A Week of New Things

This past week at work, some of the other interns have had to focus on finals or are nearing the end of their term, so I was given the opportunity to complete new tasks, as well as be involved in some of the more fun aspects of the job. I feel that each week I am learning more and am becoming more productive as well as comfortable in the office. I have also noticed that my supervisors are beginning to place more trust in me, and develop a relationship with me as their intern.

Last week the P.R. manager asked us to clean out the back closets, which was fun as we got to keep some of the older shoe and purse samples that they no longer needed in the showroom. I was pleased when my supervisor recommended that I be the one to organize all of the old samples for donation, as he found the way I did it previously really good and beyond his expectations. The P.R. coordinators also often ask me to merchandise racks of samples, or the accessories wall, as they have seen through my success in other projects they gave me that I am skilled in this department. One experience I found amusing was this past week when the Manager of P.R. asked me kindly to fold about twenty cover-ups into ridiculously small plastic bags. She asked me because she knew that I was very meticulous and neat when packing all of the charity merchandise, so she was confident I could make it look good. Although it was a tedious task, I thought it was awesome that she trusted me and remembered my skills from weeks ago.

Occasionally the supervisors will ask the interns to make runs, whether it is to drop off a garment or pick up a copy of a magazine our clothes have been featured in.  My supervisor asked me to go pick up a copy of Footwear Weekly, which I had never heard of or seen at any common magazine vendor. He told me to go to a place called Around The World, on 37^th street between sixth and seventh ave. I was expecting a bookstore, or general large magazine vendor, but I was thrilled when I walked in. The entire store, which was surprisingly large, was filled with fashion magazines and publications from all over the world. There were magazines I had never even heard of, and some European publications that I have had to hunt down in Philadelphia just to find. Unfortunately they said Footwear Weekly turned out to be by subscription only, but I was beyond excited to have found that awesome spot.

When I got back to the office I told my supervisor how amazing I thought that store was. He was in shock that I had not yet experienced it. I love how I am continuously learning not only new things about P.R. for my company, but also about New York, Fashion, and the people I am working for. 

Allocation Issues

One of the more frustrating problems that happens at the office is when specific styles are out at photo shoots.  Of course this doesn't mean the styles will even be used either.  The styles being out of the office really messes up the production schedule since the pattern makers need to measure the garments and create new patterns from them.  It is a bit irritating that production seems to be put last on the list compared to PR events.  I guess you really can't say no to Vogue, W or Bergdorfs!  What is shocking is that Vera's PR firm, PR Consulting, does not use technology to track samples at all.  They don't use Fashion GPS, which is a really great service that tracks samples with a small gps tracker attached to them.  This was incredibly surprising since samples are misplaced or lost all of the time.

Model Shu Pei in one of the RTW looks

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving break was awesome by the way!  I was able to take off Monday and Tuesday for a small Chicago trip.  If you've never been, I highly suggest going!  The architecture and art culture in general is phenomenon.  Did I mention the shopping?  The Magnificent Mile has everything.  It was only a 5 minute walk from my hotel too.  What surprised me most was when I visited the Art Institute of Chicago's museum.  It's actually quite large and has a new Modern Art wing that includes architectural renderings of buildings within Chicago.  They also have a room full of Monets!

The Bean at Millenium Park!

Polished Facebook Photo

With my role at Polished for Pennies switching from Web Design, which I normally do from home to a more hands-on, involved role with the whole P4P team, I haven't had much design work to do. Until the new Polished for Pennies site goes live, I don't want to give any details away about the design of the site I created. However, I can show you this Facebook cover photo I created a few weeks ago, that will be used to tease the new site!

    This photo is so P4P. It has pop, it is inviting, and it is stylish. It features the creator, Vittoria Woodill and the shiny logo that represents P4P so perfectly. I used Photoshop to match the colors of Vittoria's lips and clothes to the colors in the theme of the site. Vittoria really wanted to use this photo of herself, but I struggled at first because her elbow is cropped out. After much deliberation back and forth, as well as input from the whole P4P team, we finally decided that the placement of the logo in the center not only resolves the elbow issue, but creates a stamp in people's minds of what is Polished for Pennies.
     The tagline truly sums up what Polished for Pennies stands for and lives everyday. On a recent shopping excursion with Vittoria, she found me a Hilary Radley coat that retailed for $170, for only $18.99! I have a huge smile on my face every time I put that coat on, because not only is it polished and gorgeous, but it was a steal. I love having that little secret in the back of my head while walking around looking like a million bucks!

