Dallas' Fashion at the Park

Last week I covered Dallas' version of fashion week, which is called Fashion at the Park. Valentino, Marchesa, 3.1 Philip Lim, Roberto Cavalli,Rodarte, and Oscar de la Renta held shows, just to name a few. Check out my coverage on SMU's news website, The Daily Mustang .

(photo by Evans Caglage, Fashion at the Park, NorthPark Center, Fall 2008)

Oops

Wow. My bad for not keeping up with my blog! There are so many things that have happened between June 26,2008 and now! I will do my best to fill you in on what new scoops I have learned about. Currently I am going through an identity crisis because I graduate... in two months! AHHH!

Here is something to keep you preoccupied while I figure out to catch up on Fashion 101. Here is a site I've been using to look for jobs. Media Bistro is extremely helpful!

What's Your Story?

So why are you working your butt of this summer as an unpaid intern? Below you'll find my reason and my story for why I am. **Note: This is the essay I wrote to win the $1,000 of Ed's Trust Fund. (copyright is mine) Use it as an example to write your own 500 word essay and apply!


Tired Of Not Knowing What
You’re Supposed To Do With Your Life?
Find Out How One Girl’s Teenage Tantrum
Turned Into Her Life’s Calling


My obsession with magazines all started at the dramatic age of 13 when my dad grounded me for two weeks for throwing a temper tantrum, and a phone, at a family dinner. No one at dinner that night thought that my dad’s punishment would transform his little girl into a fashion maven.

After spending the first two days of my so-called solitary confinement of life without phone or friends, I decided I needed something to fill up my time. That’s when my childhood creativity kicked in and transformed my blank bathroom walls into a canvas. Every day I would come home after school and start ripping out fashion stories I loved, celebrities with unique looks, and models I adored (I knew Adriana Lima was going to be big even back when she was doing editorials for Seventeen!). Due to my precise cutting skills and refusal to post pictures just to fill up space, this project took way longer than two weeks. Even longer than two years. My grand project took a total of three and a half years.

Ever since I had my bathroom wall epiphany, I knew that I was meant to work in the industry, but I still didn’t quite know how my talents converted into a title on a masthead. In high school I found my fit as the editor-in-chief of the yearbook and up until my third year in college I thought it was my calling. After spending a summer as a fashion intern at Glamour, my passion for photography and fashion was revived. But I didn’t quite see myself as a Market Editor. So I poured through fashion blogs, magazines, and even Anna Wintour’s biography to find my place in the industry. That’s when I discovered Stylist by Sarah Mower. I devoured the pages of photography and learned how some of the world’s greatest stylists also served as creative directors. I finally understood how my eye for a certain look, my intuition about certain trends, my background with InDesign and my love of art all pointed towards a career as a creative director.

Since this “aha!” moment I have started to piece together my idea of what makes a good creative director. I changed my plans to study abroad in Madrid and begged my parents to let me study art and French in Paris. For five months I immersed myself in the French culture because I know a good director must understand the ins and outs of the world’s fashion capital. I now look at the world through different eyes. I am always on the lookout for prime photo shoot locations and look to architecture, paintings, and trends to inspire new designs and angles for a magazine.

My dad’s normal solution for handling a boy-crazy 13-year-old turned out to be a not-so-normal event in my life. My love for fashion magazines has taken me on a winding journey. And just when I think I have it all figured out and know what to do with my life, I am introduced to new aspects of the industry that I love. Yet I know that I am on the right track to living the life of my dreams.

Ed's Party

So for those of you who didn't go to Ed 2010's party... you missed out! Okay, I'll admit, it wasn't a raging party or anything but it was cool to find out what other interns do at different publications. It's a good networking thing! And...




I won Ed's Trust Fund award! During the summer Ed's Trust Fund gives two interns $1,000 scholarships. What's crazy is only 30 people applied... so the odds were pretty good! Ed also gives away one fall and one spring scholarship too. Check Ed2010 for more details.



