The Rules of Interning

Ok, now it just seems as if I'm tooting my own horn but the numbers don't lie- and the numbers are telling me that somebody from RUSSIA has looked at my blog. I am feeling so pleased about my international readership. Obviously if you have just looked at it once and then never again for whatever reason please don't rain on my parade just yet! Anyway, I thought that since my previously soggy, now razor sharp, bloggy has modestly expanded from North London I would do a post on how to secure internships and the way to get the most out of them. I figure that these tips will be helpful for someone applying to any magazine in any part of the world, and there are so many since Vogue/ Glamour/ GQ etc have filtered into almost every country. Or at the very least I would have found them helpful when I was first applying for internships. When you're in school no one talks to you about careers in PR, journalism or fashion- the focus is all on the conventional subjects. Which perhaps explains how I ended up reading Law at university before finally coming to my senses.. I was never aware that I could actually make a career out of something that has always seemed so enjoyable to me. [Whether I do make a career out of it remains to be seen].

1. Don't be a snob. Magazine publishers such as Condé Nast, Hearst and IPC Media own the majority of the best fashion magazines so don't turn down a placement at a lesser known magazine. I started at Red magazine, part of the Hearst family, and it may not be as well known as Harper's Bazaar or Elle but it got me noticed. Sometimes the best thing is to be a big fish in a small pond, working with Red was incredibly invaluable because they are a tight knit team who genuinely care for and look after their interns. They recommended me to the girls at Glamour, and the rest is history! It doesn't matter where you came from, only where you're going.
2. Don't attach a picture of yourself to your CV. Ever. Even if your Mum tells you it's a good idea, because it definitely isn't. The general consensus in the GQ office is that if you think you need a picture in order to get a job, your CV isn't strong enough. And if even you don't think it is who else will be convinced? 
3. Call and speak to a specific person on the fashion team. Speaking directly with an editor or assistant just before sending your application ensures they are expecting it and they read it, while sending emails to a generic email address will only result in your application languishing in the depths of a junk email folder. 
4. Be confident. Try and join in as much in the office as you can. Obviously there are boundaries and you're only the intern but it'll help to make your time there more enjoyable and it's a chance for editors to get to know you properly. Being friendly with the people in the mail/ delivery rooms will also make your life easier- often they know about placements and, more importantly, can help you out if a parcel has mysteriously disappeared in the post..
5. Make friends with the other interns. I know this flies in the face of every competitive bone in your body, but trust me- you'll need them. They might be your competition for the month that you're interning together but beyond that they'll be so much more- your support system, colleagues and friends. The reason fashion is such a closed community is because the friendships and working relationships stretch back to internship days when they were all struggling along together. Just remember: You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. 

These "rules" might sound obvious to some of you, in which case- well done you. But if there are any of you who find these suggestions helpful in any way, I'm happy. I spent a lot of time sending emails to every address under the sun but found that as soon as I became more focussed with my applications it became easier to secure them. The same goes for applying to smaller magazines- I've had my eye on a Vogue placement since I was 17. I tried to skip past allll the other magazines and go straight to the top; needless to say that didn't work out but doing all these other placements has prepared me infinitely for working at Vogue. 

Is your future for sale?

Let's kick off with an exciting discovery I made today: I have a readership that extends BEYOND the UK. Oh yes. This might be hard for you to believe as the only official members of this blog are my friends, who have taken pity on me and are being kind. However, on my weekly snoop of the statistics page I noticed a faint green tinge to America and France.. At least ONE person from the USA and France have at SOME point looked at my blog. Ok, it doesn't seem like a massive achievement- especially given that other blogs have hundreds of followers who openly acknowledge reading them. But, I will give thanks for small mercies and frankly I'm pleased that anyone other than the friends I persuaded to join has even seen it before.

Now that excitement's over with, let's get on with what this blog is actually meant to be about- the struggle to find your footing in the fashion industry. Having read an article today about Oscar De La Renta, Valentino and Missoni [among others] auctioning off unpaid internships literally makes me want to scream into a pillow about the injustice of being an impoverished graduate, rather than someone whose parents are apparently now able to buy them experience and a future. The nature of the business, i.e. being unpaid, is part of the reason the belief that in order to succeed you must be wealthy continues to grow. The presence of the wildly privileged within fashion magazines can sometimes breed contempt between interns and reinforce the sense of entitlement within them that must surely come with obtaining these placements through money.

The injustice in a scheme such as this only serves to make interns ask: How far would I go for the chance at my dream job? Because ultimately, it is only that- a chance. There is no guarantee of a job after an internship, merely a good recommendation, and when you're asked to pick up their dry cleaning or lunch, empty the bins and visit sex shops for them [oh yes, that's happened] you do find yourself wondering if it's all worth it and if you're even allowed to refuse. Like the time the god daughter of a bookings editor came to help out with returns and sent back a broken necklace she had explicitly been told NOT to, she stared blankly at us and we took the blame. Or the time an editor's niece was in the cupboard for a week, went on a cover shoot and given as many Tom Ford and YSL beauty products she could carry when she left. Of course, these placements aren't really about the freebies or the shoots you go on- they are about proving yourself. Something, I am completely convinced, you have to do a lot less of if you're well connected. 

You can find the article here, and I know it's the Daily Mail but for once what they're writing is actually accurate.. 