Some Polished Advice

Throughout my time at Polished for Pennies, I have always heard Vittoria talk about how she constantly goes after what she wants. Now that I'm applying for Co-ops in the spring, I turned to her for some advice on how to land my dream Co-op.
     The first point that Vittoria stressed was research, research, research. We all learn in Co-op 101 to research the company we are interviewing for. But Vittoria takes her research a step-or several-further. Google the company, Google your interviewer, track down the interviewer's LinkedIn to find common connections, and check out his or her Facebook photos to get a sense of their personality and style. I never would have thought to find an employer on Facebook, but it's a great idea! Interviewing for jobs in the fashion industry is tricky, because we are told to look business professional on interviews, but fashionistas still want to portray their own personal style and understanding of the brand the are interviewing for. When you know how the other people that work at an office dress, you won't ever be surprised and wish you had worn something else when you walk in to the office.
     Vittoria also gave me some great advice when making connections with people. She gave me the email address of a friend who worked at a company I am interviewing with, and said merely to ask her to coffee to hear about her experience. Don't ask for anything other than her story. In this cut-throat world where who you know is more important than what you know, it is important to learn how to build professional relationships like this.
     I'm really looking forward to putting Vittoria's advice to good use in the coming weeks. I'll be worn out from all these interviews, but I hope to gain insight on the industry from each and every one!

Holidays at the Q

With Thanksgiving last week and the Holidays approaching, it is a very busy time for retailers. Stores are packed with eager customers waiting to get a good deal. On my side of it in the PR world though, now is when it starts to slow down a lot. Editors have already been pitched so many Holiday ideas during the previous months (starting as early as June/July) that now they are just dealing with putting together Spring issues.

Last week, when I was putting together those 40 Editor gifts, those were mostly for short lead media contacts. A short lead contact is one who does not have the issue put together far in advance. For example, a weekly issue as opposed to a monthly issue is short lead because there are so many issues a month, they cannot possibly be executed and completed too early before they are released. For the monthly publication editors that we sent to, that was to hopefully get coverage in the future, even if they won't be placing the products on this Holidays' "gift list."

Yesterday, one of the QVC hosts, who's team works right next to me, was on The Chew. There was much excitement in the office when he came back from New York to watch the premiere of his episode with his team. I have found after working here for almost 3 months that this is how it is around here. When it is busy, it is super busy and when it isn't, it just isn't. In my previous internships, I have spent only about 2 months so the fact that this is 6 months, I definitely feel like I am learning a lot more and growing more knowledgeable of the industry.

Today, with the snow outside and the Christmas trees and gifts scattering the building, I feel like I am right at home here and getting ready for the upcoming holidays. There is a store right on site here that sells a lot of the products that you see on TV and online so during our breaks, we wander down there and take a look at what we might want to get for our families or ourselves. In the next few weeks, my team will also be doing a cookie exchange and a Secret Snowman so I am looking forward to that and all of the holiday cheer to come!

A Wish Come True- Short Week!

Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

My week was nice and short: I worked Monday-Wednesday. In those days, I made a board of the Holiday styles that are going to be repeated for 2013 and swatched a number of customs. Tuesday morning, my computer would not start. It needed to be replaced. I had to do all types of filing and samples. It was incredibly annoying not having a computer because I could not finish the work I had left for myself to do that morning and had to beg for work-- if my computer had been working, I would have been plenty busy!

Wednesday, my computer was replaced! Yay! But I decided to still continue working on the new project I had been given the day before; I had to pick out every style sample that Rebecca, the Australia/New Zealand client wanted to repeat next year. She picked out over 100 styles! However, I did not finish because if I work at it for too long, my eyes start to hurt and some of the pattern makers had more urgent things for me to do! I will probably finish it tomorrow though, assuming I do not run out of room on the racks!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and a great time with family and friends!

Good luck with your weeks!
-Victoria

Thanksgiving Week

I only worked Monday this week due to it being Thanksgiving this week. On Monday, I did a NY Times Ad for one of our accounts. To create the ad, I used Photoshop and The North Face's marketing website. I did a couple other odd jobs, but not too much this week. Even though I am not the biggest fan of NYC, I do miss working there. I work 8:30-6pm when I am there, but the day goes by very quickly. Even though I am doing the same thing everyday, I am meeting new people as well. Working out of the NYC showroom is a really great opportunity to network. I will be back in NYC tomorrow through Christmas. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

Taste of Chinese Culture at Work...& Fabric Specifications

In Hong Kong, onn the 15th of each month there is a blessing for good luck. Incense is lit and several tea cups of water are placed around a large piece of meat to be offered for the blessing. The incense permeates the room, reminding the employees to be thankful, and to bless their work establishment.

One of the employees is leaving to have a baby, so yesterday a group went to lunch at a family-style traditional Hong Kong restaurant. The restaurant had several private rooms with one large round table or a room with two large round tables. "Having lunch" in Hong Kong and China is very popular for people to get together. This restaurant specializes in dumplings, filled with various meats, seafood and vegetables. The dumplings are different from the dumplings often seen in the U.S. because the dough is made from rice, which has a white transluscent appearance. A couple of the employees choose what to eat and we all shared. Along with the dunplings we had stir-fried rice and sweet dough dishes. One of the girls explained that this type of meal and sharing is common for a casual lunch; usually for special occasions and on Sundays with family.

