Expectations

My internship is over in a couple of weeks, and I am beginning to have mixed emotions. Prior to this opportunity, I was eager to get out of Philadelphia and into the working world. I had an internship on top of school during my sophomore year, so I figured having a full time job without school would allow for more free time. I was wrong, and right in some cases.

For one, having a full time job does allow for more free time (unless fashion week is nowhere in sight). I have been able to focus on my own interests and activities without having to worry about schoolwork and deadlines. However, I have noticed that my energy is completed drained after work. I have started to look forward to casual nights in with my favorite take out order in hand. Working full time is very different than school. This opportunity has given me a glimpse into adulthood, and although I am excited for it in the future, I am definitely thankful I still get to be a student for the next year. I pride my education and love learning, but I think we can all say sometimes we take it for granted. We look at it more as a hassle than a blessing. Having the chance to intern has shown me the importance of my education.

My friend Laura playing dress up on her last day

Making new friends also never crossed my mind. I was so focused on the job part that I didn’t think about how important it is to like the work environment. Thankfully, I absolutely love the people I work with. As the only American intern, I have been able to connect with a diverse group of individuals. Germany, London, France, Australia, Columbia, the interns’ come from all over the world! It has been great working with people who are equally as enthusiastic about the work. I am thankful that this experience has brought me to make some of my greatest friendships. Unfortunately, a lot of the interns have been slowly trickling away as the weeks go by. Saying goodbye has been difficult, especially since most of them have to fly back home to Europe. Although its unfortunate that they will no longer be in New York, I now have plans to travel to see their home countries. Overall, working with people from different backgrounds and cultures has been one of my favorite unexpected experiences during my internship. This aspect makes Marc Jacobs a truly unique company.

On Camera: HuffPost Live

On this past quiet Sunday evening, I received one of the most unexpected emails, well, ever. A producer from HuffPost  had read my articles here on d&m@Work and wanted me to contribute to a segment on the effects of commuting. Yeah, I thought it was a joke at first too, but I knew I had nothing to lose.

I myself was rather unfamiliar with HuffPost Live, so I did a bit of binge watching the night before. Each segment is hosted by a Huffington Post correspondent who presents a topic along with a panel of individuals with relevant experiences who contribute via web chat.

 Huffington Post notes their Third Metric initiative is to redefine success to include well-being, wisdom and compassion: "The current model of success -- which equates success with burnout, sleep deprivation, and driving ourselves into the ground -- isn't working." This particular segment was addressing a recent study conducted in the U.K. that correlated longer commute times with greater levels of unhappiness and anxiety. Much to my dismay, all of the data noted a relationship between bus and coach travel and the highest level of stress. You can probably all infer that I was not the least bit surprised.

The other contributors consisted of an avid biker and blogger from Seattle, a screenwriter who commuted to work by car in Los Angeles, and a researcher from Wales. Dr. Newman, the researcher, concluded that individuals who walk or bike to work by choice are more content because they feel more in control of their situation. I realized immediately that my commute was so stressful because I am merely an passive rider. I'm subject to weather, traffic and drivers who don't know their way around and ends up making a wrong turn or two. It was also noted that economics played a significant role in the way people choose to commute, and as my internship is unpaid I can only afford to take the most inexpensive method of transport: the bus. Despite my less-than-ideal commuting situation, my supervisors are not only incredibly understanding but also respectful of the effort I'm making to commute such a long distance in order to work.

Check out the video here!

In Her Bag: Winter Edition

One of my favorite sections to run in The Triangle is a feature called "In Her/His Bag," where we unpack a student's bag and have them talk about what they have inside. As the primary photographer for the Style section, I like it because I enjoy piecing everything together like a puzzle for the photos, but it also gives us a revealing look into what that person considers their most essential items. Maybe this is just a reflection of how our consumer culture has become such a prominent part of our day-to-day lives, or maybe I'm just nosey. Here, I've emptied my bag to show you my own work-day essentials.

