Why Fashion Internship is important for aspiring designers

Fashion industry is glamorous for young fashion enthusiasts gearing to work in it. However, a career in fashion is no less serious and complex than any other field. It requires a mix of artistic skills, simple organisational and business acumen with exceptionally great taste for design and style. You should have perseverance and eye for detail in order to succeed as a fashion designer.

True, all glitters are not gold and it is advised to join as a fashion intern first before investing in a full-fledged designing course. Though internship in a small fashion company will place you at the bottom of the hierarchy, however, you should be ready to do anything that your supervisor directs you even though it may look irrelevant to the field. 

Here is a list of basic tasks that you should be ready to perform as an intern in the fashion industry.

Call handling and Customer Service: 

Basically, you are here to help your supervisor and he/she may ask you to do basic receptionist duties such as handling calls, booking appointments with clients, suppliers and mailing on behalf of the company. These simple tasks of answering inquiries will help you build your confidence and your communication and marketing skills which will help you as a fashion designer in the long run.

Organizing wardrobe:

This may seem boring and time consuming in the beginning, but it will help you work on your organizational skills. You will learn how to categorize and store accessories, fabrics and clothes systematically. You may be asked to do a market research for a fabric and deal with artisans on job work.

Assistant in Photo shots:

When designers engage in a photo shoot, there are lot of activities involving many departments, however, every task and moment is bound with creativity. To ensure smooth flow, you may be asked to do basic jobs like organizing snacks for the teams, holding the mirror or helping in lighting. You should be positive about every task that will help you stay grounded in the industry.

Fashion industry is a combination of service and product business where customization is key to success. You should learn new skills and adopt fresh ideas and be ready to unlearn concepts as you make your mark in the industry.

How to apply for fashion internship:

Textile industry is the second largest industry after agriculture in India. Fashion industry is young and is growing rapidly with great opportunities for aspiring designers. You can look for fashion companies in your area and apply for internship. You can contact them through mail and be wary of their fashion calendar and avoid weeks when they are busy in fashion shows. Write a personal cover letter providing your inputs on how you will contribute to the company.

Look for opportunities with twitter and Instagram using hashtags like #fashion-jobs #fashion-interns

There are job sites for internship like internshala

High school students with fashion as their hobby find difficulty in coping when they pursue fashion designing as a career. Before you apply for fashion internship, you must take the online aptitude test to check your right career path. Fashion is a creative field and you need perseverance and passion to work up the ladder.

Once you pursue a fashion designing course, it is important to complete as much internship as possible every year. Internship provides invaluable industry experience and make you job ready even before you complete your degree. This is true, top companies give weightage to internships in the hiring process so every small errand that you run for your senior does not go waste.

Learn more about fashion careers in India