By: Daniel Christopher Preda, News Staff
Can we talk? Ok. I am just now regaining full consciousness from my latest adventure into the depths of the fashion world, and naturally I am here to share with you my entire experience at New York Fashion Week Fall 2013.
The majority of you reading this have in one way or another an interest in fashion, whether it be, to work at a fashion publication, intern with a designer or, on a smaller realm, just enjoy reading and immersing yourself in all things artistically material.
Well, I am just like you. From a young age, I have always been drawn to the world of fashion. I specifically remember one day in kindergarten, sporting a pair of my mothers freshwater pearls alongside my miniature Timberland boots, carpenter jeans and plaid button-down … we’ll call it ‘lumberjack chic.’ It’s safe to say that I was not quite like other children my age. Fast forward fifteen some-odd years and here I am, standing at my first New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show, fully caffeinated and ready for my first day of my summer internship with IMG Models, the main sponsor of the most publicized week of fashion in the world.
Being the level-headed young man that I am, I was aware that this was not going to be an episode of ‘The Hills.’ I was not going to be sitting front row chatting with Anna Wintour, (though I did snap a picture from behind, of her iconic weave), I would not be gracing the tabloids with my newly plumped lips (looking at you LiLo) and I would most definitely not be twerking alongside Miley Cyrus at any official after parties. No, I was not here for any of that, I knew that this internship could give me life-altering networking opportunities and the chance to brush shoulders with some of fashions heavyweights who have been an inspiration throughout my life. My first day was a blur, I don’t think I have seen more nude bodies in my entire life, (not that I am complaining,) but I mean, changing stalls were invented for a reason … I think.
I was at the office by 5 a.m. for the first pre-show meeting. Here, our public relations team discussed the entire roster of shows for the day, where each venue was located, what the designers were showing, which VIPs were confirmed and what our task list was for the next 14 hours. I have been a guest to NYFW shows with co-ops past, but being behind the scenes was an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. For the duration of the week, I mostly was in charge of ‘front of house’ – which is fashion speak for anything that goes on within an eyeshot – which included, seating VIPs, consulting with designers’ PR teams, setting the venue and dealing with all the mania before a show is set to begin. Each show was completely different, some shows were simple, and were extremely easy to produce (think Vera Wang and Lacoste) while others pulled out all the stops and were some of the most artistically produced events I had ever worked on, truly beautiful masterpieces you had to see to believe (think Marc Jacobs and Saint Laurent). I never understood the amount of time and dedication that went into producing fashion. I knew what I read from Vogue, or what I experienced at previous internships, but this was truly a hands-on experience that taught me the complete process.
My time at NYFW was easily the most vulnerable and raw I have ever seen myself, constantly attempting to work harder, faster and smarter than my peers. and what I was normally used to, truly changed my perception of the industry, I can honestly say I know I have what it takes to pursue my aspirations, whatever they may end up being. The hours I worked, the (very few) hours I slept, and the time spent lending a helping hand to fellow interns who were struggling, was worth its weight in gold. And it was worth it too, as I was recently offered the position to return for NYFW Fall/Winter 2014 in February.
My advice to anyone looking to gain knowledge in the industry is to humble yourself. You are not better than anyone, you are not a celebrity, and you clearly have no clue what you are doing. Jump into an internship feet first, expect nothing and you will never be disappointed. Work hard, always be honest (with yourself and others), be 15 minutes early, and don’t act like you know anything. Your superiors have been in this industry longer than most, and they have put in endless hours of time and dedication to achieve their success, but, once upon a time, they were just like you.