When one door closes, another one opens

The title of this blog could not be more fitting, my last day at GQ has officially arrived [after extending my stay by two weeks] and my time here also coincided with an interview for a PR assistant job at the luxury menswear label Dunhill. I'm not sure how to feel about this opportunity as of yet. It is an amazing brand and seems a lovely place to work with hugely friendly people but a small part of me can't decide whether my heart's really in it. My dream has always been to work in fashion and the more editorial placements I've done the more I've thought that my goal was to work in fashion magazines rather than fashion PR but having never tried it, and for fear of putting my eggs all in one basket, I've been feeling inclined to go for it. The amount of prep I've done for the interview is definitely more than I've done for any other position, including writing press releases, brushing up on Office programmes and researching the brand fastidiously. 

These thoughts are unbelievably premature since I haven't heard if I've even got the job [which I'm sure can't be great news], but my mind is already weighing up the inevitable pros and cons of taking a paid job in PR or continuing with editorial work which is unpaid but that I love. This is a conundrum that absolutely everybody faces but I've begun to notice it more with the more placements I do. Two girls, one at InStyle and one at Glamour, were faced with the same predicament and the same logic- "I need the money!" And who can blame them really for taking the jobs, but I know they were both thinking the same thing that I am now: Is being out of the fashion game for a year worth the money?

I mentioned, maybe once or twice, in my previous post that I am due to go to Vogue in November which has proven to be yet another snag in this prospective PR job. The position would start immediately and I have been told that I will have to choose between Vogue and Dunhill. At the worst I would be burning my bridges with Vogue, after they have been so accommodating in fitting MY schedule into THEIRS- the only place I have ever worked that has done so- and at the very least, it would be highly unprofessional to leave them in the lurch just two weeks before my start date.. 

My parents have been surprisingly understanding and supportive, conceding that some money at this point would be helpful and that Dunhill would be a great place to work- but also agreeing that, should I be presented with an ultimatum, I should remain loyal to Vogue. 

I graduated three months ago, and with that in mind I can't give up on my ambitions just yet- maybe ask me the same question in three years. I'm hoping I'll have left the days of working unpaid far behind me. 

My mock press release was kindly "marked" by one of the people at work

This has nothing to do with PR or fashion, but I love Boris. 

VOGUEVOGUEVOGUEVOGUE

Greetings! If you couldn't tell from the post title- I AM GOING TO VOGUE, PEOPLE. You heard me right. I finally managed to squirrel my way into the world's most prestigious fashion magazine and it only took me: 2 years, 4 applications, numerous emails and 1 interview. 

I think this is a small price to pay, when I got the email telling me I had officially been accepted [I've learnt the hard way that a verbal agreement is definitely not binding] I wanted to bust some big moves but I was in the office and thought it best not to be so ecstatically happy about going to anther magazine.. Truthfully, I think I will miss GQ when I'm gone. As with most things it has grown on me with time and even though I am absolutely, completely and deliriously excited to be going to Vogue I must admit I am a tiny bit frightened as well. My list of fears about reaching the pinnacle of my interning career [yes, being an intern is a legitimate career] in ascending order are: 

1) Everyone will realise I am clearly wearing imitations of designer clothes I can't afford  

2) I will turn up on my first day and unknowingly commit a huge fashion faux pas, i.e. accidentally having my skirt caught up in my pants

3) I will fall over

4) I will inadvertently blurt out "I love you!" upon meeting Vogue writers/stylists

5) I will be shunned for bringing leftover cheeseburgers to work as a 'snack'

The problem with putting magazines and their stylists on a pedestal is that you will inevitably be disappointed when you meet them because, ultimately, they're only human. One of the hardest things about working in fashion magazines is losing the belief in the effortlessness of a fashion story or feature- you feel like Dorothy did when the curtain's pulled back and you see that the mighty Oz is just a man. Conversely though- you have the kind of first look access to clothes and accessories that the average person would never be able to see, you have a heads up on the latest A/W pieces hitting the shops months in advance and you have the satisfaction of playing a part [no matter how small] in these amazing pieces coming together. 

Reading back on what I've written, the benefits clearly do heavily outweigh the costs- going to Vogue is an absolute dream come true, we're all just people at the end of the day. How hard can it be to bond over a cupboard full of clothes? To mark this most momentous of occasions, an homage to the great and powerful Vogue.

The first Vogue I ever bought

The amazing December 2006 cover

Ok, so this isn't the latest issue but who doesn't love some K- Stew?

Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision

Now that I have been at GQ for a couple of weeks I am starting to relax into a routine and feel more at ease around the office. After spending the first two weeks working myself up into a stress about how I didn't know the people and having to sit in an office with some of the most senior members of the magazine rather than with other interns I have finally come to see that it's not so bad. Every cloud has a silver lining; and while sitting with two editors might mean that I can't discreetly fix any mistakes I make or have the radio on, it does mean that I have tried harder. I don't plan on being an intern forever [hopefully] so I'm seeing the positive in the silence. There are serious talks to have and phone-calls to make, and these can't be done with Carly Rae Jepson squawking in the background! With that in mind I'm letting go, temporarily, of the frivolity of Radio 1 and embracing the calm of the editor's office. As for the mistakes, well.. They still happen. Like the other day, when a PR called the office looking for the grooming editor, I was told to put her through and, after spending the first week avoiding answering the phones for fear I would have to transfer calls, I thought I had finally mastered it. I hadn't. After a couple of frustrated attempts at putting the extension number in I found myself panicking. I was halfway through explaining that I couldn't quite work out how to patch her through when I realised I had inadvertently hung up on her.

