Internships: Learning Versus Earning

I sit before a group of bachelors students from Kent State University’s fashion program who have come to the school’s New York City Studio to complete a semester. The experience allows them to be taught by different faculty, many of whom work in the city’s fashion industry, and to explore other ways of developing a collection that enriches the already-solid preparation they have received back home. The studio is located in Manhattan’s Garment District, so they’re right in the heart of where it all happens. Yet, perhaps as important as the teaching they will receive is the opportunity they’ll have to pick up prime internships––placements they could never have in northeastern Ohio. Today’s group includes interns for Anna Sui, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Alice & Olivia, Milly, among others. And while placements are certainly set up by the school, most of the group say they have organized their own, targeting companies they really wanted to work for.