I have 3 interns helping me out this summer. They are all studying fashion design, two of them here in NY at FIT. I met them when I lectured there and critiqued one of their projects on sustainability earlier this Spring. Since they will only be interning with me over the summer, I was concerned that they wouldn’t see the design process all the way through. They’ll get to see me work on the Spring 2011 collection, and help me make samples, help me with Fall 10 production and delivery, but they won’t see what’s in between. The sales process, organizing production, the trade shows, that will all happen in September.
So instead of having them watch my version of all that, I figured I’d give them a chance to experience it for themselves. Hence…
THE INTERN PROJECT
The idea is for them to design a mini collection, under my supervision, of 3-4 pieces. They will develop their designs, source fabrics, calculate costs, make samples, sell the styles to a retailer, produce the styles and deliver them to the store. All between now and the end of August. It’s doable. A mini version of what designers and big houses do repeatedly every season.
The label will read (place intern’s name here) for Study NY. The designs will be their own, I will only help mentor them through the process. The only prerequisite is that they use sustainable resources (textiles, trims and manufacturing methods) and they produce locally here in New York.
I will cover the cost of their sample development and production, and those costs will be reimbursed once their production is shipped and sold to the stores.
So there you have it, the first day of The Intern Project. We’ll see how it goes!
You’re like Jesus but more fashionable and about 2000 years younger. This is awesome, Tara!
What a great idea – they’ll get so much out of doing this.
Wow, that is so wonderful of you. I’m excited to follow the process! If you’d like me to promote the individual pieces on my site (labelgazer), just drop me an email!
wow, lucky interns. sounds like an amazing experience! i can’t wait to see the results.
[...] Karolina arrived a full month after I started Study Hall, she’s going to be developing 3 styles instead of 4, two of which we’re going to make [...]
[...] Study Hall was finally taken out into the real world today. [...]
[...] the most touching part? They had the words Study Hall engraved on the side of the blade, so now every time I cut something – which is often – [...]
[...] I’ve had to keep this to myself for nearly a month now because the magazine didn’t want me publishing images of this issue’s fashion editorial until the magazine hit stands. And today it has, so I can finally brag about my talented interns. The photo shoot we did earlier this summer with Jena Cumbo was published by Venus Zine as a fashion editorial as well as a story on Study Hall. [...]
[...] the next edition of Study Hall will include a high school student… wouldn’t that be fun!? comments [...]
[...] of my current interns, Julie and Tim, are Study Hall alumni who decided to stay on board throughout the Winter, but I also have two new design interns [...]
[...] said, I just decided to launch part two of Study Hall, new and improved! After speaking with original cast members, Julie and Tim, we came up with an [...]