Madewell Sloan Satchel: Some people are shoe people, some are bag people, but I wouldn't consider myself to be either. I have three or four bags that I rotate based on occasion, with one for everyday, a larger tote for school, and smaller bags for going out. After completely destroying several of my everyday purses, I realized how important it was to invest in quality items, especially when it's something being used every day. This is my second Madewell leather bag and I'm absolutely in love. I'll also note that all of these items were a bit of a tight squeeze...I couldn't close the zipper!

Urban Outfitters Wallet: I bought this wallet on sale about a year ago after I broke the zipper on my previous one. I love the floral motif and sometimes, when I'm in a rush or only have to go a short distance, I'll carry it alone. It never fails to receive a compliment or two. I also like wallets that don't fold or crush my dollar bills.

Madewell Teddy Loafers: On this particular day last week, I was trudging through a lot of slush and puddles, so wearing my wellies to work was essential. I knew I wouldn't want to stomp around the office in rain boots all day so I stuffed these flats into my bag.

Asos Cable Knit Beanie: Up until a few weeks ago, I didn't own a winter hat. I know that sounds maddening, and you're probably shouting "Courtney, no wonder you're always freezing!" But I'll let you know I have a pair of earmuffs that I used on the daily. I've recently succumbed to the beanie trend and it's actually a million times warmer, which should come as no surprise. The things I'll do to protect my hair...

Moleskine Weekly Planner: I'm not sure what it is about Moleskine notebooks, but they're my favorites. Maybe it's their luxurious leather covers, fun colors or interior pockets. I splurged a bit on this one but it's essential in order for me to stay on top of my myriad of obligations: class, work, the newspaper, D&M Magazine, shifts at my part-time job, when to go grocery shopping, etc. If I don't pencil in time to sleep, I probably won't do it.

Micron Pen: I love a good inky pen. Nothing is more satisfying than a nice, dark inky pen line.

1GB USB Drive: Anything less just wouldn't do, and at any given moment I'll have half-a dozen working layouts for the magazine and photos for the newspaper stored on this guy.

Burt's Bees Lip Balm: This is a year-round necessity for me, but it's especially helpful in the bitter midst of winter.

Hair Ties/Bobby Pins: When I finally get home at the end of the day, I often find myself running back and forth to either clean up the mess I made that morning or making dinner. The last thing I want is hair in my face or hair in my food, so I always have something on hand. You also never know when you'll be caught in some bad weather, so I also consider this my Bad Hair Day Emergency Kit.

Samsung Galaxy S4 & Klipsch Headphones: Would you believe me if I told you this was my first smartphone? It was a gift for my birthday last spring, and I was so reluctant to switch because I pay for my own phone bill. Now that I've owned an Android I know I could never go back to a device without a mobile network. Welcome to the 21st century, self. These Klipsch earbuds are also noise-cancelling and are lifesavers whether I'm commuting on the bus or on the subway.

Make sure you check out the next issue of the Style Section for a new In Her Bag feature!

#MotivationNation

Being part of a collective whole allows the exposure to see things from all angles and to experience things as other people are experiencing them. Not only have I developed my hard skills of working with various software and databases, my soft skills are continually being strengthened as I work with various types of people. Contributing alongside the pulsating beat that is my team, we strive to create an aroma of positivity and inspiration infectious to our surroundings. Growing from the knowledge ensued from each day prior, we continue to better ourselves for the sake of the team. Learning, loving, and laughing, we move forward into the future of our own success!

Some of my favorite #positiveenergy posts.... find yours here. 

Start each day with a smile and a sense of renewal.

Paint the picture you want your life to look like.

Keeping Up With The…

Working over 200 miles away from my fellow employees makes it easy to get out of the loop. Constant communication is necessary to stay up to date, and thankfully, technology makes it easy to do so. Being able to communicate with my employees no matter where I am physically helps me to stay connected and updated. Emails and texts are our primary source of communication, however we have a weekly phone call that lasts about an hour. Additional short calls depending on what projects we're working on or news that has come up will occur sporadically throughout the week when we are both available. 