Oh and one last thing: visit the Boat Basin Cafe on 79th St. and the Hudson River, it has an amazing sunset view!

Come to the Party!

Tomorrow night my favorite magazine go-to site, Ed2010.com, is hosting an NYC intern party. So come! There will be door prizes, free cupcakes, a chance to meet other interns and network with editors! I'm going and I would love to see you there!

Here is the address:
7th Annual Welcome to NYC Intern Party
Boat Basin Cafe (West 79th Street at the Hudson River)
Tuesday, June 17, 6:30-8:30pm

Visit their website for more information.

Post-Peabody's

I arrived at the Waldorf around 11:15 a.m. and my friend Andrew and I wandered around until we found the right ballroom (the hotel is huge!). I was a little surprised at how many "older" people were there. But really I should have known it would be a mostly older crowd... the people with the most experience are going to be the most talented!
At noon we took our seats at table 73 for the opening of the ceremonies. Michael Adams, the president of University of Georgia, gave an introductory speech and afterwards we ate a delicious lunch: steak, salad, potatoes and chocolate. Unfortunately Andrew and I had to leave as soon as the ceremony began, which was a little disappointing... but it was time for both of us to get back to work. On the bright side, I did get to see Stephen Colbert! Very charismatic and handsome, just like on T.V.
Even though I didn't get to see the ceremonies, here are some highlights:
- Lesley Stahl replaced Brian Williams as the emcee because Williams opted to attend Tim Russert's funeral (and rightly so).
- Heidi Klum was present to accept an award for Project Runway . Showtime's Dexter won as well.
- The Colbert Report , The Discovery Channel's Planet Earth won,
- ABC's Wounds of War – The Long Road Home for Our Nation`s Veterans, which is a series of reports by news correspondent Bob Woodruff, won a Peabody, along with many others.

Check out the press release to view more information about the 67th Annual Peabody Awards. So wish I had seen Heidi!

An Intern goes to the Peabody's

YAY! So you know how after you get home from working all day and you are too tired to do anything? Well... this was me on Thursday, but I did not feel like sitting home alone so I went to dinner with my Paris roommate,Savannah, and her friends from the South. And oh how glad I am that I went!
We went to Paradou's over in the Meatpacking district and I met some guys who work on Wall Street. (all those guys who work in finance get amazing tickets to stuff!) One guy happened to have an extra ticket to the Peabody's.... and I finangled my way into receiving that ticket! Ahhh I am so excited.
Skipping work is not acceptable, even to go to the Peabody's, so I am going to skip my lunch break and come in an hour early in order to go.
NBC's Nightly News anchor Brian Williams is the emcee of the 67th Annual Peabody Luncheon luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Even though I am only going for an hour of it, it should be pretty exciting! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Oh and the point of the story? Make the most of your summer and be social! Go out (I don't mean get drunk and make a fool of yourself) and have fun! In New York City, you are surrounded by the most interesting mix of people in the world; you never know where you will catch your big break!

Style.com's Intern How-To

Style.com collaborated with editors, designers, and PR firms to bring this summer's interns a list of what to and what not to do. This slideshow gives tips on what to wear, when to give your opinion, and what they don't want to see you doing in the office (is that your phone I hear ringing?).

What to Expect at Your Summer Fashion Internship

Finals are over and many students are looking forward to the next challenge: a summer internship. Internships are a great way for students to learn if a job or professional field is right for them. A job in the tough and competitive fashion world is no different: Some students realize they are on the right track. Others learn that this isn't the industry for them.

Hilary McCanse, a senior journalism major at the University of Wisconsin, realized she was going in the right direction after her internships. McCanse spent her 2007 summer as an accessories intern at Glamour magazine. It was her second internship in the fashion industry. She worked at Chanel in London in 2006.

McCanse’s job as an accessories intern involved returning purses, shoes, and jewelry to the designer after the magazine had used them. She also organized the fashion closet, a room where the magazine holds all their samples, delivered accessories to photo shoots, and did many Starbucks’ runs.

