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.
