Interning In The Fashion World In NY Can Be Toxic

At the time, I didn’t have a whole lot of money, but I had my own ideas that I was trying to create and make happen, and interning in the fashion industry I thought was going to be the next great thing. The way we see today and the way we see everyday life is by this. Our view from our TV screen, the internet, from hearing stories from others, reading any publication, or even our cell phones and Wi-Fi – where ever we are & whatever we see – we tend to believe every little thing without creating a filter for ourselves. We aren’t as attention to detail as we think we are until we have to be.

Have you ever heard of the saying if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around, does it make a sound? Who cares if it makes a sound, it still has an effect. If I’m pitching a story idea to a fashion editor from InStyle Magazine at fashion week in New York and they turn it down, but somehow during the pitch they give me their email, did I still have an effect? Yes, I received their email.

I started interning with The Daily Front Row through meeting one of their editors Mr. Davis through my fashion blog. We met at New York City Fashion Week this past season and we talked about my work, blog, credibility, and more. He texted me and offered me an internship right after our conversation. At the time, I didn’t have a whole lot of money, but I had my own ideas that I was trying to create and make happen, and interning in the fashion industry with a magazine I thought was going to be the next great thing. I was for sure going to take full advantage of this opportunity and make a footprint there.

The fashion industry is make believe and such a materialistic industry. It’s fake. It’s not real. You learn as much as you take in. We live in a universe of give and receive, good and bad, happy and sad, up and down. No one will really help one another out, until you truly help yourself, and that can be said strongly for anyone who already works in or is interning in the fashion world. Getting an internship in fashion you set high standards for yourself, but getting an internship and having an internship are two different things.

After a few weeks of interning in the fashion world you realize how toxic things really are. A PR firm will fire you for unrelated problems or reasons, a magazine’s budget is too low to hire even anyone new, a showrooms office will have you crying on the floor, and so on and so on and so on. Don’t worry, interning in the fashion world isn’t as true as The Devil Wears Prada makes it seem. The truth about interning is understanding that there is not enough time during your internship. People who already work in the industry understand this method – which is that time does not exist. You can have anything you want, but you really truly need to want it in order to have it. Make an effort and show some respect. If you want more time, show time some respect.

By doing this you can accomplish a lot of things, but you have to remember, don’t expected to have work thrown at you constantly on a daily basis. As an intern, they may not even remember your name or why you’re even there and that’s okay, just don’t fall apart and become too toxic where you don’t even fit in. Making connections is the best part of it. Remember to take in what you can. I remember my first day working New York Fashion Week with my friend Eila, I didn’t know much about fashion, or I could even say that I didn’t know anything about fashion. I rarely watched fashion shows or even knew about certain designers, bloggers, writers, editors, models, and pretty much everything else. But even though I didn’t know much about the industry I was in, I made an effort and showed time, my boss, and myself some respect.

Remember, if you haven’t already figured out what you want, an internship is a great way to help you. Don’t overthink things or doubt yourself about applying – if you have the skills, then do it. If not – dabble around and touch up on those. Any internship you have in fashion may not even turn into a job, but any internship you have is an internship to take full advantage of. Remember if you want more time, show time some respect.

Thanks for reading everyone

Be sure to follow me following my dreams

Facebook & Instagram

Mahipal SoCal - @mahipalsocal