Our weekly call involves major updates to Colour of London's performance schedule and primarily involves the delegation of what graphics I need to produce for that week. At the start of every week, (either Monday or Tuesday) we have a team phone call and schedule deadlines for the necessary graphics that are being assigned. Each week I am responsible for our continuing social media campaigns that involve posting a 'lyric of the week' graphic on Saturdays and a morning inspiration graphic every Sunday. Every two weeks I am responsible for creating a e-newsletter sent out to all Alex and Ani retail and corporate employees. The departmental newsletter includes the newly added songs to the retail playlist in all Alex and Ani stores and includes an update on Colour of London,  whether that be upcoming shows, recent press, or newly released music. 

In addition to those requirements, each week I'm responsible for additional graphics pertaining to recent events, holidays, or promotional packages. For example, this past Valentine's Day,  I created a graphic to post on all social media with lyrics to their single "Shine Out," the main song you will hear in Alex and Ani television and radio commercials. We also had the lead singer post an Instagram video singing the lyrics used in the graphic. It's important to always keep in mind how we can tie any post for social media back to the Colour of London brand. 

Lucky for me, the digital age makes it physically impossible not to stay in touch. And with so much physical space between me and my coworkers, communication is the key force that connects us.  

**

Listen & download "Shine Out" for free here: http://www.briterevolution.com/artists/colouroflondon/

To PR, or not to PR? That is the Question

After about a month of interning with the PR team, I knew something was missing. I knew there was more to the industry than just one corner of the office and I wanted to experience as much as I could. I went to speak with the HR Director and she suggested I switch departments half way through my co-op. So, once January began I would finish out my co-op in the sales department, but back in October I wanted to be open and enjoy every second I had left in PR, since this was initially where I wanted to be and what I would be doing.

Most of our days in the PR office were relatively the same. We would write up samples, create press clippings from all the current magazines, and track down merchandise for our celebrity stylists. When I found out we were going to participate in a Press Preview for the BCBGMAXAZRIA and Herve Leger Spring ‘14 collections (both Runway and RTW), I was beyond excited. This was what I loved about PR and this was an opportunity I had been waiting for, especially since I missed out on September Fashion Week. The morning of the event we arrived to the office at 7:00 am to assist the visual team in finalizing the showroom. It was great to have the opportunity to collaborate with another team and learn something new about the industry. By 10:00 am the showrooms were complete and the first appointments were starting to begin. At first our jobs were to bring all the buyers, editors and bloggers to meet with someone from the PR team to walk them through the collections. After about an hour the showroom was overbooked and they started having us, the interns, walk all the fashion icons through the collections. At first I was a little intimated to walk them through something I wasn’t prepped on what to say or do, however, I had been watching the PR team and the rest of the fashion world talk about the collections that I managed to know exactly what I was talking about. I got to walk several bloggers and editors through the collections, which was an unexpected, but incredible experience. I had the ability to network with some of fashion’s best and I am so grateful that the PR team trusted me enough to give me such an important task. It is opportunities and events like these that make me fall in love with the PR world and miss the PR office and team. Overall I don’t regret not doing my full 6 months with PR, but it is moments like these where I still question what position I desire and what kind of work environment I dream to be a part of.

Coterie Setup

As these six months of co-op come to a end, I can't stop reflecting on all that is happened and all that I've learned. For instance, this officially marks my fourth set up of a trade show. A week into starting co-op I did my first set up and I felt overwhelmed to say the least. Now, even the though the show is still just as insane, I know what I am doing and can go about it on my own. Its very rewarding knowing  that everyone, including myself, is confident enough in my abilities to give me such responsibilities.

So I thought I'd give you an outline of what a day is like working display for a trade show setup. Firstly, you spend the week or so before prepping all the display you can make beforehand. The day before you make sure you have everything you need and pack it all up for the movers and separate out what will need to be hand carried.  Now on to the day of: 

7:40AM:Wake Up and get ready.

8:40AM: Get coffee and a bagel (you will need it!)

9:00AM: Meet the movers at the showroom and realize that you need ladders, so you run around the showroom getting those together.

Workers still papering our empty booth

9:15AM: Meet the Uber and pile all the supplies into the car and hope the driver doesn't hate you.

