So I guess this is something I reflect on all the time. One of the best decisions I've made in my life (sounds a bit cliche, but so true). When I was in college, things got so crazy at one point I just needed a change and I wanted a big change, maybe not forever but for a little. I searched for almost a year for an internship in London, I didn't go through my school because I just didn't want to be there with anyone I knew.. I just wanted to leave and do something new.
I remember getting the phone call from the agency I went through saying I got an internship at Matthew Williamson and a bonus.. I was starting there 3 weeks before New York Fashion Week started. It made me nervous because I knew it would be hectic, but so excited.
Of course I was sad because I was leaving my boyfriend for 4mths, (typical lol) but he was coming out to visit and was also so supportive of everything... he made it so easy.
The people were great, I got to meet Matthew Williamson a few times (and walk his dog_oo the life of an intern), I worked on the design floor everyday so I was with the creative director, the in-house designer (who used to work for Alexander McQueen so that made for some interesting conversations), and the product developer, who in the end I worked with everyday once they realized I wasn't a design student, I was a marketing student.
My first two weeks I sat at this wooden desk and hand-made the tassles that were going onto
the tie to this dress.
We made these for 2 weeks straight, 10 hours everyday.... they ended up only putting this piece into the show. Slight change of plans.
Of course I had that one bad day where I actually went into the bathroom and called my Mom sobbing. I had to place swarovski crystals on a cashmere scarf for a sample piece.. and what happens? The glue comes through the entire scarf making it look like a mess on the other side. To my surprise the creative director's reaction was "Hmm o'well, it looks great on the front!"
I ended up working on a few different floors in different departments, which I loved of course. My goal was to do as much as I could before I left.
I worked in the sewing room with some of the most talented pattern makers and sewers and since I stuck around as late as I could the weeks before fashion week, I even got to be a fit model for this outfit.. for those late "crunch time" nights. I didn't mind :)
I was also put in charge of attaching these apliques to the top of this dress. I was a sewing pro (majoring in button sewing) after these four months.
The intern who worked with me worked on this dress for hours attaching the frills at the bottom.. I was in love
Once I was put in the production office, I became in charge of the sample fabrics, buttons and trims coming in from PV (premiere vision) for next seasons line. Pretty interesting talking to people from factories all over the world... quite the language barrier there.
This dress I took to get the buttons put on the back and the little old man put on buttons... that didn't snap together... how much sense do that make? Another day I wanted to crawl in a hole.
Sewed apliques on this bag & made the cuffs to these sleeves.
So by the end of my experience I learned what's really involved in developing a collection .. and what the industry is really like. It was a really relaxed environment, which I didn't expect and by the end of my 4 months I was a tea making pro.
Just something I wanted to share that I'm really proud of. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't think more about the opportunity I could of had there after college... but ... I love my job & I love where I am, so I think I made the right decision. Fashion is more of my hobby.... & being my own boss is a pretty nice incentive. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The collection I worked on for New York Fashion Week:
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2008RTW-MWILLIAM
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