Intern Diaries: A Typical Day

via weheartit.com

I have been so busy the last couple of weeks at Company X, between Market Week and Coterie, that I really haven’t had a typical day of work in a while! There were a lot of meetings set up this week. The sales assistants were showing the October line of clothing to many department stores buyers. To prepare for these meetings I had to make sure that the line was in pristine condition. To do this, I had to move the entire line onto its own rack and place the rack in front of a table. I had to set the table with cups, drinks, line sheets, color charts, and runway books. If the meeting was set up for lunch-time, Company X bought the clients lunch and provided them with beverages, so I had to bring down the menu book and place an array of drinks at the table. If the meeting was in the afternoon, I had to go to Chelsea Market to buy an array of snacks to place on the table. Next, I made sure that the entire line is on “good” hangers. This means that the line cannot be on plastic hangers and it needs to be on the nice hangers with the Company X logo printed on them. Doing just this makes the line look more professional. Finally, I had to make sure that every single piece of the line was hung up and in perfect shape. If a garment was missing I either had to locate it or ask the Public Relations department if they had shipped it out to a client, magazine, etc. If the garment was out of the studio, I had to print out a picture of the sample and place it nicely on a hanger so that the client could still see what it looked like. When making sure the garments are in “good shape,” I inspect them for missing buttons, tears, missing sequins, etc. If the garment is not intact, I bring it up to the design department for a quick fix!

Preparing for these meetings is all about being proactive! Even though my boss may not tell me to check the garments for imperfections, I still do it anyway so that it is professional and appealing to the buyers.

Now that I had prepared for the meetings, the department store buyers started arriving. Throughout the meeting I had to make sure that all of the buyers had their own copy of the line sheet, runway book, and color chart so that they could take it with them after the meeting. Sometimes, the buyers want to see how the garment looks on a model, so I am responsible for styling a model in the appropriate “look.”

Overall, Wednesday was a very busy day interning, but also an extremely exciting and interesting one! The meetings between Company X’s sales associates and different department stores were very interesting to listen in on because they gave me a look into the business side of the fashion industry, not simply the fashion itself.

Christina Corrado is currently a sophomore at Fordham University. She is a Marketing major in the Gabelli School of Business. Originally from Summit, New Jersey, Christina has always made time to get into New York City for internships, shopping, events, and more! Christina aspires to have a business career in the fashion industry.