McCanse got the Glamour internship by asking a friend of her dad’s for an editor’s contact information. Several e-mails and one phone interview later, McCanse got the job. She didn’t even have to interview.

“Honestly I think I slipped through the cracks,” she said.

The application process starts early for students who don’t have connections to help secure an internship. Some students start applying for summer internships in the fashion magazine industry in December. Conde Nast has a January 31st deadline for its summer intern program. Others are able to find internships at the online site EdBoard2010.com a month before it starts.

Some professionals warn that students who really want the job need to step up to the plate, get their paperwork in, and be persistent.

Nick Axelrod, a fashion assistant for Women’s Wear Daily, is surprised by how many students don’t follow through with the application process.

“I only ever actually got responses from people after following up at least two or three times,” Axelrod said.

Axelrod recommends that intern applicants follow up at least once a week with the editor responsible for the hiring. This shows the editor how much you are interested in the internship.

Don’t worry if your boss has not told you the details about your job in the days leading up to your internship. Editors have busy work schedules and sometimes don’t have time to answer e-mails. They are used to receiving new interns and will answer your questions, but it is better to wait until the first day of work.

People in the fashion industry dress stylishly, but appropriately, while on the job. Interns wear summer dresses or jeans with a cute top and flats or comfortable heels. Male interns should pair a nice shirt with jeans and either open or closed-toe shoes. You will spend the most of the day on your feet, running errands and making copies, so be comfortable. Many New Yorkers wear flip-flops on the metro and when they are a block from work, change into their dress shoes.

If you are wearing a dress, make sure it is long enough because you may find yourself working on the floor creating storyboards. Storyboards are made up of the looks editors want their assistants to get samples of to use for a photo shoot. When you are working on storyboards, the last thing editors want to see is your underwear.

McCanse said she wore a skirt or dress to work almost every day.

“You are in the fashion industry…get creative with what you wear. I love thrift stores and wore many vintage outfits. What ever you wear, don't look sloppy,” she said.

Holly Bauman, a senior at the University of Texas, also spent last summer working at Glamour. After her experience at Glamour, she decided to spend her following spring semester working at D Magazine in Dallas. She was surprised by the casual, laid-back atmosphere.

“At Glamour, we barely had a moment to eat lunch. At D they give us an hour break and let us work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” Bauman said.

The New York City market is more fast-paced than other cities’ work environments. If you have a job in New York, be prepared to work non-stop. But just because you work hard doesn’t mean you don’t have fun.

Bauman said her most memorable experience was the friendships she made with the other interns.

“We all became so close because we were working on top of each other all day. There is no way we could all have gotten our work done without the help of other interns,” she said.

Whether it is an internship in the Big Apple, or in the Big D, make sure to enjoy your experience for what it’s worth. Before you know it, the summer will be over and you'll be back hitting the books.

Get a Career Head Start

I started my internship at WWD last week and have really learned a lot! Working at different publications helps broaden your horizons and better understand different facets of the industry. I've even received some insider tips from other interns. For example, have you heard of Model Mayhem ?

It is a website dedicated to helping new photographers, make-up artists, hairstylists, models, and stylists make connections. You can create a profile and post ads to look for models, photographers, stylists, etc who are willing to work with you to create a portfolio. Some people pay, some people don't. The whole idea is to network and help each other create work to use in your portfolio. (For those of you who don't know what a portfolio is, it is a file of all your work and experience to show to potential employers on interviews)

So! If you are like me and panicking about having a job upon graduation, check out this site. Start creating your portfolio! Find models and photographers who are willing to work for little or no pay and get your name out there. It is never too early to start!

Finally! I'm Back

Ahh I am so sorry about this confusion over the past month. When Blogger (the host of this blog) switched their server over to Google.com, the system wouldn't accept my information. So after many e-mails and help postings to Google, I am finally set back up! Check back for daily posts.

Things an Intern Should Know.. and Do!

