Happy February, collegiettes! For some of us, this month means paper hearts and lots of chocolate, for others a quart of Ben & Jerry’s and angsty feelings for Hallmark. If you’re anything like me, though, February isn’t all about loving or hating Valentine’s Day, it’s about fashion! This summer I interned at a public relations agency specializing in fashion and lifestyle and I was lucky enough to get to come back and be an intern again – but just for a day. This summer I was fortunate to work NYFWM (the men’s shows), but I heard women’s fashion week (NYFW) is a whole different ballgame and so I was excited to come back and experience it.
The day started with a trek to the Skylight Clarkson building – where most of the shows are held during fashion week – through the snow. Most of my team’s work that day consisted of making sure everything ran smoothly and that the venue was set up. We placed seating cards, gift bags (for the front row guests), and made sure that all of the programs were collated and in place. Right before the show started, some of the women on our team made sure our VIP guests made it to their seats and the rest of us were readily available in case there were any issues. At the show where I spent most of my time working at – Noon by Noor – everything went extremely smoothly and, despite the snowpocalypse, the show was well worth the soggy shoes and frozen fingers.
So what is the best part of working behind the scenes at fashion week? In my opinion, even helping out in the littlest way is extremely rewarding because once you get to watch the show (and you usually do if you’re PR or production) you know that in some way you helped. So, collegiettes, if the working in fashion PR is something that is calling your name, here are my top three tips for any future PR maven:
1. Work hard and don’t complain
Whether you know it or not, hard work definitely does not go unnoticed. If you are passionate about what you’re doing and put in the effort, you’ll find your experience working in PR extremely rewarding. Also, know that, if you get an internship, you are lucky to have the opportunity to learn. That is not to say that you shouldn’t know your own worth and that there aren’t agencies that abuse interns, but that isn’t my personal experience. But, even if you are doing something menial or tedious, it is all part of the learning experience and a positive attitude will make everything better for you.
2. Stay calm and have a thick skin
PR is a field that can be high pressure, especially when you are working events and fashion shows. Sometimes things go wrong, but always do your best to stay calm and not take things personally if they go wrong. Being able to collect yourself and move past your mistakes is so important. I cannot emphasize this enough!
3. Love what you do
I mentioned this in number one, but it’s so important, no matter what you do, that you enjoy what you are doing. If you don’t love public relations, or any other field, you are never trapped. I am lucky in that I happen to love PR, but it’s definitely not for everyone. If you have passion that makes all the difference in the world.
Those are my best tips for being a happy and successful PR intern. Remember, if you don’t love Valentine’s Day, you can always think of this month as Fashion February too.
All images courtesy of the author