Marie Claire: Lessons Learned

We're reaching the home stretch now with two more weeks fast approaching. At this point, everyone has become really good friends and we have built up a strong support system between one another.

Reflecting on my experiences here, I have realized that the amount of hours spent on the making of one issue is tremendous, and that your heart really has to be there every step of the way. Not only are the interns running around all the time, the market editors' daily schedules are booked back-to-back with preview appointments.

My time spent working in the fashion closet has really given me the opportunity to observe how a fashion magazine is run, and it has given me perspective on how people in the closet work together and compromise on different things. I feel like I will be much better prepared as a Fashion Editor of SHEI Magazine at U of M in the fall, because I have realized the importance of paying attention to detail, communicating quickly and effectively to other people, and of true committment to your job.

In addition, one of the most important things that interning at Marie Claire has made me realize is that there are so many other opportunities in the fashion industry, and that perhaps fashion editorial is not for me. I started sketching shoes this summer, and I was able to finish a collection (shoes inspired by Marie Claire editors, of course). I've found that I am extremely interested in designing, and I am very passionate about pursuing a career in shoe design. I hope to find a design internship next summer in the city and see if the field of design fits more with what I want to do in the future. Nonetheless, I really appreciate the time I've had to intern for Marie Claire, because it has taught me very important transferable skills, and it has also given me the chance to build invaluable relationships with not only some editors, but with other interns.

Marie Claire: The Wisdom of Editors

It's been a few weeks now since the Claire Editor-Intern luncheons began. I was lucky enough to snatch a seat around the lunch table to listen to Katie Connor (Fashion Features Editor), and Suzanne Sykes (Creative Director). Lunch with Katie was excellent - I think maybe it was because she was closer in age to us interns, but she shared with us her story of how she got to where she is now. It was easier to relate to her, given she started out as only an intern at Interview Magazine. She said that afterwards she moved around the industry a bit (however mainly focused on fashion writing) and took all of the opportunities that fell in front of her. She was very down to earth and humble, which really put me to ease when I listened to her tell us about her background.

Katie Connor, Fashion Features Editor

Just last week I went to the luncheon with the Creative Director, Suzanne Sykes. Hands down, a brilliant and intelligent woman. I found out that she actually launched Marie Claire UK, and that it was rather successful overseas. And coincidentally, she received a call from the US offices, (which, at the time, had no clue she was a big player over at the British offices) offering her a position. Suzanne's job as Creative Director includes literally looking over each and every page of the magazine (ads included!) and checking for mistakes and editing every layout. So, the color combinations and word placement on every page of Marie Claire is run through the hands of Suzanne before going into print. Suzanne also introduced us to a new segment of Marie Claire - one which is processed via Tablet. There have been several apps produced for users of the Tablet, including the entire magazine transferred electronically onto the device, as well as a beauty station where you can literally put makeup onto a virtual model. She has told us that the company is expecting to achieve a lot, little by little, in the near future with their expansion into the electronic world.

Suzanne Sykes, Creative Director

I am waiting to have lunch with Joanna Coles in a little over a week, and I am very excited to get the chance to hear about what she has to say about the magazine, general life tips, and of course, about her background!

Also, to add on to what I wrote about in my last post regarding the Marie Claire Front Row Challenge, I officially submitted my application for the contest last Thursday. Now it's up to the judges to decide... I will keep you posted!

Marie Claire

I've been at Marie Claire for over five whole weeks now, and my experiences have really grown. Because I've become so much more familiar with the streets and areas in Manhattan, pick ups and drop offs are hardly strenuous (unless, of course, you are chanced with taking 5 heavy garment bags) and instead relaxing and enjoyable.

Update on luncheon with the editors. We were allowed to sign up to have lunches with certain top editors at Marie Claire, and the three that I chose were Katie Connor (Fashion Features Editor), Suzanne Sykes (Creative Director), and- of course- Joanna Coles (Editor in Chief anyone??). I am very interested in what they do at work and hearing from them personally about how they got to where they are now. Lunches with Katie and Suzanne are this upcoming week, and a lovely dine-in with Mrs. Coles will be held a couple of weeks from now. All I need to do at this point is to do some research and come up with some fun questions to ask them!

Fashion Director Nina Garcia, Editor-in-chief Joanna Coles, at Prabal Gurung Fall 2011 Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week

As I mentioned in my last post, the MC fashion interns were all asked to do a project where we make inspiration boards. By now, all of the interns have submitted lookboards, and it was brought to my attention just last week that the Senior Fashion Editor, Zanna Roberts Rassi, will be reviewing them. It's really purely for fun, so she can get a sense of our personal style and of the things that inspire us. However, you never know if an intern's inspiration board has the ability to provide ideas for an editor for a theme in an upcoming issue. My inspiration board was built upon rather limited resources that I had. With a stack of 20 or so old MC issues, I flipped through each magazine and cut out anything and everything that I liked. I initially had absolutely no idea what the theme of my board was to be. However, through several magazines-worth of snipping, my theme became rather clear. I ended up making a collage of studs, shimmer, shine, and sparkle (mostly gold tones) and fuzed those looks with blooming freesias and peonies in purples and pinks. I also added a revival theme to the collage, where I glued on a couple of photos from S/S 1990 shows in Milan and Madrid, and then juxtaposed those looks with a similiar look from a modern-day fashion spread.