9:30AM: Get to the show, get your passes, wait in line to use the elevator, find your booth and pray everything is finished and done right.

The signs I painted and embellished

9:45AM: Find out your booth is not done being papered and you have no electrical. Get people on that STAT.

10:00AM: Start painting logos on booth walls

12:00PM: Finally finish painting all five logos and realize how weird your eyes feel and how cramped your hand is. 

12:05PM: Start new task of glueing pre-prepped lace patches along walls and embellishing with sequins

1:30PM: Break from lunch

1:40PM: Get interrupted at lunch when the sales team arrives and needs help bringing in boxes.

Rug the team and I spent 8 hours embroidering

2:00PM: Get back to booth and finish eating.

2:10PM: Start placing rugs

2:30PM: Continue embellishing the walls while the sales team runs around frantically trying to get their stuff organized and ready. 

Pretty shoe booth!

4:30PM: Go over to the shoe booth to set up the chandelier 

5:30PM: Go back to main booth and continue adding embellishments to walls

6:00PM: Help Mallory set up center hanging moment

6:30PM: Clean up and take pictures of work

7:00PM: Call Uber and again stuff the car to the brim and head back to the showroom

8:00PM: Drop stuff off at the showroom and finally go home. 

Mallory doing her thing

A partial view of the booth

Trade shows are crazy, high energy, and very demanding. They are a whirlwind of a day and certainly an experience I will never forget from my co-op.

Dreams & Aspirations

This week was an important and exciting week for the Visual Arts class at the middle school. The 6th and 7th graders visited Drexel University and attended a tour at The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. The highlight of my week was when one of the students asked the tour guide, “Can I live here?”. The tour guide responded, “I assume so, if you pay the tuition.”

Tuesday was a work in progress day for the middle school students for my Independent Study. We are still working on The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s Project due to the snow days. Surprisingly, we completed a lot of work in class. A couple of students finished creating the signage while a shy 6th grader sorted the paper cut out sneakers and formed them into a shape of a giant sneaker following our initial designs in a matter of minutes. The rest of the 6th grade students created and decorated trees utilizing tissue paper for the leaves and construction paper for the tree trunk. One of the 6th grade students who seemed uninterested during the first couple of weeks due to his lack of self confidence in his artistic ability began to prepare the tissue paper, help me clean up, and gather materials after class ended. However most of the 7th graders seemed very uninterested in creating and decorating paper cut outs of the skyline for the bicycle theme. They seemed more interested in catching up on the latest gossip or running around the classroom.

On Thursday, only 8 students turned in their permission slip so they were allowed to take a field trip to Drexel University. Unfortunately, one got into a fight earlier so he was unable to attend. It was sad because he seemed very disappointed. We took the Septa bus from the middle school to Drexel’s campus. On the bus ride my supervisor gave each student a bag of healthy snacks. Once we finally arrived at Antoinette Westphal, students immediately began taking pictures to post on their social media platforms. The tour guide came and gave a tour of the school’s classrooms and facilities from the top floor down. Towards the end of the day, they met up with the Visual Merchandising class where the D&M students gave presentations.

Decisions

Everyone's Fashion Week posts are making me really wish I had taken a job in New York or at least had the chance to experience a high fashion co op job for a week.  There are so many benefits to seeing that aspect of the fashion world.  I would love to see designer collections before they are released and have the opportunity to mingle with some of the biggest names in the industry, but because I work in corporate fashion, I don't have those same opportunities and the CEO's are just normal business men.  There are some things I really do enjoy when it comes to this market.  I like knowing I will only have to work from 9am- 5pm everyday and having a very causal dress code.  Being able to wake up with the knowledge I can thrown on some leggings and Uggs and that it a totally acceptable thing to wear to work is always comforting (that's only happened once btw). 
Reading posts about high fashion co ops always makes me wonder which industry I would enjoy working in more.  As some one who does not like to work at night and hates morning I definitely feel that corporate fashion suits my lifestyle better but who doesn't want the chance to be walking into a fashion show behind Anna Wintour (that was amazing Jaclyn).  Throughout my whole co op experience, one thing I have learned is that I really hate being behind a computer all day and I would like to do something more artistic and hands on, which will now be a very important factor in choosing a job once I leave college.  Whether my dream job be in New York at a designer label, or in a corporate office somewhere else, co op has definitely put me one step closer to figuring out what type of job I would like to try once I graduate. 