I made a list of the top 10 Most Helpful Tips for interns. If you are coming to NYC this summer and working in the magazine or fashion business, use these tips to help you stand out from the crowd. An internship can be the gateway to a job after graduation, so every impression counts!

10. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes earlier than asked. This way you are prepared for the day when your boss gets in. The 15 extra minutes really comes in handy when you are running late, want to eat breakfast, or the metro's having problems.

9. Remember what you are told the first time. Business in New York is very fast-paced. Editors don't want to have to take the time to tell you twice. They will notice you can keep up to their pace, and may reward you later.

8. Look for ways to improve your job. If you notice that packing trunks a certain way keeps the clothes in better shape, suggest it to your boss, and if they approve, tell the other interns. Your boss will notice you care about your work, and the interns will respect you making their job easier. Be careful to not take on a know-it-all tone, this only makes you disliked.

7.Know how to get around the city. You may be asked to run errands all over town on the first day. It will make your day so much more stressful if you don't know where you are going! So before you start work, take the time to learn the metro system and your specific route from home to work.

6. Do your work without being asked. If you know that your boss reads her mail every morning, put it on her desk for her so she doesn't have to go get it. If you notice the fashion closet is almost out of hangars, put in an order before you are out. If you notice that your boss is private about certain things, like her mail, make sure you don't invade on his/her privacy.

5. Save your receipts. Most magazines and PR firms I have heard of pay interns' lunch expenses. The cap is normally $10 per day. And they should pay for your travelling expenses if you go on errands. So make sure to save your taxi and metro receipts as well. Your boss might forget to mention that on the first day, so don't be afraid to ask him/her what their policy is.

4. Stay on good terms with people you meet. The fashion industry is not that big. And sizewise, neither is New York City. You are likely to run into the same people throughout your career, so always be nice and stay in contact with people you meet. You never know who you will need a favor from.

3. Dress for the job you want. Most magazines have a laid back dress code, but everyone dresses stylishly. This does not mean you have to go buy a new wardrobe (I know one girl who bought a full closet of Chanel because she thought she could only wear their brand at her internship at Chanel). Just know that your boss will notice if you have good taste. Note: Don't wear short dresses, you will be picking up stuff all day! Don't ruin your nice shoes on the metro either, wear flip-flops to get there, then change shoes a block from the building.

2. Bond with the other interns. You never know when you will be running late and need someone else to get your boss' coffee. (yes, you will most likely do this) Plus it makes work so much more fun if you enjoy the people you are with! They might be your future roommates for when you get your first job, or even your future boss!

1. Be happy! Even if you are having a long day, have a positive attitude. No one likes to work with complainers. And no matter what you say, your attitude shows to your boss what you really think of your job!

Accessories Intern Gives Advice

I did a Q & A with my friend Hilary McCanse that was one of two accessories interns at Glamour last summer. Curious to see what it was like? Read below!

Q: What did you do as Glamour’s accessories intern?
A: I was in charge of sending all the purses, belts, shoes (loved the shoes) and such back to the designers. If an accessory was needed urgently at a shoot I was sent to the designer to pick it up and drop it off at the shoot. I also created accessory storyboards and organized the closet. And I must be honest, many many Starbucks runs.

Q: How did you get your internship at Glamour? Friend, connection or through an application? When did you go in for an interview?
A: The accessories editor is from my hometown. My dad mentioned to a coworker that I wanted a magazine internship and the coworker is a family friend of the accessory editor's family. I asked my dad to get me her email address and phone number. At the time I was interning at Chanel and my bosses there were friends with the accessory editor. So I called her and we chatted about her job, Chanel, etc. She told me to email her my resume. It took many many email follow-ups but eventually I got the internship. And I actually did not interview. Honestly, I think I slipped through the cracks.

Q: What most surprised you about working at Glamour?
A: Everyone is so busy at Glamour; it took awhile to get into the groove of things. At Chanel the office was small I got to know my bosses well. While at Glamour I only got to know my 2 editors well. Otherwise, Glamour was how I expected it to be.

