Fashion industry internships: exploitation or experience?

[matryoshkadoll]

Originally Posted by softgrey

if the fashion industry had to actually follow any of the employment laws and statutes...
everyone would go bankrupt in a matter of months...

the entire industry is one giant mess...
a company that cannot afford to pay staff should not be in business...
it WOULD NOT be in business if they weren't completely abusing people...

but people keep doing it...
and the more people are willing to work for free...
the worse it is for every single person in the industry...
because for every person working for 'experience'..
there is a qualified professional who is unemployed...
young people are naive enough to believe that the hard work will someday pay off...
but the unfortunate truth is that it rarely does...

it's a disaster really...
...

good article..
thanks for posting and bringing in the topic!...

I agree with your assessment that younger fresh faces with little to no experience and a willingness to work for the lowest amount possible or for free are usually preferred over qualified professionals. Of course, it is because companies want to save as much money as possible and capitalize on newcomers who require the experience. This is true outside of the fashion industry as well and it is a reality we have to accept.

I have volunteered at several fashion shows and although a lot of the work involved picking up scraps and bringing coffee, there were situations in which I was asked to help with make-up and even interact with the designers themselves. It not only enriched my experience but was good for networking.

[JunyaSchick]

i've been on the two sides of the coin (good and bad internships) and, after deep thinking, honestly, it's not worthy to suffer doing something you don't like only to write a line on your CV, (a COOL line of course)...

Personally, I almost regret having made some decisions, choosing to apply to certain internships... for a while it was way to stressful and had to leave and reconsider my options and choices before getting back on track...

but the truth is that I had some money saved and could make it... many, the majority, can't.

[TianCouture]

The only good things I have heard, internship wise, are those who are lucky enough to intern for Bergdorf's and Chanel HQ on 57th street. We have a TON of connections w/ them @ my school, thankfully. I have heard okay things about Elle/Vogue/InStyle.

What's going to be tough for me is the fact that I will have role reversal syndrome when I go to intern. @ 21, I can actually say I have a high power job. I do almost all the buying for an extremely high end store (Theory, Boss, Pierre by Balmain, C'N'C and as of most recent Karl Lagerfeld's diffusion line) and I also run the store and all the stores merchandising.

The other problem is that I am a "creative consultant" for one of the most prestigious East Coast Uni's...they basically own the entire city and all the vacant properties. I basically tell them what stores to contract with and then I design vacant store fronts.

I have a lot of power and make a lot of $$$ (and I am in no way tooting my horn, I don't need to) so it's fair to say I am freaked out about interning. I prob. will do it w/ with BG or Dior on 57th...I kind of a shoe-in there thanks to my Mom! lol

[cologne_rocks]

I have friends who interned for high-end department stores in Zürich, Berlin, Amsterdam. Particually in purchasing departments.... But really no one made less than $800 (600€) a month. Also all people I know who interned for model agencies around here were not really low-paid except one person (who got employed by the company a few months later, though). I think it's a question of supply and demand. I mean you have thousands upon thousands of art/fashion design graduates leaving their universities each year and they all apply for a dozen of "prestige" jobs.... There's a huge excess supply on the fashion design/journalism and art labour market and thus the "demand oligopolies" (McQueen etc) can play however they want and hire interns without payment who do nothing but cleaning coffee machines in the end. But all these fashion design/journalism and art students shouldn't complain (at least not about unpaid, endless internships). Every fith grader knows that fashion design/journalism and art study paths are not very lucrative and most employers in that industry field are close to bankruptcy, anyways.

[matryoshkadoll]

Originally Posted by TianCouture

The only good things I have heard, internship wise, are those who are lucky enough to intern for Bergdorf's and Chanel HQ on 57th street. We have a TON of connections w/ them @ my school, thankfully. I have heard okay things about Elle/Vogue/InStyle.

What's going to be tough for me is the fact that I will have role reversal syndrome when I go to intern. @ 21, I can actually say I have a high power job. I do almost all the buying for an extremely high end store (Theory, Boss, Pierre by Balmain, C'N'C and as of most recent Karl Lagerfeld's diffusion line) and I also run the store and all the stores merchandising.

The other problem is that I am a "creative consultant" for one of the most prestigious East Coast Uni's...they basically own the entire city and all the vacant properties. I basically tell them what stores to contract with and then I design vacant store fronts.

I have a lot of power and make a lot of $$$ (and I am in no way tooting my horn, I don't need to) so it's fair to say I am freaked out about interning. I prob. will do it w/ with BG or Dior on 57th...I kind of a shoe-in there thanks to my Mom! lol

I envy you...