New York Without the Fashion Week

Earlier this week, one of our instructors asked a student to recount her experiences at New York Fashion Week. Like me, she's working as a PR intern for a designer in New York, but she worked during fashion week and I didn't.

At first, I felt the pangs of FOMO - the Fear of Missing Out. Why didn't I work at fashion week? Why didn't I intern with an American designer? Why didn't I do more and work harder?

Even the two other interns were sent to KCD on the first Friday of fashion week to stuff envelopes for show invitations, whereas I was in the office all day taking care of press clippings and the like. But, at about 4 in the afternoon, the woman's PR coordinator called me over to ask something important. She handed me a corporate credit card and a look book. I need you to go to this address and pick up these looks from this person, she said. They were just shooting these looks today, so I needed to verify that each and every piece was in the garment bag. I grabbed my coat and I embarked on my mission to recover two runway looks.

Hailing a cab was no problem, and it wasn't long before I had arrived at Highline Stages in the Meatpacking District. I stepped out of the cab into a pile of brown roadside snow...and a cluster of photographers. They weren't taking photos of me, I'm pretty sure, but there were a series of mini photo shoots all over the sidewalk. One tall model-esque man with floppy blonde hair was changing his shirt under an overhang. A woman in a fuzzy coat was being instructed to walk back and forth across the sidewalk in the same spot. Another woman in a pretty unimpressive outfit was leaning against a doorway for a shot. But, most importantly, most of them were in my way. I had to weave through a photog and "excuse me" my way into the door.

I entered the third floor studio and it looked like a scene from a movie. Indie music was playing in the background, fashion assistants dressed in all black were organizing racks of clothing, and a seamless and lights were set up in the middle of the room. And then I saw her. I'm probably not allowed to say her name, but I will say that she is a former international Vogue editor and street-style darling who was shooting for her own independent publication. And I was in the same room as her.

At that point I was so overwhelmed that I dropped a very expensive designer silk blouse to the floor and left the fashion assistant scrambling to pick it up. They then insisted that I let them pack up the samples while I stood there and stared at one of the most influential editors in the industry. The whole experience lasted about five minutes, and even though I tried my best to be cool and nonchalant, I'm pretty I looked as excited as I felt.

When I got back to the office, I returned the credit card and lookbook to my supervisor and asked what the shoot was for. She confirmed my suspicion and I got all excited again. "I have to go tweet this!" I exclaimed, rather embarrassingly, and she and the men's coordinator both laughed. On my way out, as I wished everyone a good night, she said to remember, you saw that editor today.

So I didn't go to New York Fashion Week, and now everyone has left for the Milan shows leaving me once again feeling like I missed out. But I was in the same room as one of the most influential international fashion editors, so that's cool I guess.

Cloud Nine

Ombre fur bomber coats, flared knit pants, with a touch of Pucci inspired waves, there was nothing I disliked about Marc Jacobs Fall 2014 collection. Prior to the show, my imagination was running wild thinking about how each piece was going to come together as a whole. The day before the show felt slightly like a blur. A large part of my day was spent carrying over fifty samples through the subway, hoping they would get there safely and on time (I swear my muscles have grown since fashion week). By nighttime, everyone was working to finalize and perfect each piece. The lack of sleep added an element of excitement and reality to this experience. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that the show was just a day away. By 11 PM, the whole floor celebrated with cake and we were each given a Marc Jacobs bag filled with gifts. The energy in the office was surprisingly high for such little sleep.

The following day was hectic, but not as chaotic as I had anticipated. Everything seemed to be under control and running smoothly. By 6 PM, we were dismissed to go home allowing me enough time to put myself together before the show. Before walking out the door, my boss handed me a gold heart (the invitation) and a wristband for the after party. At this point it finally hit me that everything we have been working for was just two hours away.