I have also come to accept that while many of my friends are finding their feet in the professional world, I am still in much the same position as I was at 18, interning during the holidays. This is the reality of working in an unstable industry- and by unstable I mean that while it is exciting and rewarding there are drawbacks that I didn't even know I had to consider. Drawbacks such as: the infrequency of jobs (which are like buses, you spend weeks at home developing a relationship with the cast of Loose Women only to be inundated with jobs all offering you placements at the same time), lusting after clothes/ shoes/ accessories that will never be yours because of the final, and most significant, drawback.. Having no money. The placements I have dedicated almost a year to have hardly even paid expenses let alone a minimum wage salary- which is my main goal at the moment. When I was studying for a degree I didn't think I'd ever utter the words, "all I want is minimum wage!"

But onwards and upwards, this post is all about getting back on the horse. It's easy to become disheartened when you don't hear back from magazines, you meet your fashion idols and they're not nearly as approachable as they appear in print, or placements fall through at the last minute. All of which have happened to me. But all these obstacles have made me try harder to get where I want to be. It sounds clichéd but being told 'no' so many times does toughen you up and make you more determined to succeed. 
So, imbued with fighting spirit recently , I have:

Had two meetings with styling agencies to discuss becoming a freelance assistant
Had talks with an assistant at Grazia about a temporary placement
Applied for a 3 month placement at the Telegraph 
Re-sent my updated CV to Vogue 
Provisionally arranged a 6 month placement at Glamour

Who knows if any of the above will pan out; the most important thing is that I'm exploring lots of different avenues and keeping my options open. In this industry you can't say fairer than that! 

Boys, Boys, Boys

I've just had my final week at Glamour and began GQ last week.. another week, another publication! I'm starting to feel like a nomad, any time you settle into any vague sort of routine and rhythm with the people you work with you have to up-sticks and move on. There are some upsides though, I have never felt more comfortable with meeting large numbers of new people without the safety net of a friend. This isn't to say I love it, just that it is more tolerable now than it ever was when I was at university! But I had an amazing time at Glamour and Easy Living, celebrated two birthdays and Fashion Night Out with the girls and left having met some colleagues- a very exciting step since I have only ever had friends, and not many of them at that! 

I was preparing myself for GQ to have a completely different vibe to any of the magazines I've worked at previously simply because it's a men's magazine- in my head there were no other women in sight and instead only desks occupied by attractive, well groomed, well dressed eligible bachelors. I was partly right. There are a high number of men, they are on the whole well groomed and well dressed but they are bachelors or not is besides the point. Since I suffer from a chronic case of PUPS (Panic Under Pressure Syndrome, coined by yours truly), I find myself in a constant state of panic with a more or less blank expression on my face when confronted with a good looking man. Or any man, actually. My reaction when faced with being asked by a man if I was going into the GQ doors or not was to gabble nonsensically about passes and keys until said man ran away, leaving the door shut behind him and me locked out. Obviously I was going to the same place and, incidentally, had forgotten my pass so was forced to linger nonchalantly outside till someone else, a woman, went in. This scenario is one of just many that have occurred over the course of my first week at GQ- I am finding it difficult to adjust to being around fashionably competent men who aren't remotely phased when they see a woman wearing intimidatingly short shorts with bare legs in this weather, stiletto heels and hardly a jumper in sight. In other words, they are so used to being surrounded by gorgeous women that one wearing about fifteen jumpers and swathed in scarves who can't form the words "yes" and "thank you" when asked a simple question hardly registers. Alas, I am operating outside the real world, where only the finest cut it.

However, while the women are beautiful and slender they do not all happen to be varying forms of the same genetic mutation that allows you to eat as much as you like, whenever you like. Oh no, they are extremely disciplined- feverish talk about bikram yoga sessions is rife. I feel vague pangs of jealousy when I see their enviably coltish legs in mini skirts, and then realise that it is 1pm and these feelings are in fact pangs of hunger. At this point, all feelings of healthy diet determination leave my mind and I happily indulge in whatever it is that I should fancy- which may or may not be a three cheese and prosciutto baguette with full fat mayonnaise. This sounds stereotypically fashion magazine but is not the whole truth- I have seen a fair few indulgences in afternoon sugary snacks, usually courtesy of a PR company sending a box full of treats to thank the magazine for their coverage. Or as one editor put it, "thanking me by making me fat.." Gleeful faces appear at the door as soon as the parcel is delivered; with Percy Pigs, white chocolate coated raspberries, champagne truffles and salted caramel biscuits devoured by the girls! What I can't work out is why they even consider for a second that they should watch their weight.

But, I digress- I was convinced that the atmosphere at a men's magazine would be mellow and laid back with hardly a bad word said about one another. Of course I was wrong. Where there are masses of competent, confident people put in one place having to work together there will be arguments- no matter the gender. The office vibe is more laid back on the whole, which is something I'm enjoying- plus, the amount of men's grooming products are more than enough to rival the women's. Any man who says different is hiding their under eye cooling concealer and pore refining day cream! 