This week I worked with a fabric technician at Tungtex. He is in charge of creating new fabrics and approving existing fabric before, during and after production of the fabric. There are many many types and terms for each fabric. I have heard several of the terms at my internship in New York and now understand some more thoroughly.

The majority of fabric is broken into; cottons, polyester, rayon, wool, knit, linen and silk. Most common subdivisions are; cotton blend, synthetic blend (which includes polyester, nylon and rayon blends), wool blends, linen blend and silk blends. Then, the fabric can be more specifically identified by gorgette, jacquard (I believe those two are the most common) CDC, crinkle, crepe, chiffon, satin, emboss, corduroy, embroidery, laser cut (which is in trend now) twill, tweed, poplin, dobby, taffeta, lace, check, stripe, yoyo, organza, plain, print, foil print (usually metallic print), digital print, burnout and cutout.

I also believe the most commonly used fabric varies depending on which manufacture you are working with. Each manufacturer and country specializes in a certain fabric or two due to their climate. Asia/China is known for silk.

A Wish Come True- Bridal Showers and Samples!

Good evening, everyone! We are already entering week 9! I cannot believe it; Drexel terms fly by!

This past week was fairly interesting, as any other week! I was kept pretty busy all week because a list was made of all the costumes made before the 2013 collection that they wanted to keep one sample of in the sample room. I had to go through the racks and pull out all the costumes not listed and if there were multiples of the ones on the list, choose one to keep. I only was able to fill three racks completely this past week because I was only given three empty racks and I need probably three or four more! I then had to go through each costume and check the green cards to see if they said "DO NOT SELL" on them. I took those out and then checked for ruined costumes with pulls or rips. These all went in the donation box, which I would then measure! I then had to take the costumes that were in good condition and check the labels to see if they had the correct style numbers and if not, print new ones! Once this was done, I had to see if the Trim department could take them and put them in stock. By Friday, they had put them all away so I got my racks back to start again! I will be busy this week!

On Wednesday, we threw a surprise bridal shower for Shyla. We had a pot luck-- so I made brownies! It was really nice to see how everyone cared so much and bought her gifts. AWish Come True really has great people!

By Friday, Stephanie and I had finished putting up the last Dance '13 costumes on the forms. We are finished with dance size sets! Yay! This means we move on to ANZ and Team! 

There was a meeting Friday with the pattern makers and designers to discuss Holiday. We went over the entire 2012 catalogue and discussed what has been successful and what has not. My job tomorrow will be making a board of the costumes that we will be repeating for 2013. We were also encouraged to look at our competitors Holiday costumes! It was really interesting to see how other companies interpret certain themes!

Well, I hope everyone has a great week! And an awesomely happy Thanksgiving!

I am looking forward to three days of work this week!

-Victoria :]

First Week in NYC

Hello! This week was my first week working out of our NYC showroom. I am not the biggest fan of NYC (I am much more of a Philly girl), but I do have to say that I love the fast work pace in NYC. Each day I help one of our reps show The North Face's Fall 2013 line to one of their accounts. Some accounts take much longer to work with because they deliberate on buying decisions for a longer amount of time, where other accounts take half the amount of time to work with. For example, it took from 9am-6pm (9 hours) to show one of our accounts the entire Fall 2013 line, while it took two days (18 hours approximately) to show another one of accounts Fall 2013 line. Some accounts only use one buyer, whereas one account we worked with this week had 4 people buying for them. It helps to have so many insights in the same room at once, but sometimes it makes it more difficult as well if the buyers can't come to an agreement. I usually work from 9-6 everyday on average and have been staying with my aunt in Short Hills, NJ so I take a half hour train into the city, so it isn't too bad. I will be working out of West Chest next week once again and then will be back in the city through Christmas.

What a P.R. Intern does

As a Design and Merchandising major, it was not expected that I would be completing a public relations internship, regardless of the fact that it is for an apparel company. I think that many other Design or Fashion majors would feel the same way. When I was first given this opportunity, I was skeptical that I would have the skills to perform on par with everyone else, as I have no training in P.R. Now that I am pretty far into this experience, I have learned that my self doubt was unnecessary, and would like to share some of the aspects of working in Public Relations for a clothing company.

I have many different job duties to perform while I am at my internship, mainly as an assistant to my supervisors who are made up of the P.R. Assistant, the P.R. Coordinators, the Manager and finally the Vice President of Public Relations in the New York showroom. This is one of my favorite aspects of the job, as I am able to interact and assist the entire P.R. staff and get a taste of what they all do. My main supervisors are the P.R. Coordinators, so one of my main job duties is to record and send out all of the samples which different publications request. The coordinators will receive emails from their contacts, requesting various samples for certain shoots. They will then pull the pieces or substitutions for them from the showroom, and then place them on a rack. Once they are pulled, it is our job to take photos, record style numbers and descriptions, and to package them to be sent out. Occasionally if it is busy in the office, they will give us the opportunity to pull the samples directly from the email, or find substitutions that we think would work well. When the garments are sent back to the showroom after the photo shoots, it is also our job to check them in by referring back to the original paperwork we recorded when they were checked out.

