Full of glitz and glamour, the world of fashion design also takes hard work, dedication and working your way up the ranks to make it big. Numerous well-known and popular fashion designers started their careers at the bottom as fashion design interns. Internships typically take place during the summer, but some interns work during the year, while still in school, or even full-time after graduating. Fashion design interns work for fashion retailers and designers, fashion magazines and other fashion-related businesses.
Design
While most interns will not do any actual designing as part of the internship, they do get to perform other duties necessary to the design process. As part of her duties, an intern researches trends and current fashions, buys fabrics and pulls together accessories to complement created pieces. Interns assist with fabric cutting and sewing, pattern making and setting up showrooms. The intern places orders with suppliers and corresponds with sales representatives and companies who produce the designer's pieces.
Photo Shoots
Whether with a designer, magazine or retailer, an intern will have the opportunity to plan and assist with photo shoots. At fashion magazines, fashion design interns organize samples the magazine receives from designers to use in upcoming issues, keeping track of the type of item, color, size and designer. Most fashion magazines also inventory articles of clothing and accessories to use for other photo shoots, and the fashion design intern tracks what items come in and go out. When samples need to be returned, the intern takes care of the packing and shipping. A fashion design intern plans model fittings and assures that the model wears the clothing piece or accessory properly.
Special Events
The fashion industry is full of special events, from fashion shows to product launches to publicity parties. The fashion design intern may attend these fashion-related special events and in some cases may also help to plan them. Some interns are responsible for inviting guests, corresponding with the media and setting up catering. When interning with a fashion designer, the intern plans for upcoming sales, events and product launches for clothing or accessories.
Administrative Tasks
Along with the more exciting duties, many fashion design interns also fulfill other more mundane responsibilities. Interns provide administrative support, answering phones, checking and replying to e-mail and even monitoring the designer's or company's social media outlets. An intern may also create promotional material, such as newsletters, ads and press releases. Interns run any errands, such as preparing mailings, setting up meetings and making copies.
References
Writer Bio
Lindsey Thompson began her writing career in 2001. Her work has been published in the Cincinnati Art Museum's "Member Magazine" and "The Ohio Journalist." You'll also find her work on websites like Airbnb, Chron.com, and USAToday.com. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.