I've included some snaps from GQ to keep you entertained- I know all of you skip past the words and go straight to the good stuff. And yes, I did finish off the other girls' chips when they stopped eating halfway through and threatened to throw them away. 

Boris, the office dog, and the absolute best idea!

[Un]healthy lunch from Randall & Aubin delivered right to our desks, courtesy of Label PR- yum!

GLAMOUR, GLAMOUR, GLAMOUR

This post is all about Glamour magazine, something I'm really excited about because I consider it a personal achievement that I was able to fight my way into the fashion cupboard there, without knowing anyone and through sheer hard work alone. I slogged for a month at Red magazine with Glamour magazine as a goal in my mind's eye. Finally, I truly feel as if working for 9 hours a day for free packing clothes into a bag like a child in a Vietnamese sweatshop was worth it because I was personally recommended to the girls at Glamour by the girls at Red for all my efforts! I'm more than capable of taking on the demands of the fashion cupboard but was never afforded the chance, until now..

Yesterday Koulla and Catlyn were out of the office and although I should have spent this week with Easy Living I was asked to come back to help them out and run things while the girls were away. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when they came in to ask me- not because Easy Living isn't great, but because it means that I'd made a good impression. Not to mention the fact that the two cupboards are just next door to each other, and I was jealous of all the laughs coming from the Glamour cupboard without me! But mostly it was the fact that they'd asked me to get them out of a tricky situation. So, I arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed- ready to tackle the PRs and the returns, but of course things didn't go quite to plan..

9.30AM: Leave to get the fashion director's extremely specific breakfast order of 2 slices of lightly toasted granary bread with butter, NOT margarine, and the thinnest layer of marmite.
9.45AM: Spend 15 minutes walking around in the rain trying to find the cafe, only to have ask a builder for directions who then tells me that it closed down years ago so he's no idea which place I'm talking about.
9.55AM: Finally find the cafe by asking every place along Albemarle Street if they used to be called Nana's at some point in the last 5 years.. Luckily, awaitress is familiar with the order and knows exactly how to make it right.
10.00AM: Arrive panting at the director's desk to find she has gone for a meeting in the boardroom and I am to deliver it to her in there. Dither outside the room peering through the window desperately trying to pluck up the courage to enter and give her the, by this point soggy, toast.
10.05AM: Nina, the receptionist, takes pity on me and offers to do it for me. I gratefully accept and slink back to the cupboard to recover from my ordeal.

 *Fill my time tackling returns and dealing with PRs*

1.00PM: The dreaded call arrives, can I get the fashion director's lunch? Again, a very specific order from Itsu of: an omega 3 salmon supreme sushi box, extra ginger, chopsticks, NOT a fork, and a bottle of water- NOT from Itsu, but from Pret and NOT a screw cap but a sports bottle cap. Ok, I can handle this. At the very least I have a head start on this morning's fiasco because I definitely know where Itsu is.
1.10PM: Arrive at Pret with Itsu food safely in a waterproof bag [I'm learning!], and realise this fuss free lunch is too good to be true. I'm presented with 5 different types of water.. Ha, I can triumphantly rule out 2 that are sparkling! So that leaves me with 3, all different sizes.
1.15PM: After staring blankly at the water for 5 minutes I realise time is running out and interrupt Catlyn's photoshoot to find out which bottle of water is right. Frantic response from Catlyn- "Ok, get the 750ml, it should be £1.50. And did you remember the extra sushi? Chopsticks, not a fork?"
1.20PM: Pay for the water and catch the cashier laughing silently at me, I decide this is a low point in life when I've had to spend more than 30 seconds choosing a bottle size in case I'm blacklisted from Condé Nast forever.
1.22PM: I take a couple of minutes to consider that I am now the real life equivalent of Anne Hathaway in the Devil Wears Prada.. Not sure of the cafe's name or location, or the correct size bottle? You NEVER ask, you just say yes and figure it out later.
1.30PM: Deliver the food and scuttle away before she can reproach me for getting anything wrong.
1.45PM: The beauty assistant comes in to check on me, I explain the breakfast/lunch fiasco and receive a less than reassuring reply- "I had to do that for months. If you get it wrong you're never allowed to get her lunch again. One intern brought her the wrong yoghurt once.. She left soon after." Shit!

*Frantically try and get all the returns done before Friday, when there are another 6 suitcases coming back*

5.30PM: Home time! Or not. Look behind me at the rail and see a mountain of bags yet to be returned. I am determined to finish and have a clear cupboard for the girls to come back to so I plough on- surely this will only take an extra 30 minutes?
7.45PM: Finally finish the last bag, more than 2 hours after working hours finished and everyone else went home.. Catlyn comes back unexpectedly to drop suitcases off after the shoot and is so pleased that we have a clean slate to work from tomorrow that I feel as if staying late was worth it!

So, this is an account of my first time running an entire fashion cupboard single handedly and I can't lie- it was tough. I think it was made tougher by the fact that there was absolutely no one there to help out in the slightest and I was doing the job of three interns- juggling helping with packing for a cover shoot, collecting meals and returning more than 40 bags of clothes and accessories. I'm not being paid so the pain of the extra hours was more acute but even if I was, minimum wage wouldn't cover this! It might only be clothes but it's also a hell of a lot more than that! I hope this has given a little more insight into an average day at an international magazine and you have more sympathy for me now that you know I don't spend all my time dressing up in excessively large bras. To prove it, I'm going all Blue Peter and have included a before and after snap of the cupboard below..