Aside from the checking in and out of the samples, there are other tasks that we are asked to complete based on what is going on in the office and who needs extra hands. This past week, my supervisors asked us to assist in the organization of the sample closet, by pulling out all of the samples of shoes and bags from last year and then organizing the current samples. This was not only a learning experience, but we also got to keep any of the old shoe samples that would otherwise be donated which was very rewarding. Other tasks can range from grabbing coffee, to sending out gifts for editors, or scanning through magazines to find our garments that have been used. Regardless of my initial skepticism, I have learned that the P.R. department of a clothing company can offer a lot of opportunity to a merchandising or fashion major, and is definitely a great learning experience. 

Back to Reality

Last week I decided not to post since I did not work since my post two weeks ago.  The break was much needed!  Last Friday was my first day back.  Since Melissa, one of the fabric coordinators, had just left the company, I had to help out by creating fabric swatches for our overseas vendors.  There was a bit of a hiccup when we couldn't find a whole roll of indian damask cupro jersey in azure and not cypress!  It sounds silly, but something like that can really set back production, especially since the style is only made in azure.  Luckily it was just hiding in the design department.

The past couple of days I have been putting together sample tech packs again for our overseas vendors to create.  The fabric manager wasn't there on Monday and it actually took much longer for Kathy and I to find the correct fabric and then cut it.  This just goes to show that everyone's job is really important no matter what it is.  Other than that, I have been updating the tracking report and various other reports. One I found quite difficult was the fabric content and care report.  A lot of the fabrics and its content/care weren't updated in the Buy Grid, and it was also a little sloppy.  Things weren't properly labeled as a lining or combo fabric for example.  Also the report has to be in English and French.  I've never taken French...

It feels as though my internship is winding down and I definitely have mixed emotions about it.  A part of me would like to move on to another company and/or department, but the other part of me absolutely loves working for Vera Wang.  The people are really what makes a company desirable, at least it is for me.  I am starting to open up and chat more with people in other departments besides my own and its a lot of fun.  What bummed me out again about the job opening was when people said, "Rumor has it you're going to be the new Melissa."  Obviously I can't since I'll still be in classes.  They actually just hired a temporary person to fill her spot.  I think I am going to talk to Kathy about whether or not I should try and co-op with Vera in the same department or a different one or just move onto a new company entirely.

The Holidays are Here

Although it seems like we just barely cleared all the candy out of our homes from Halloween, we must face the fact that the Holidays are quickly approaching. In the fashion world, the holiday look books and catalogs were being finished during the Summer time and now we are working on February and March issues, but even though we work far in advance, that doesn't mean that we leave the stress and craziness behind us! At QVC we want to make sure that everyone will be looking to us as the one stop shop for all of their holiday needs. In the look book we sent out months ago, we tried to provide options for everyone in a customer's life, gifts for mom, gifts for a fashionista, gifts for someone that's hard to buy for, etc.

Yesterday we had our monthly PR meeting where we went over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Although we have our look books out there already, that is for our media clients, but we are also trying to pitch to the everyday person before it gets too late. QVC has a great platform in that it is on TV and online. We talked about how through working here, we get pretty obsessed with the products we offer and can't seem to think as if we were regular customers anymore. One of the great things about QVC though is that there is literally everything from electronics to makeup and even electronic makeup (there is a heated eyelash curler that I have my eye on!)

Right now I have a pile of product on my desk and in boxes next to it that are waiting to be sent out for a beauty mailing. Last week, I had about 15 boxes to be sent out with perfume samples and the UPS site was down, so that was fun having to wait on that and make sure that they all went out by the end of the day. I'm still getting shipment notifications that they were undeliverable due to weather. This particular mailing that should be finished up some time this week is a great combo of makeup and fashion products. There is a great cashmere snood that might just make its' way to my Christmas list.

Some of the samples on my desk.

Last week, when I went to help out with the photo shoot (this is now my weekly Wednesday job) I saw a beautiful cashmere wrap that I couldn't help but touch every time I walked by. Sometimes I question whether or not is good to be working with so many nice things! Not to mention that in order to get to the photo studio, I have to walk past the kitchens where they prepare all the food for the on-air specials! Luckily, those things cannot be eaten because they use special non edible ingredients to make the food look the way it does on TV. (Another fun fact that I've picked up on from working here!)