Q: What do you recommend future interns wearing to work?
A: Dress nice. We were told we could wear jeans but I would only try to wear jeans on Fridays, which were half days. Usually I wore a dress or a skirt. You are in the fashion industry, dress like you are. That does not mean your clothes have to be designer or expensive but get creative with what you wear. I love thrift stores and had many vintage outfits. Also, NYC has glorious sample sales. What ever you wear don't look sloppy.

Q: What advice would you give to future interns?
A: Make connections where you can and always follow up with your contacts. And do not be shy. You want your bosses to take notice of you. That does not mean you have to suck up. But really attempt to convey your personality.

Q: What is your most embarrassing or funniest story about working at Glamour?
A: Well it is not about Glamour, but while I was riding the elevator in Conde Nast, Anna Wintour came on. And I literally could not stop staring at her. I think I tried to say something to her and just froze. I came across as such a creeper.

Q: What was your most memorable experience at Glamour?
A: I was featured in the magazine for how to dress a petite. Being at a professional photo shoot was a surreal experience. When I remember the Glamour experience as a whole, I smile. I had such a good time and loved working with the other interns. There is no need to compete or be snooty to the other interns. You are all there for the whole summer, make the most of it.

Q: What's your major? Did you get school credit for the internship?
A:I am a journalist major with an emphasis on strategic communication. No, I did not get credit for this internship but I did for Chanel.

Hilary’s final bit of advice:
No matter how outrageous a contact is, make sure you e-mail or call that person. For example: if your brother's girlfriend's dog-walker's cousin works for a fashion magazine, contact her. And have fun. You are in the best city, working in fashion. Don't stress out but enjoy yourself!

Love Fashion Photography? Read This

Stylist: The Interpreters of Fashion
Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. $75.00 ISBN: 978-0-8478-2924-8

Sarah Mower interviewed the best stylists in the business for the book "Stylist: The Interpreters of Fashion." Mower gives a one page biography of each photographer and explains how their work has influenced the fashion industry. She then proceeds to let their work speak for itself: the book is 90 percent photography.

Each stylist's section includes a compilation of their most well-known work. From Grace Coddington's Alice in Wonderland photoshoot to Andrea Lieberman's work on Gwen Stefani's music video, this book shows every type of media stylists delve into. Featured stylists include: Grace Coddington, Tonne Goodman, Andrea Leiberman, Carine Roitfeld, Karl Templer and Joe Zee.

This book isn't just for future stylists, it is also inspiration for future editors.... Roitfeld, Zee, Coddington and Goodman have all gone on to manage major fashion publications. If you're smart, you will use these stylists tips of success to start off your own fashion career.

Check it out!

I put together a slideshow of all my pics from my summer 2007 internship at Glamour.

Click on any of the "Glamour Days" pictures and it will take you to flickr.com where you can read captions that will describe my Glamour days' experience!

There is information about a photoshoot I assisted on, walking in on Mariah Carey's shoot, the work I did in editorial, and even about my own modeling experience in the Nov. '07 issue. (that's me in the left-hand corner!)

France Follows Spain's Model Law

France's National Assembly approved a bill that would make it illegal for anyone - including fashion magazines, couturiers, and advertisers - to incite extreme thinness. The bill will be reviewed by France's other house of parliament, the Senate, in the upcoming weeks.
According to CNN ,if Senate passes the bill, it will be the strongest bill affecting the model market because "inciting extreme thinness" is such a broad term. Spain passed a law last year saying a model's BMI could not be lower than 18. France is following in their footsteps to change a market that accepts, and even encourages, anorexia.
Some couture houses aren't happy that the government is trying to regulate what is or isn't considered beautiful.... including protruding hip bones.
Personally, I think France is going in the right direction. But it is going to take a whole lot more than a bill to change the body image here! It seems like almost everyone you see on the streets has twig-like legs and flat stomachs. These parisians subsist on coffee and cigarettes!
I head back to the states in a week... and I can't wait to get away from the mini-meal atmosphere over here and pig out on all the foods that makes America great (or fat...): fudge brownies, queso and hot tortillas, massive Starbucks muffins, and REAL coffee!