BEFORE..

AFTER!

Calling the Fuzz!

Alright, now I really have built up an enormous backlog of posts as I'm into my second week at Glamour magazine.. The dramas at InStyle have faded away and now seem like they never happened! Unfortunately, they did happen and I am still feeling the effects since I get emails and text messages frequently asking about an item of clothing that I may or may not have called in/sent back because yet another piece has gone missing. 

On that note, and as promised, the Moschino Mystery will be continued. It came to light that it was not only one ridiculously expensive catwalk piece that sprouted legs and ran off, but THREE! A Moschino skirt, Miu Miu blouse and Marios Schwab dress. At this point eyes were shiftily peering from one to the other, forget suspecting anyone else- what if they suspect you? No time for accusations though- the plot thickens. The girls from Marie Claire, Woman & Home and Look all came by claiming they'd also had a spate of thefts. It was decided that the best thing to do was call the Fuzz and have them all watch the security tapes. By this point my mind was desperately trying to remember if I'd done anything hideously embarrassing within the camera's view that I would, in all seriousness, have to warn the assistants about before they watched the security tapes back.. Forget the clothes! What if someone had watched me put on the 42KK neon pink bra we were sent as part of Breast Cancer Awareness [good cause, bad bra] and load it up with staplers, hole punchers and rolls of sellotape..?  Actually that's the tip of the iceberg, the amount of arse they were going to see on that tape made me feel marginally better as none of it's mine! It could be worse anyway, at least I knew I actually haven't taken anything. Of course we can't point fingers without being sure, and since I left before this sticky situation was resolved I can't really comment, but suffice to say that one intern in particular must have been feeling the heat of the situation since they mysteriously failed to show up at work one day, and then the next until it was like they'd never existed! 

Now, you would think that this series of thievery would have some pretty serious repercussions for all the assistants, right? Perhaps docking of wages, as in a bar if you smashed a bottle of wine, but no. Most likely because they're pay packet each month isn't enough to cover even half the cost of that one Marios Schwab dress.. This is not to be snobby, as an impoverished student even the most meagre of amounts seems like riches! But considering the job they were doing, running their own shoots and dealing with senior editor's demands as well, the small amount they are paid per month seems less than fair- and certainly not enough to live on comfortably. I won't reveal how much it is, don't want to be blacklisted just yet, but I can bet that whatever your guess is, it is at least 20% lower! However, don't go feeling too sorry for them [or me] just yet because what they lack in pay they make up for in freebies. The gigantic bra doesn't paint a very attractive picture but they are really given some amazing things from PRs as presents or in exchange for being featured in the magazine. And it's not just them who reaped the rewards, the interns felt the benefits of our hard work in the form of old season clothes, jewellery and press freebies- not to mention the incredible beauty samples that can't be returned. Once again, I've got to keep some tricks of the trade to myself but for those of you who I see [that's all 5 of you..] I'll give you a sneaky peak of the goodies. An extremely difficult and fast paced job but not one without its peaks; the people there are extremely generous and not just in the superficial sense of presents, but with their time also. The senior fashion assistant was more than happy to step outside with me and give me guidance, advice and the inside track on positions and what to do next. During my time at InStyle there were no photoshoots beyond the first week, and rather than do what most magazines do, and in spite of the fact that there were four interns, they took our dates and phone numbers on departure to get in contact for the next photoshoot. This I found to be the most valuable and thoughtful aspect of working there- they appreciated that you had spent a month crammed into a windowless room, so hot that girls were having nosebleeds on a regular basis!, and want to try and do right by you. There are no guarantees, nothing new there then, that a photoshoot will materialise as they try to avoid backlogs of interns clamouring for photoshoots but at least they are trying. 

More on the trials and tribulation of Glamour later on in the week. For now, I'm doing a celeb move and taking control of the security tape situation.. Enjoy! 

I went on to show this picture to a stranger in a bar after work.. 

I am actually better endowed than this picture suggests

Round 2

Ok, so I admit that it might have been exactly one month to the day since I last posted.. But in my defence I am more used to a life of leisure, what they say about students is mostly true, and this getting up at 8am malarkey is wreaking havoc with my body clock! It is definitely true though, that when you have a lot to do time flies- I can honestly say that every single day absolutely flew by. This is what I'm using as an excuse for my poor show. In an attempt to make this enormous delay seem less obvious I'm going to upload a series of posts over the next couple of days covering the rest of my time at InStyle- just go with it- while trying to avoid creating a massive backlog for when I start at Glamour on Monday. 