A Polished Photo Shoot

     Last week, I recapped my experience filming Drexel students for a new Polished for Pennies feature on the blog. The video was posted this week and I'm so excited to share it with you! It was an amazing feeling to see the results of the work I had done.
     This week, I got to attend my first photo shoot as P4P intern. Polished for Pennies styled a beautiful "Boudoir Beauty" themed shoot with free-spirited photographer Cheyenne Gil. We incorporated dazzling jewelry from a local shop, Barbara B's Jewels and beaded and lace gowns from Gigi's Consignment Shop. I was responsible for making sure all of the garments and jewelry pieces were accounted for, as well as steaming the garments and dressing the models. I enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere of the shoot and the energy that all the creative women brought there. Each person was so good at what they were doing, whether it be styling, modeling, shooting, or makeup and hair. It was great to see passionate women working together to create something beautiful.
     Everything ran so smoothly, so there was really no stress. The fittings were done beforehand and there were a lot of hands on deck, so the entire photo shoot ran quickly and efficiently. We even took some headshots to put on the new blog, which came out really cute.
      I also took some behind-the-scenes photos for the blog. I'm enjoying becoming more involved with the content creation for the blog. As the professionals continue to work on the new website platform, I have more time to be creative in different ways than before, and it keeps me on my toes. Can't wait to share some of the photos with you!

A Wish Come True- Photo Shoots and Cocktail Parties

Hello everyone! It's almost the end of fall term! This one has really flown by!

This week at A Wish Come True there was a photo shoot on Tuesday for the Australia/New Zealand catalogue. There were about eighteen models; two of which were males. The girls had on anything from ballet to lyrical. One little girl had to model an Annie costume with a little red curly wig on! She was absolutely adorable! My job was the same as the last photo shoot: I got the shoes for the girls ready and tagged all the costumes that were done being photographed. 

Even though there were more models at this shoot, it actually went much faster than the last one did! We were scheduled to continue on until almost 5 and we ended at 3:30. I was warned that this photo shoot would take much longer and be a lot crazier because of all the little girls. It actually ended up going really well! The eight to ten year old girls are little adults! I heard one asking the other if she had Instagram-- not to mention she had her iPod touch that she was streaming videos from! I just could not believe how grown up these little girls were.

This photo shoot did determine for me that every little girl should wear a tutu. They look like little princesses and it is completely adorable!

The next day, I helped set up the booth in the photo shoot room. The booth expands to fit the entire space. It is what the company takes to trade shows and sets up. We had to attach the lights, side coverings, and expand the pop-up sign. I also had to make sure each costume matched up to the order in the catalogue. When we were done, I was shocked by how large the booth actually was!

This is the finished booth.

The booth was set up for the exclusive cocktail party that was being held for clients on Thursday and Friday. Renee, the head graphic design and marketing coordinator, planned the entire event. There were little gift bags and finger sandwiches, along with cocktails, for the clients. They went on a tour of the factory and models tried on the costumes they wanted to see. It was very nicely organized and interesting to peek in on.

I am interested in seeing what this week holds in store for me-- hopefully it will be just as exciting as the last!

In the meantime, try to keep warm and have a good week!

-Victoria

Back to New Jersey

Sorry to be posting a date late, I was having technical difficulties yesterday. This week at Full Circle Group LLC was very diverse. On Wednesday, our company had a meeting about the few upcoming months. The meeting was to go over each employee's plan-of-action for the season and to also go over our calendars to make sure we all have our schedules figured out. On Thursday, we all worked together to set up The North Face showroom in Wycoff, New Jersey. This involved unpacking, scanning, organizing, and hanging the Fall 2013 samples (just like I've been doing in Westchester for the past month). On Friday, I made a billboard for one of our accounts (a ski shop). To do this, I used The North Face's Dealer Marketing Resource Center to create the billboard using a template on that website, and then edited the ad in Photoshop. I also went through our Spring 2013 workbooks and Macy's and Macys.com orders to check which items in their order feature The North Face technology (such as Hyvent and Flashdry). For the next month, I will be working out of our NYC showroom helping to show the Fall 2013 to our accounts and am looking very forward to my first week working in NYC.

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

My co-op experience has been a bit of a wandering experience. As I have stated in previous posts, I'm a design and merchandising major who is working in two business and communication focused jobs. Before I began both of my internships, I was looking forward to venturing into new areas and honing in on my communication and marketing skills. But with this path that I am on, I have realized that I really liked the artistic and imaginative path that I was on before. My major has given me plenty of opportunities for creativity, whether it was using acrylic paints in my basic design courses, creating graphics and logos for my Computer Imaging classes, or writing about the fashion industry in my Survey of the Fashion Industry class, there was always room for self expression. Using my imagination and expressing a vision are skills that I miss using.

My friend recently commended me for realizing that I am not a “desk job” kind of girl. And although I love to write which requires sitting at a computer, I am not one to stare at a monitor for hours and answer emails, crunch numbers, do research, or analyze data. I am a creative girl. I enjoy painting, drawing, looking for inspiration, listening to music as I work, and creating work that represents my thoughts and ideas.

Now this may not seem like a significant statement, but it is actually. I have felt a bit lost recently and admitting that the “safe” route of a corporate and structured job is not for me is a huge step. Pursuing a creative path does not ensure a paycheck, stability, or success; in fact I believe it is one of the most difficult areas to go after. It takes courage and complete faith in your talents and abilities. And looking back, maybe that’s why I chose to pursue such business-orientated positions, because I thought it would ensure stability. As I wandered into these new areas, I have learned a lot about marketing, sales, event planning, and general business practices. Most importantly though, I learned what I do and do not like.

