by Amira Clement
Before transferring to LIM College, I had already completed a few previous Fashion PR internships. The very first being MAO Public Relations. This internship was thus far my favorite, as it was fast-paced and well worth it.
Just like any other student I began looking for internships online on sites such as, Indeed.com, Internships.com, Fashionista.com, ed2010.com and of course Symplicity. My personal favorite being Indeed.com because they are the most responsive. I came across a post about interning at Mao PR for the summer and it would include lots of help with New York Fashion Week so obviously I applied. Just two days later I got an email and went in for an interview and got the internship.
Interning for Mao PR I did things like RSVP check-ins, sample trafficking, putting together seating charts and press releases, etc. (These are general publicist duties.) Once New York Fashion Week hit it was surreal, I met so many people and experienced so much and of course was a little overwhelmed.
Fast forward five internships later and I got to come back to Mao PR every six months for Fashion Week and each time is always different. After doing NYFW a total of four times it gets crazier and even more interesting.
When prepping for a 15 minute fashion show, a lot of work goes into the hours prior. Things like, stuffing gift bags, front of house check-in, backstage and press check-in, working on the seating chart, getting attendees seated, and then finally enjoying the show.
Interning in PR and Fashion Week is the best experience you could ask for if you are looking to enter the business side of the fashion industry. Always have a positive attitude, be sure to show up everywhere on time, and seeing tasks through will take you far in interning.