of fresh air.
- Illustration Skills: Being able to bring your ideas to the table in a tangible way is invaluable. Whether it’s through paper or software, your ability to illustrate can bridge gaps in communication and bring clarity to your vision.
- Fabric Knowledge: Understanding different materials, their properties, and how they work together is fundamental. The feel, drape, and durability of fabrics are critical elements in crafting a garment.
- Resilience: Rejection and long hours come part and parcel with any creative job. The ability to bounce back and stay motivated is what makes a successful intern.
- Visualization: Can you see the end result before you even start working? This foresight can guide your decisions and help you steer clear of dead ends.
Do Fashion Interns Get Paid?
Internships in the fashion industry can be paid or unpaid, depending on the company and your geographical location.
While paid internships are an equitable choice for skill and time invested, unpaid internships may offer some benefits in the form of experience, networking, and resume building.
How to Get a Fashion Internship With No Experience
Now, you might be wondering how to get one of these sought-after experiences – particularly if you don’t have any hands-on experience yet.
First, make sure you build a stellar portfolio. Even without formal experience, assembling a portfolio of your own work – sketches, designs, sewing projects – can reflect your potential and showcase your initiative.
Also, take time to network. Attend industry events and connect with professionals. Networking can lead to insider tips on available internships or, even better, an introduction.
Ultimately, know your worth. While many internships in fashion are unpaid, remember that unpaid internships should still offer valuable experience in exchange for your work. Be sure you’re learning and gaining useful skills rather than just performing menial tasks.
Finding success as a fashion intern is about more than just keeping up with the latest trends or modeling your life after the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ cliché.
Navigating a fashion internship can set the stage for a fulfilling and dynamic career in the industry we all admire from the outside – and that you, with the right skills and attitude, can prosper within. Remember, the person fetching coffee one day could be leading the next season’s collection launch.
For the seekers, the aspirants, and the dreamers – the stitches of your fashion narrative await. It’s time to pick up the needle. Place your trust in Absolute Internship today as you embark on the dream career of tomorrow.
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