In conclusion, I am more sure than I ever was before that I want to start my own magazine one day. I know that nothing else is going to make me as happy as expressing my optimistic thoughts and ideas in the form of a fashion magazine to share with millions of women. And although I am still wandering, and probably always will be a bit in life, I know which direction my life needs to take and that is a priceless lesson that only work experience can teach a person. 

Hong Kong Newbie

I am in Hong Kong for an extension of my six-month co-op in New York. There, I worked for Nation Design, a design and wholesale manufacturing company. I met one of the factory owners, where Nation Design manufactures, while at a fashion show in New York and he suggested I come to China to learn the other side of the business. My internship in Hong Kong/China is split into two. First, I will work at Tungtex (Holdings) Co. Ltd., which is similar to my co-op in New York. They both design and manufacture apparel but Tungtex is totally vertical and my co-op in New York manufactured their merchandise all around the world. The second part of my internship will take place in mainland China, at another manufacturing company called Bonsai. There I will follow a designer around while she manufactures her collection for Spring 2013.

I arrived in Hong Kong on November 1^st, stayed two nights in a hotel while I found an apartment for my one-month stay in HK. I was advised by a few students and family members to wait upon arriving to Hong Kong before paying a deposit. It was suggested to see the apartment first because sometimes the apartment will not be the same as the photos showcased online.

Hong Kong is twelve hours ahead of Philadelphia (now 13 with the day light savings), so my first morning I was wide awake very early and ready to start apartment hunting!! The first three apartments where a huge letdown and I was nervous I wouldn’t find somewhere suitable to live until my meeting with a serviced apartment company that helps students find housing, Wing-Wong Holdings. The first apartment I saw through this company was still very small, dirty and smelt like mold! AHH! I know.. But the second apartment was a huge relief. Still small, but clean, an appropriate price, great location and roommates were friendly and about my age.

My first day at the internship at Tungtex (Holdings) Co. Ltd., in Kowloon, Hong Kong, began with a meeting with the General Manager, who I had been exchanging e-mails with for several weeks. She gave a tour of the office and introduced me to many of the employees. Soon after, there was a meeting with a fabric sourcing manager from Aritzia, a Canadian apparel company. (One of her previous positions was at Anthropologie at the Navy Yard in Philly! – small world.) The fabric sourcing manager and a group from Tungtex discussed how the Aritzia’s clothing, which was manufactured by Tungtex, had sold in previous seasons; strengths and weaknesses. They also discussed the issue of increased price in silk, which is Tungtex’s main distributed fabric. Silk’s driving cost was due to the bad harvest of the cocoon in September and is short 15%, rising price for buyers of silk.

In the afternoon, I observed a meeting at Tungtex that was held in Chinese. It was the company’s monthly meeting, where each member of the sales department showcased and discussed the garments they were working on for each company. Tungtex designs and manufactures for Anne Taylor, Ted Baker, Aritzia, to name some.

Today, I researched through two of the best fashion websites I have ever visited; WGSN.com and Stylesight.com, trends for Spring/Summer 2014. I was given three separate categories to find textile and style trends. One category was modern, science and sports. Second category was retro, California dreaming, raw and travel. Third category was exotic, floral, romantic and tropical. I put various photos in files for the design team to pick from for inspiration.

As for Hong Kong …. It’s really a cool city. Lots of shopping… many, many designer stores in the city and in the malls. The food is delicious, although I am a pescartarian (no poultry or red meat). The food is fresh and inexpensive. The subway system is very easy to get around and clean!! I take the subway to and fro work everyday, from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon . It costs $1.60 USD or $12.50 HKD. The ratio from USD to HKD is approximately 1 to 8.

More to come….!

Christa

The Culture Shock of NYC

Having grown up just outside Manhattan, I was somewhat more aware of its culture especially in comparison to the small town I lived in Connecticut. However after moving to Philadelphia three years ago for college, It was a whole new idea to compare the cultures of two large cities.

After living in Philly for a bit of time now, I have come to a few conclusions about its culture, especially in relation to fashion. First of all, the fashion here is unfortunately very limited. It is not just a lack of fabulous stores outside of Walnut Street, it is also the lack of women who embody fashion and high fashion. I have noticed that if I leave work in my heels and walk down the streets during the day, people stare as if I had a third leg. Although people claim that Philadelphians can be wild, rowdy, and even obnoxious, it is truly a city that has its own groups of people and their own characteristics, which they are known for.

While interning in New York, I began to absorb the culture differently, and naturally compared it to Philly. Working in the Fashion Industry, I instantly was aware of the high level of fashion’s presence in New York, from the industry to the people, especially in comparison to the lack of such in Philadelphia. When I wear heels to work in New York people do not only carry on as if it’s nothing unusual, it is almost expected in my industry. Women walk the streets in designer from head to toe, and the highest of heels, and those that walk by accept it as the normal. As for New York having a reputation as being “rude”, I would say it is number. There is a ton of character in New York, but it seems that nothing is new to New Yorkers anymore, and they focus on themselves in such a fast paced environment. 