If I thought I had a baptism of fire at Red magazine I must have been delusional, and the missing jewellery episode on my second day was just the tip of the iceberg. The consequences of having more than one intern at a time, and at such a rapid turnover, has its positives and negatives- I'm not sure whether the benefits outweigh the costs. Putting four strangers, effectively, in a room lacking both windows and air conditioning and pitting them against each other in a race to see who can be the favourite for the day and recover the jaw- droppingly expensive item first is a recipe for disaster. In some ways it was, and in others not so much (although the benefit of hindsight has slightly affected my perception of the escapades that went on). Adjusting to being at the very bottom of the ladder, and I mean the VERY bottom, is made harder because the people you are below are also interns who have been there longer and therefore automatically have the upper hand. This seems a cynical way to look at things but I did find myself constantly worrying whether everyone else was doing more than me- in the case of one intern I can at least comfort myself with the knowledge that they definitely weren't- and whether they were liked more than me. Not being a competitive person (honestly) I admit that I find this side of the fashion industry unpleasant.. It brings out the worst qualities in everybody, forcing them to forget the fact that we all need a little camaraderie, especially at a fashion magazine! 

However, it's not all paranoia and competitiveness- let's add mystery to the mix! Something I have never encountered before happened at the end of my first week that put the cat among the pigeons. After an exciting photoshoot in New York for the cover of the October issue (it's a good 'un!) the sheer joy of doing returns was brought to a halt when a Moschino catwalk look appeared to have sprouted legs and run off. Leading back to the issue of several interns, with all of us once again staring blankly at each other- fear lying just behind the defiant gazes- all hell broke loose. The positive side to the, frankly terrifying, realisation that you've lost something worth hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds is that while we experienced more of the fallout from this it is only because we are given more responsibility. 

Since the goal of this blog is to chart my progress (and maybe entertain a few people), dealing with irate PRs calling every hour of every day are completely worth it when I can see that I've been given more responsibility in my role and am gaining in confidence. Dealing with people is literally just as important as having an eye for fashion, and I know many of you will be shocked to hear that I'm not usually the best people person, but I am learning that what I consider to be overly friendly is normal for everyone else and this observation is paying off! Being on first name terms with people is invaluable, you never know when you might be [further] at the bottom and will need to call on a contact for help. I think we can all take a little snappiness with a pinch of salt and see that it's not the person, it's the job- in the words of Robyn "I'm really a nice person when I'm not at work!" I must say I agree, not that she hasn't been anything but lovely at work, but that it does force all your insecurities and paranoias to the surface so it's no wonder we're all griping at each other constantly.

Honestly, I think I've done really well remembering all these details (an exact quote, no less!) considering it was three weeks ago. For the next instalment of the mystery of the Moschino skirt and so much more, just hang on a couple more days- obviously this will be difficult, but try your best to remain calm. 

And so it begins again..

SO, let's begin with an apology to my tens of readers. I realise I promised a grand finale to my last internship at Red, but a catastrophe with thunderstorms and a leaking roof scuppered my plans.. However, a little hiccup like that can't keep me down so several bouts of tears and a new laptop later I feel ready to give blogging another go! 

As promised I am writing about each placement I undertake in the hope that I will be able to look back on it and see some progression, it being of use to anyone else attempting to intern at a fashion magazine would be a pleasant bonus! I started my internship at InStyle magazine just yesterday so I am still getting to grips with a new system and new people, although undoubtedly not having to juggle my degree and work experience is paying off as I find myself able to get the hang of things quicker and being more confident in my abilities. That being said, it is only day 2- so perhaps I'll re examine that statement at the end of the month. 
For me, it's a new experience in that while the fashion team certainly have to work together to form each issue, as an intern I've never really had to work closely with another intern. It's proving to be a learning curve. Relinquishing control slightly is necessary in order to get through the day; each of you has an idea of the right way to do things and refusing to compromise at all results in nothing getting done and so.. Learning to concede sometimes is the only way forward. Now consider what I've written and then double it, at the moment there are FOUR of us working in the fashion cupboard- desperately trying to squeeze past each other in a crowded room that is getting more crowded by the day as the number of photoshoots increases. 

Of course, there are positive aspects to working in a team- camaraderie, support, solidarity and, perhaps the most important thing, safety in numbers! The moment a set of Sonia Rykiel jewellery went missing this afternoon cued a series of panicked glances at one another and a decidedly mute response to the screaming question "WHO'S MOVED THE JEWELLERY?!" We still don't know who misplaced them which, on the one hand, is annoying as you're collectively met with stony glances till they're found, but on the other is a relief  since you can't be singled out and persecuted. You win some you lose some! 
Although there are four of us sharing the workload it seems that since InStyle is such a large magazine there will be enough photoshoots for each of us to attend at least one- a rarity in the publications I've worked at so far and something I'm so looking forward to. 

More on the trials and tribulations of navigating a fashion cupboard, the operative word being 'cupboard', with three other fashion interns and various other mishaps later on in the week. So stay tuned, I'm sure the sheer anticipation of reading this blog is what keeps you going at work all day. 

The End Is Nigh

I realise I've been lagging lately with updates, there are so many of you I'll have a full scale riot on my hand if I don't post something soon! It's my last week with Red and despite the early starts, late finishes and hectic days I'm really sad to be leaving all the girls.. Let's not get too sentimental, but it's genuinely like saying goodbye to a little temporary family. Lauren told me Hearst magazines have a company policy that only allows interns to stay at a particular magazine for a maximum of one year. Koulla's time at Red finished about two months ago and soon Alice and Lauren will have to leave too; I can't imagine what it must be like to leave all the people you've become so close to. I already feel like one of the team, after just a month, so it's a cruel rule that means even though they are so much more than interns they still have to leave despite what a good job they do. And they really do an incredible job, watching Lauren run from cupboard to cupboard and person to person, helping out as many people as she physically can, and Alice rush from press day to appointment, actually leaves me speechless. Both girls are usually there before me when I arrive at 9.30am [having cycled from Old Street and Stoke Newington, respectively, no less!] and are still there long after I go home exhausted at 5.30pm. 