Now there is one more piece of news that is worth writing about. MC partnered up with LOFT is hosting the Front Row Challenge, a competition to find a stylish college student, whom when picked will get the so-often-dreamed-of opportunity to fully style and host a fashion show at his or her own campus (with courtesy of apparel from LOFT). Here is a video promotion for the Front Row Challenge:



This is a very fun yet challenging project that I am currently working on, and I will keep you posted in the following weeks regarding my application for the contest!

Until next time...

I can say so far that Marie Claire has been a blast. The fashion assistant mistakenly over-hired interns and we are now up to 36 fashion interns. So, it's always incredibly crowded in the closet, but I have to say that I have a lot of fun working with everyone. I've made some incredible friends from all over the states - even a Swiss!
Anyway, with work, I've gotten used to the routine of returns, check-ins, and runs. I've realized that I really enjoy going on runs to do pick ups and drop offs, only minus the days of hot hot weather.
We just recently finished shooting our October cover, and this was an unbelievably big photoshoot. Names related to the shoot are strictly confidential, but I can say that I, as an intern, had to pack and unpack a total of 16 trunks, stuffed full of couture dresses and Sergio Rossis. This was the biggest shoot that I will have experienced packing for at my time here this summer.
Another really neat thing that he fashion department has been working on is setting up "luncheons" with the top editors. That will be happening in the following weeks, and I've already made my request for JoAnna Coles (the editor in chief). This is something I'm really looking forward to. I'll be preping some questions to ask Ms. Coles this week! Will update everyone on my endeavors at Marie Claire in a couple of weeks! Until then...

Marie Claire: Week One

Last Monday at 8:45 AM, I hurry down 57th street and right as I hit 8th Ave, I look up and see the most unique building right on the corner. And it's my office building, Hearst Tower. Work begins....Now!

Where do I even start? Well, the first thing that comes to mind about my internship at Marie Claire is that I dont think I've ever done this much walking in a day. I walk into the fashion closet at 9 AM, and I get out at 9 PM. And anytime between then, there's a good chance I'm running around the streets of Manhattan, picking up couture dresses from PR Consulting or dropping off Manolo Blahniks back to the Manolo Blahnik in-house corporate offices. The first week has been ridiculously overwhelming. I can and will say that the fashion industry is definitely nowhere close to easy and glamorous for a starting intern.

However, one thing for sure is that I am learning. A lot. So far, there has not yet been a day where I haven't learned something new. One of the main things I've learned is that everything in the closet has a picture filed in inventory. And anything that leaves the closet must be documented. A daily task that I am responsible for is to check in packages that come in by request from our editors, and for returns that are made back to the in-houses and fashion PR firms.

Within only a week, I have realized just how crucial it is to pay attention to detail. Little details make a huge difference, and it really can't be emphasized enough to be organized and detailed at everything you do. My first week was quite an experience (I cried after my second day), and it has undoubtedly gotten better each and every day. My internship is definitely an adjustment to my otherwise regular (and quite boring) lifestyle, but it's a positive one because it is incredibly eye-opening.

Marie Claire is expecting a total of 36 fashion interns throughout the summer, and already, old interns have left last Friday and a rush of new interns are expected tomorrow morning. I look forward to meeting all of the new interns and to learning things that have yet to be taught.

Until next time!

Lisa

Marie Claire Fashion Internship Summer 2011

Hello everyone! My name is Lisa Wang, and I just finished up my sophomore year as a BBA student. I'm moving exactly one week from now to New York City. This summer, I will be interning at Marie Claire Magazine. I'm a general closet intern in the fashion department, and I'll be working very closely with the Fashion Assistant and with several other fashion interns.

July 2008 Issue

Fashion interns are based in the fashion closet, working primarily with high-end designer samples. I will be responsible for sample trafficking, checking in and returning samples from PR firms and fashion houses, organizing the closet, and creating story boards, setting up for run-throughs, and packing/unpacking for photo shoots.

I chose to intern for Marie Claire Magazine because I am interested in learning more about the editorial side of fashion. I'm very passionate about the fashion industry, and I have already had two years of experience with SHEI Magazine, a fully student-run fashion magazine here at the U of M campus. I want to further my experiences and gain exposure into the fashion industry this summer, and what's better than to start with Marie Claire? Plus, who wouldn't love to wake up to an entire wall of Louboutins and Pierre Hardys??

Shoes Shoes Shoes!! - Marie Claire Fashion Closet

I'm very excited to begin my experiences with the Marie Claire fashion closet in couple of weeks. I'll be back in a few weeks to update you on my adventures in the fashion closet. Until next time...