Image from the New York Mag

The walk to the Armory was quite a challenge. I was forced to trek through a maze of puddles in an effort to avoid getting wet. In the midst of this process, Bill Cunningham was taking pictures of me. When I realized he was capturing me in my prime (sense the sarcasm?) I tried to be as graceful as possible. I somehow managed to arrive at the door in one piece. As I pulled out my invitation, Anna Wintour stepped in front of me and casually walked up the steps. I followed suit, and couldn't help but feel a little flabbergasted that I was walking directly behind the fashion queen herself. When I arrived inside, I was amazed with the largeness of the runway and the overall set design. The ceiling was filled with white clouds, creating a fantasy like environment. As for the seating, everyone sat front row. The runway was designed to display the clothing as best as possible, leaving less of a focus on the guests. My vision of the show was finally starting to come together more. The show kicked off with Jessica Lange’s haunting voice, reciting a poetic piece about happy days ahead.

Happy days are here again,

The skies above are clear again,

Let us sing the song of cheer again,

Happy days are here again.

So long, sad times,

Go long, bad times, we are rid you at last.

Howdy, gay times.

Cloudy gray times,

You are now a thing of the past.

All together,

Shout it now


There’s no one who can doubt it now,

We will tell the world about it now


Happy days are here again

Your cares and troubles are gone, 


There’ll be no more from now on,

Happy days are here again,

The skies above are clear again,


Let us sing the song of cheer again,


Happy days are here again.

The entire show gave me chills. I could not help but feel emotional and thrilled to be standing before such a beautiful evolving process. I felt honored to be able to experience the design progression, and then witness the final collection before my very eyes. This opportunity validated my love for this industry and I felt that indeed, happy days are here again.

"Oops…I did it again"

Liberace Quote at the Cosmopolitan 

After a strenuous and educational Fashion Week, I was more than ready to go on a mini vacation to celebrate my 21^st birthday in Las Vegas. Or so I thought. As I started to pack for my trip, the thought of missing a week of work was taking over my excitement to see my favorite pop star, Britney Spears, for her show in Vegas. I knew how thrilled my mom was to go on a mini vacation with me so I tried to not let the stress of missing work show. Once we landed in Vegas, stepped out in the 70 degree weather my thoughts of missing work disappeared. My mom couldn’t wait to show me The Strip and the second we settled in we went out to explore all the hotels and casinos. The Wynn was by far my favorite hotel, the lobby was filled with fresh flowers and had the most beautiful floral arrangements hanging from the ceiling outfitted next to a beautiful carousel made solely from flowers. Caesar’s and the Venetian were also must see’s due to their incredible replications of Italian landmarks. I was amazed at the displays and sets that created the environment these casinos had to offer. My mom was impressed at my awareness as I would point at tiny details of product placement or visual elements, but with that, my mind would run back to what I learned while on co-op. Oops…I did it again, my thoughts were drifting back to the fear of missing work. But the Michael Jackson One by Cirque du soleil show quickly brought me back to reality and from there on I enjoyed every part of Vegas and spending time with my mom. My favorite part of the trip was by far seeing Britney Spears’ Piece of Me show; it felt so good to let lose, dress up, and scream and shout to my favorite singer. I felt that my co-op experience helped me better appreciate the things Vegas had to offer, such as the gimmicky hotels, the Liberace quotes, and the spectacular costumes and shows.

Floral Carousel at The Wynn  

Britney Spears at Piece of Me

Before co-op I wouldn’t have had a care in the world about taking a vacation, and to Vegas of all places, but since working I have realized how much I have grown and matured. It’s amazing to me that at 21 years old I can say I worked full time at a fashion house for a sufficient amount of time where I have learned way more than I bargained for. Although I am starting to miss class and my spending time with my sorority sisters in Philadelphia all I can think about is how can I continue working while in class. Working at BCBGMAXAZRIA and living in New York City has given me the confidence to explore new places, create new and strong relationships, while also helping me form lifelong goals and mold my future. I am so grateful I got the chance to visit Las Vegas, see my favorite Pop Star, and spend time with my mom, but I am also so thankful to be back in New York and to get back to work!