Hemingway's Parisian Masterpiece

"A Moveable Feast"
by Ernest Hemingway
211 pages. Simon & Schuster. $11.00
ISBN 0-684-82499-X

Thirty years after leaving Paris, Ernest Hemingway writes about his life in the city of love during the 1920s. A Movable Feast, written late in Hemingway's life, is made up of a series of anecdotes that describe his neighborhood hangouts, his eccentric group of friends, and the difficulties of being a poor, young and unknown writer.

Many of the stories take place in famous literary cafes, such as Les Deux Magots in Saint Germain des Pris, where Hemingway went to write. He uses his signature style of simple, terse language to describe his writing process: “After writing a story I was always empty and both sad and happy, as though I had made love, and I was sure this was a very good story although I would not know truly how good until I read it over the next day”.

A Movable Feast touches on many of the relationships Hemingway has with other writers of the time, including Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Hemingway tells about the time spent in Stein's apartment, talking about love, sex and writing. Stein regarded Hemingway as a friend, but also as someone she imparted wisdom to. She tells Hemingway that he is of “the lost generation” from World War II and educates him about sex, homosexuality, and how to buy good art.

Hemingway briefly recounts his run-ins with Joyce, the Irish novelist who was already known as one of the most influential writers of the day. Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley, lived in a run-down apartment with their infant son, whom they call “Bumby”. They did not have money to spend on dinners, or nice clothes. Hemingway and his wife are on there way home one day when they see Joyce inside an expensive restaurant eating happily with his big family. He comments to Hadley that he aspires to reach the literary success of Joyce, which in retrospect is quite interesting to hear from one who would become one of the most famous writers of the twentieth century.

A significant part of the book is dedicated to Hemingway's love-hate friendship with Scott Fitzgerald. Hemingway recounts a humorous car trip from Lyon to Paris in a convertible in the pouring rain. He also talks about Fitzgerald’s literary masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, and how he could have written more if it wasn’t for his destructible relationship with his wife Zelda.

The whole theme of Hemingway's book is based on one phrase:
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
The book offers no official story line, yet it accurately depicts what it must have been like to live in Paris in those heady days. Reading A Moveable Feast is like tasting a piece of that great city without ever leaving your couch. This is Hemingway’s terse literary style at its best. Give yourself a couple hours to read this gem, because you won’t be able to put it down.

Elle Fires Famous Fashion Director

WWD reports that Elle Fashion Director Nina Garcia has parted ways with the magazine. But why? Elle was the gateway to stardom for Garcia, who is also a Project Runway judge and author of The Little Black Book of Style.

WWD, Gawker, and TMZ barely give any information about why the editor was fired.

Lacroix's Take on Fashion History

A few weeks ago I went to the Le Musee des Arts Decoratifs and saw a breathtakingly gorgeous Christian Lacroix exhibit.

The museum invited Lacroix to create his own collection based on the history of fashion. Lacroix spent months pouring over art history books and then creating his collection.

The result is a colorful take on history with a modern textile twist. There are 1930s boleros, delicate lace frocks, sequined flapper dresses, eccentric wedding gowns, and so much more!

The exhibit is huge - over 100 pieces I would say - and takes up two floors.

I went with a friend and seriously went from piece to piece thinking the next was better than the last. If you are in Paris, go take the time to see this. It is well worth your six euros! And hurry... the exhibit is only here through April 20, 2008!

Marc Jacobs+ KCD Bribe Scandal

So I know this is old news (the story first leaked Feb. 8), but I just read the article. Apparently Marc Jacobs has been paying up to $30,000 to the superintendent ofLexington Avenue Armory, where Jacobs has held his shows over the past few years. KCD, a powerful PR firm that you will work with if you are interning in NYC this summer, has been the middleman for the transactions.
What a shame! New York Magazine and The New York Post have the full story.