I won't begin lamenting or reflecting on my time at Red just yet, I'll save that tearjerker for the end of the week- so if you fancy a good cry don't bother watching Titanic 3D, just read my blog. I will, however, mention what dawned on me this very afternoon- organisation is key. Honestly, that is what will keep you sane amid a mountain of rapidly increasing clothes and shoes and be your saviour when an angry press rep is sending irate emails looking for an item you thought you had sent back but has apparently disappeared. After a frighteningly close call with a biro on a pristine, white Jil Sander Paris skirt I have realised that samples doubling up as shop-stock should be guarded with your life! Lauren and Alice are constantly making lists; lists of items to call in for a photoshoot, lists of items that need to go back at a certain date, lists of things they need to do tomorrow.. The list is endless!
This is beginning to sound a bit like a tribute to Lauren Franks, but the best way to learn is to observe someone who not so long ago was in your position. Lauren is able to make basic but nonetheless important decisions after a mere moment and, perhaps most crucially, anticipate what people need before they've even asked. I have lost count of the number of occasions I have witnessed the junior fashion editor, Alex Stedman, or the shopping assistant, Lucy Reber, ask her to do something only to be met with the response that she's already finished it and done a bit of reorganising to boot! I'd like to think that with further experience and a little more confidence in myself [at the moment I am partially paralysed through fear of losing an insanely expensive item] I could also be as efficient and effective as Lauren.. Needless to say, though, I have my doubts. For me, even the most simple decisions result in a rush of blood to the face, gabbling and, inevitably, the wrong decision. The number of times I've been lost and rather than ask someone where to go, picked a road at random and just kept walking! Inexplicable, I know. Still, I've got three days left to master this art so I'm keeping the faith. 

So finally, to keep things light, and to prove that no matter how much thought you put into an outfit you can still be caught out, here's this little gem.. 

Embarrassing you say? I like to think we make it work

Week 3

Now I know it's been a while since I last updated and even though I'd love to regale SOMEONE with thrilling stories of packing clothes [the brutal papercut I got the other day had me itching to write a post] I realise that's probably not the kind of thing anyone besides my mother would want to hear about. Those of you who know my mother will also know that even she's hard pressed to care! The thing is, a lot of working as an intern at a magazine is waiting around for something, anything, to happen.

I managed to spend a colossal, and surely record breaking, 5 hours sending items off to their respective PR houses today. Worry not though, I spent my time wisely- pondering what Millie Macintosh of Made in Chelsea fame was doing that very same moment in the Glamour office. Selecting an outfit for her next TV appearance from the fashion rail perhaps? Because we all know that's what being an intern entails.. Just in case though, I did check with Alice and Lauren and they assured me [or rather crushed my dreams] that that's not the case. Once again, I'm straying dangerously close to moaning territory and while I have bad days where I dread the thought of giving up my gloriously carefree student life for the real world- goodbye midday rising and extravagantly long lunches- there are twice as many good days where I feel as if I'm finally getting somewhere with a career in fashion. While I am prepared to wait for a magazine to provide me with an opportunity to assist on photoshoots the opportunity might have presented itself to me in the form of Koulla Sergi. Koulla is a freelance fashion stylist who also cut her teeth at Red magazine and occasionally returns to carry out features shoots. Not only has she proven that each and every member of the Red fashion team really is completely lovely and helpful but also shown what a small world it is after all. Koulla and I attended the same primary school, live five minutes down the road from each other and share mutual friends but I would never have met her had I not been at Red at the right time. A little bit of serendipity at work I like to think. Koulla's fashion styling website is now up and running and I have made my services as a fashion assistant available to her should she need any help- I am quite hoping that my version of networking and forthrightness will pay off! You can find Koulla's work here: http://www.koullasergi.com/

On a final, optimistic, note the freelance fashion assistant from Marie Claire got in touch with me today, after months of pestering her systematically with emails begging for a placement, potentially offering just that. Slap bang in the middle of my exams. Bugger. I have attempted to negotiate a September internship instead [in the desperate hope that I won't feel unemployed and nostalgic when all the freshers make their way to university for the first time] but so far I have had no response. Let's all keep our fingers crossed it goes well or I may end up packing clothes in a factory instead to make ends meet!

Real Talk

Nothing particularly exciting has been going on in the fashion cupboard of late, although I'm kept more than busy every day sorting the clothes [particularly painful as I spent today packing up what I spent last week unpacking!] and generally making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. As they say though, every cloud has a silver lining and not being presented with the opportunity to frequent Hermès, liaise with Patrick Demarchelier and visit the editor's luxury abode- à la Anne Hathaway- has given me the chance to consider what exactly I am letting myself in for.. 
This is an unforgiving and relentless job, requiring extra effort and extra hours- no complaining allowed. Unless you truly love what you do it's unlikely you'll survive unscathed. For some, the prospect of working at a fashion magazine conjures up images of espressos sipped over a celery stick or two, alternated with bitchy comments about the other women in the office- in fact, half my friends seem disappointed that my reports don't match up with their viewing of The September Issue. The reality, however, is that little time is spent eating or drinking [not for want of hunger or thirst] but rather sifting through bags of clothing in a panic stricken state searching for a missing earring! 