Getting into the Swing of Things

I have been at QVC for over a month now, and I feel like I am finally getting into the swing of things. Granted, the hurricane messed me up for a few days because I was not here, but nevertheless I think that I now know the schedule of what goes on during a normal day. As I said in my last post, no two days are exactly identical here because things are constantly changing, but there are some things that do stay pretty regular.

For instance, I try to leave my apartment by 7:15am at the latest. Yesterday, I left before 7 and got here so quickly and was able to stop for coffee, but after that time, traffic gets pretty heavy not to mention the parking lot here fills up quickly and for some reason Tuesdays are the most crazy. I've heard that it's because that is when the most vendors are here. Typically, I go get breakfast at the cafeteria and everyone else doesn't get here until around 9:15. I like having about a half an hour in the mornings to settle down after my morning commute.

I usually have emails in my mailbox from the previous day from anything that I shipped that day. UPS sends confirmations letting me know that my packages have been sent out. The unfortunate thing is that these emails don't come until after 5pm most of the time and that is when I leave. In the beginning, I used to really get nervous if I didn't stay to forward the confirmation emails to my supervisor but now I have grown to accept the fact that I can just send them the following morning.

Last week, we got new perfume samples for one of the designers we carry and it was my job to package them in small boxes and then fill bigger boxes with crinkle paper and put the smaller box in that crinkle. The presentation of things such as this is super important because we send them to editors to try out and then hopefully talk about in their publication. Yesterday, it was my job to send all of those boxes out and of course the UPS site was down! We cut it very close when I was printing out and attaching the shipping labels to the boxes. The one thing that I had to be very conscious of when I was doing this was that the right shipping labels were placed on the right boxes because there were personalized notes inside for the editors. Long story short, it could be a disaster if the wrong editor got a note because then it shows that we don't respect them and why would they help us out and place a product if we can't even get their name right. This is very much a part of Public Relations because it is all about saying and doing the right things for the right people.

Tomorrow is the weekly photo shoot and we have some great new fashion and jewelry samples to shoot. I already saw a few pieces that I know will give me some trouble on the mannequin. There are two maxi skirts that definitely need to be steamed and I'm hoping that they aren't stubborn with releasing their wrinkles! That's all for now. I hope everyone else is starting to feel as comfortable as I am with my co-op!

Polished for Pennies Hits Drexel's Campus

My most recent assignment for Polished for Pennies incorporated several Drexel Students. "Polished for Pennies Hits the Streets" is a new segment for the blog that incorporates questions from readers that are answered by Vittoria on the blog. I was assigned to film Drexel students asking fashion, beauty and confidence questions directed toward Vittoria. I was very excited to incorporate my stylish friends into the videos and give them a glimpse of what's it like to be an intern for P4P.
     However, my first attempt did not work out in real life as I had imagined it in my head. I wanted to film students on campus, but the background noise of the city was distracting. Inside on campus was just as loud with students shuffling between classes. So most of the time I ended up in a classroom against a dull white wall. I also presented the project as more of a script than a conversation. Many of the subjects I chose were slightly nervous in front of the camera, so I thought giving them a guide of what to say would help the flow of their speech. However, in the end many sounded robotic or scripted instead of energized and enthused, like I had imagined.
     Although they were not exactly what I wanted, I had a deadline to get the videos to Vittoria, so I sent what I had over. I hoped that she could make some of the takes work with her editing skills. Vittoria had some sound advice. If I was unsure I could have asked for more time or tips. I redid the videos close up and outside. I filmed some girls asking the questions together, to feed off of each other's energy. I took more time editing out takes I knew weren't quite right. The second batch of videos warranted a much better response from Vittoria, and I was very proud of them. This project taught me to trust my gut and ask for help if I'm struggling with a process.
     Vittoria is now in the process of editing the videos for her blog, in which she will answer all of these students questions! I'm excited to see how it turns out, and hope to be a part of the editing process next time. What I've loved most about this internship so far is pushing myself to try new things I never thought I would be doing. Having never edited a video for online viewing, I think it would be a fun experience.
 

A Wish Come True- Sandy...

Hello everyone! I hope you all stayed safe during the hurricane this last week!

I only had two days of work this week. The factory was closed Monday and Tuesday and then on Wednesday. Funny story about Wednesday though!

I called the office and the phones were out. I had no contact numbers otherwise, which was a fault on my part-- although I had given my boss my phone number a while ago. I got dressed up in my costume since it was Halloween. I was Medusa so I had snakes in my hair and looked pretty wild. Drove to work, and when I got there, no lights were on. Luckily, the woman who works the front desk showed up too. She did not get the message either. We swapped contact numbers and then she passed mine along. I found out my boss forgot to add my number into her phone. But I know that I showed my dedication to work since I still showed up in full costume. I also learned my lesson to ask for phone numbers ahead of time.

