So You Want to Be a Fashion Intern?

So You Want to Be a Fashion Intern? 

By: Claire Watkiss

I shut my car door quickly after squeezing into a spot on North Milwaukee Avenue. I took a deep breath and looked both ways before crossing the street. I planted my feet in front of the tall glass windows, taken aback by the remarkably bright hues that dressed the tall mannequins. Here I was. This was my summer. A chance at learning from a mentor in an industry I dream of one day joining.

I peered through the glass door and gave a quiet knock before being greeted by the owner of FELT Chicago, Catherine Dunton. After emailing back and forth for a few months we were finally together for the first time. She embraced me with a big smile and welcomed me into the boutique. I was amazed at the perfectly aligned clothing laying on the table and hanging on the racks. I glanced at Cat’s outfit which consisted of dark wash jeans, a black hoodie, and Adidas slides. I was relieved to know my outfit choice of the day (light wash Levi’s denim shorts and colorful sneakers) was definitely appropriate. 

Cat took me to the couch to sit down and chat, and Penny, the office dog, jumped up to greet me with friendly licks and a wagging tail. We wrote down some goals for the summer, including what I wanted to learn and experience for the summer, and she suggested a few other things she thought would be important from small tasks like how to properly unpackage, steam, and tag clothes, to bigger tasks such as helping to prepare for upcoming events and projects for the store. 

After getting a rundown of the store I started by learning the basics. Dishes, sweeping, and wiping down the mirrors were a few of the maintenance tasks to be accounted for each morning. Following that was going through the individual items of clothing on the racks, making sure buttons were buttoned, zippers were zipped, and tags were tucked in. Cat made it very clear to me that even the smallest details were important. 

As customers began to file in I greeted them with a warm smile and “hello” while continuing to sift through the racks of clothing, hiding my nervousness. I watched from afar seeing how Cat welcomed each and every customer, regardless if they were a “regular” or not. Even at 11 a.m. champagne was offered to each customer and Cat was on her toes ready to engage and make everyone feel at home. 

After my long first day of learning, I drove the 22 miles home way too fast, excited to tell my parents about everything. I ran inside my house, shoveling fish tacos in my mouth while simultaneously trying to explain everything that happened. I went to bed with a smile on my face and ready to wake up and do it all again.

I spent the next 3 months trekking it down to Logan Square nearly every day of the week, each new day excited to learn more. As time went on I became more outgoing with customers, suggesting items for them to try on, and got to try new things everyday like working the register and sitting through a FaceTime call with Cat and a designer, picking out pieces for the upcoming season.

I think for many people it is easy to be intimidated by the fashion industry. The Devil Wears Prada comes straight to mind and we forget about pursuing our dream job. I’m not sure if I just got lucky, but this internship shifted all of my negative thoughts and opinions on the industry. Cat not only cared about teaching me new things each day, but she cared about my personal life and making sure that I knew I had a friend in her. She encouraged me to share my thoughts and opinions, and of course ask question after question about anything and everything, whether fashion related or not.

Each day that I spent in the boutique was a new opportunity for me to learn from Cat and gain real, hands-on experience in the fashion industry. There is so much for one to learn outside of the classroom, and I hope I can encourage our Square Magazine readers to get out there and try out an internship of any sort. Whether it be a remote opportunity online, or one that requires you to live in New York City for the summer, there is a place where you belong. 

I also want girls interested in a fashion internship to know that not every day is glamorous. I can remember some days running down the block to grab smoothies and other days doing dishes all morning. I can remember standing in the back room unpacking boxes of new inventory and steaming them, sweating through my own clothes. While not every task is necessarily fabulous, each task is crucial in understanding the industry as a whole and recognizing that everyone has to start somewhere, even if that may be at the very bottom.

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Images by Claire Watkiss.