I am fortunate enough to live in London, rent free, and am well aware that this is what makes interning possible. So while I may wish for the sudden onset of illness to allow me an extra hour in bed in the morning I know that it could be much, much worse. I spent a month at Fabulous magazine, when it was part of News of the World, a couple of years ago and Penny, the long term intern, is still the most dedicated person I have met in all the publications I have worked at. Penny lived in Norfolk which meant a three hour commute every morning and evening, and with zero wages this was no mean feat. On top of all this, in order to fund her dream job she also spent her weekends working in a shop to pay the rent for her flat. I can only hope that after five years of hard graft I am still as dedicated to pursuing this career as Penny- though if I'm hoping, it'll be for a job within five years! 


I want this blog to be a no holds barred account of what being an intern is all about. Even though I wish it was as simple as "playing with clothes all day", which is what the other half of my friends think I do all day, it actually consists of the more mundane tasks that enable a magazine to appear as professional and stylish as it does. This isn't to say that there aren't rewarding aspects to the job; when you look around the fashion cupboard at the end of the day and see the progress you've made through the mountain of shoes you were meant to return or the one hundred dockets you were told to file in alphabetical order, it's important to take notice of these little achievements. They are what will get you through the day! So cheer up, it's not all doom and gloom and, as is becoming customary now, here is a little preview of what is to come in future issues of Red.. 

These Erickson Beamon necklaces cost almost as much as my tuition fees for one year! 

Easter Bunny

I've now had my first full week at Red [Bank holidays aside] and am really getting into the swing of things. Although I'm still mainly in the fashion cupboard dealing with the huge amount of returns generated by the S/S '12 photo-shoots, soon to be coming your way in the upcoming issues, I've had the chance to delve through rails of spectacular clothes I could probably never afford as well as get a first hand look at what it's really like organising a shoot and putting together a fashion story.

The girls in the office work incredibly hard to make every story featured in Red look effortless and chic- the image of the serene swan paddling furiously beneath the water comes to mind.. At the moment we're working on a shoot for a certain someone who can't be named just yet [sorry!] and we've called in literally hundreds of items- including clothes, shoes and accessories. Like I did, you might think this is excessive considering the whole spread is likely to be around 5 or 6 shots, but speaking to Lauren made me realise that a stylist's job is to prepare for every possible eventuality. All the items on the rails had been carefully selected and edited out of an even vaster number of clothes sent in by PR companies and fashion houses. The chaos in the cupboard is unbelievable, even before the shoot's begun.

It's not all doom and gloom though, two things have brightened up my week..

1) Emmanuelle Alt Does Wham is definitely worth a watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pw4R8yy3fo

Proving that fashion editors have a sense of humour, and what better way to immortalise herself as the new editor of French Vogue! The plethora of models in the background acting as backing singers, including Anja Rubik, just go to show high fashion isn't always so serious.

2)

The real life Easter bunny came to the office today, complete with his basket of creme eggs! 

Have a lovely Easter everyone and enjoy receiving a visit from this Donnie Darko-esque character..

Baptism of Fire?

Had my work cut out for me this morning

This Chanel dress would put my own wedding dress to shame.. 

SHOE HEAVEN!

                                       

Winter's on the horizon already in the fashion cupboard, but this lovely coat more than makes up for it 

First day done and dusted, and not only was I thrown in at the deep end but I survived! I arrived at Red Magazine and was greeted by the fashion assistants, Lauren and Alice- both absolutely lovely. The Red office is as far from The Devil Wears Prada as you could possibly get!
Introductions over with, I got on with the day's job.. Packing and sending off every piece of clothing from a previous photoshoot. No one said being an intern was glamorous, despite the pictures!, and with some help from the girls I finally got everything sent off. I must say, it's difficult to make sitting on the floor of the fashion cupboard surrounded by packing paper and returns slips sound exciting, but it's all part and parcel of working in fashion. And with the help of an iPod dock and some gorgeous clothes to distract me, the day flew by.

Sorry to disappoint, but the most exciting thing that happened to me today was getting totally lost on the wrong floor and being personally guided back to the correct place by the binman. Not my finest hour but hopefully things can only get better! For now, hope you're all satisfied with a little preview of some of the exciting clothes coming your way.

Hello everyone, this is just a quick introductory blog post to explain what this blog's all about. On Monday I'll be starting my placement in the fashion section of Red magazine- it's such an exciting opportunity I thought it would be useful to record the ins and outs of it all. It's my first chance to work at a monthly magazine and I'm hoping what I'll be doing will be helpful to those of you also in the same position- if so, please follow my blog. I'll be documenting my upcoming internship at InStyle this July as well!

As well as charting my progress at my internships I'll also be using the blog as a space to post about the items, places and websites I love. I'm hoping that using it regularly will inspire me to keep it up, even when I'm not interning!

I've previously been an intern at The Observer and Fabulous magazine, both of which gave me a great foundation to the daunting world of fashion magazines. I'm ridiculously excited and nervous about starting at Red but here's hoping being thrown in at the deep end will make me rather than break me!