I had to work over an hour later on Thursday since we only had two days and normal time on Friday. I was busy with costing and filing and samples. However, I was not as busy as I had expected to be. I got all my work done and can say that I had a pretty good week.

This coming week there is a photo shoot for the Australia and New Zealand clients. I should be really busy with that and then we are hosting a cocktail party for clients at the end of the week! They will get a tour of the factory and see the new costumes in person.

Have a good week everyone, we are already entering week 7!

-Victoria

The North Face Lifestyle

This week at work, I finally finished organizing the Fall 2013 samples for our company's reps. One of the reps, Pete, came in this week and made his selection of what he is going to take on the road with him to show to his accounts. We receive samples of everything from The North Face in almost all of the colors offered, but the reps pick and choose what they want to take with them. Each rep takes care of different areas of the Mid-Atlantic, and the types of accounts vary. Some of the reps handle more lifestyle-based accounts, some are running and performance accounts, some are ski-shop accounts, so it all depends on what they think their clientele would be interested in. 

One thing I have really appreciated working at The North Face is the enthusiasm for the company that my co-workers have. Everyone I work with skis, snowboards, runs, bikes, does yoga, and any other type of athletic activity that you could possibly think of. So they not only work for the brand, but also wear the brand 24/7 and can talk about The North Face products from personal experience. I am very athletic, but no where near to the extent that my co-workers are. It's awesome to work for a company that technology and performance is at the core of everything that they do, as opposed to fashion and style being the basis of the company (like most other clothing companies). It's been a whole new outlook to work for a company like The North Face. It's great to work with people that are so committed to the brand.

Crossing Paths

When speaking about the city of Philadelphia to non-natives, the way I describe the city's faults are by explaing that these downfalls give the city "character." The dirtyness and liter, abundance of crimes, lack of up-keep, "interesting people," freakishly fanatic sports fans, and overall lack of class compared to cities such New York or Washington D.C. is this "character" that I am referencing. But as my Co-Op, internship, and college education progress in Philadelphia, there are many brighter notes that I am learning about the city. In addition to being a native myself, having an internship with the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and a Co-Op with Philadelphia Magazine, you could say that I am learning the in's and out's of the city and its surronding region.

Both of my jobs require a great amount of research for the tasks that I am assigned. With this research, I am finding the two positions overlapping. For example, while working at Philadelphia Magazine last week, I was researching council members of the Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, at the Chamber of Commerce, I was archiving articles written by Philadelphia Magazine. It has been a bizarre but very interesting experience having these two positions cross paths. I especially feel that this conjuction is causing me to learn about the city of Philadelphia on a very in depth level.

And although it has only been five weeks into my full time working experienece, I can firmly say that Philadelphia is a great place to intern and work. For example, did you know that...

Philadelhpia is home to 13 Fortune 500 companies in with 321 having offices in the region and 119 having headquarters located within a 200-mile radius. 

Philadelphia has a lower cost of living than the other major northeast metros including New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Baltimore. 

Per capita personal income of $50,730 in 2012; personal income per household of $134,610.

Greater Philadelphia has been ranked among America’s hottest metropolitan areas for businesses to locate.

Philadelphia ranked in the top 20 in the "Top Cities for Staying Young,"

100 million people are within a one-day drive

(All data taken from Select Greater Philadelphia's website.)

So While New York is the Fashion Capital of the United States, Washington D.C. is clean and modern, and other cities like Miami have beautiful weather and landscapes, Philadelphia is pratical, full of business opportunities, rich in history, and oh yeah don't forget, has plenty of character.

While I will never bleed green for the Phildelphia Eagles, and probably never consume a cheesesteak from Geno's, a few years from now I will most likely choose Philadelphia to be the region in which I start my own company.

Inconvenient Sandy

Today's post will be pretty short today since I didn't work Monday and Tuesday due to Hurricane Sandy.  The office is currently closed, so I will not be coming in until next Friday.  I'm not sure if there is any damage to the office or not, but last Friday people covered up the windows.  I know that some of the trains still aren't up and running as well.  Hopefully Bolt Bus will be back on schedule next week!

Last Friday I had the chance to pack a few samples for our factories overseas.  Each sample is placed into its own bag with all of the fabric needed to create it.  It's important to double check everything that is being shipped since it would definitely set back production times.  Also included with the samples are its cutter's must sheet which are garment specifications.

I am starting to get really close with my boss, Kathy, and the other women that work in the office.  I will definitely be sad to leave in December.  There is actually an opening in our department and Kathy has told me she is going to recommend me, but what bums me out is that I won't be graduating anytime soon!  It really is such a tease!  I mentioned in my first post that I haven't gone on co-op yet.  To tell you the truth, I'm a little nervous for A Round opening up on Saturday.  I did, however, apply to a ton of internships today from previous contacts and through emails found on designers' websites.  I'm crossing my fingers!