My first week working two internships in New York City

I learned a lot at my internship here in the Big Apple last summer, but this summer I took on something much bigger: I am a double intern for Harper’s Bazaar and Badgley Mischka.

Yep, I now work five days a week as opposed to three and for two totally different yet super stylish fashion companies. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I am at Bazaar and Tuesday and Thursday I work at Badgley Mischka. It is hard work? Yes. But it is also fun and endlessly educational. Here is what my first week looked like.

Monday

Monday was a bit crazy. I woke up in the morning not feeling too great (probably because of something I ate the night before) and had to scramble to get myself healthy and ready. I took a cab to work because I was late but finding the famous Hearst Tower was no issue. My only problem on my way to work was the bit of coffee I spilled but it mostly hit the seatbelt and dried quickly without leaving a stain on my dark grey dress so I was good to go. I got there and was immediately put to work filing.

Trouble really hit when I had to run out and pick something up. I wore brand new heels (as seen above) that morning and despite my preparation thanks to my grandma and her endless supply of bandaids, my feet were absolutely killing me. I hadn’t brought flats with me so I ended up cabbing back instead of taking the subway because I was afraid I was going to fall over and spill everything I was holding. I learned that heels are fine, but bring flats too.

The rest of the day was great! I got a tour of the floor, did some more filing, made some calls and had a pleasant day. The Bazaar team is full of super nice, fun and intelligent people. I was very excited to return on Wednesday!

Tuesday

On Tuesday I started at Badgley Mischka. I got there at 9am even though I left at 8 because I couldn’t find the entrance as they were renovating the hallway. My job was to help the models dress in the show room. I spent the day moving clothes from one hanger to another or from the hanger to the model to the hanger. I also steamed some clothes, so I was glad that I had learned to do that last summer.

What I did not learn from was wearing heeled shoes. I was wearing a new but slightly more broken in pair of wedges and I regretted it. It’s a busy time for designers, so I sat down for a total of 30 minutes out of eight and a half hours? It was a long day with lots of movement. To be honest, I’m not sure flats would have made too much of a difference. The other intern was wearing flats and her feet were crying too. In fact, my feet hurt more than they did on Monday, so it was definitely not the shoes.

I did learn that some garments need more proper hanging than others. I was unaware that the loops that are sometimes placed on the inner front of garments were there so that the hanging strings could be looped through them to better support the dress. Also, everyone in the office is extremely nice, including the designers!

Wednesday

Back at Bazaar! I came in 30 minutes early so I could start my filing and what not. I made some calls, did some filing, organized some stuff in the archive closet, and spoke with my boss about my goals. I learned a lot about how a magazine functions and the different departments and what they do. I did wear flats on this day and though my feet hurt noticeably amount less, they still did. I guess it’s just the working world, but I do think it is important to be aware of what you are most comfortable in so that you can do the best job possible.

I also learned that being short has its benefits and disadvantages. As I was reorganizing the closet, I did a great job with the lower two shelves that I could easily reach without breaking my back but had a very tough time working with the tops shelves, even with my step stool. I did do my very best though, and organized a few extra shelves that I had not been assigned just because they were bothering me.

At the end of the day, I made sure to ask my boss if she needed anything else before I headed home for the night. It’s important to be proactive and a self-starter.

Thursday

Thursday morning I arrived at 9:30 uptown. We had two models and lots of appointments, so we were busy. My biggest problem was that I was in charge of putting the clothes on the models and then hanging them up after and I am 5 feet tall so trying to dress 6 foot tall models isn’t so easy – and neither is trying not to drag long gowns on the floor.

We spend the afternoon running around, getting lunch from various establishments and pulling garments. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and learning.

Friday

On Friday at Bazaar, I got to learn about what features interns and staff do. I updated a few culture lists which are lists of arts things (music albums, movies, TV programs) that are coming out. I went through the culture lists for September. Art was the longest list and it took me about all afternoon to go through half.

I stayed until 6:30 even though I was released at 5:30 because my bus was leaving at 7 from not too far away from Hearst Tower. I got to meet some more people, explore the office and take cute pics (as seen below) for an hour.

So far, I am very happy with my internships. Both of them made me very happy by having an intern guide prepared upon arrival so everything was in print for me whenever I needed it and I didn’t have to write anything down or ask annoying questions. Everyone at both places is really nice and open to answering any questions I have. I am lucky that I get these fabulous fashion industry opportunities and the chance to work with such kind, talented people.