A little about me.

I’m Lili, a recent Sup de Luxe graduate in Luxury Brand Marketing and International Management. My passions are couture, travel and art. Originally from Paris, France, I have lived in Singapore, Dubai, London, and did my undergrad at LCF in Buying and Merchandising, before discovering my love of Marketing and PR. My mantra is ‘just do it’, because you don’t know until you try. Nike must have borrowed it from me!

Why do an internship abroad?

My main goal when deciding to go abroad was to get out of my comfort zone and put myself into the shoes of the future me – a graduate with a career in fashion, living in NY. Having done a lot of research online and listened to a TED talk on the importance of using travel and internships as a medium to grow and develop, doing an internship was an obvious step to take in achieving my goal of breaking into fashion PR in New York, which was and still is my dream!

How did I arrive at Fashion Week Internships?

FashionWeekInternships.com was one of three organisations recommended to me by my course leader, and having interviewed with The Intern Group and Global Experiences, only Fashion Week Internships demonstrated a real understanding of the industry, which resonated with me. Fashion Week Internships understood my reasons for wanting to work in New York, and recognised how important it was to find the right host company for me, which they did. The other companies I spoke to, were extremely professional but didn’t have the same level of knowledge about the industry, and that really came across during my interviews.

Did the dream meet reality?

There were so many standout moments that made the experience extraordinary, but the most memorable, and the thing that I cherish most, was the people. Having the opportunity to meet so many funny, wild, professional, inspiring, intense, creative and amazing people, lit up my days and without sounding cliched – inspired me to grow and filled me with confidence. From my work colleagues at KCD, to my roomies, to the staff at Freidman’s (the best food in NY), everyone went the extra mile to make me welcome, which I feel changed me in a profound way.

I met with Carolyn (my New York point of contact) just once during my first week to say hi and to collect a special tee that Fashion week internships had sent for me. Midway through my placement she called to see how things were going, and during my last week she invited me for drinks at 230 Fifth with some of the other FWI interns, which was lovely. My other contact was with the London staff, who helped me with my La Guardia taxi to Manhattan, and also called the day I arrived and on my first day to wish me good luck, and check I was all set.

This may sound arrogant but as a bit of control freak, I was uber prepared and ready to go weeks before I travelled to New York, which gave me time to relax and enjoy each day, not having to worry about the little things like money or time. Making an itinerary of places to visit and experience on my google map application led to me discover lots of secret spots like a piece of the Berlin Wall (go figure!) in Midtown, and Cake Bar, or Le Boudoir (so chic).

My days began with a short walk to Soulcycle for a 6.15am ride, followed by breakfast on the go (skinny latte, and protein bar!). Work begins at 8.30am with checking overnight mails, and then talking to Bryony to get some direction on the day, which would normally involve team and management meetings, organising collections or deliveries of samples for press or to go to out to Showroom 475, writing and checking copy, managing the diary, managing RSVP for events, and then heading over the showroom in the

The city really never sleeps!

New York as my home for the whole 8 weeks, and I made sure to enjoy and experience everything the city had to offer, from the more touristy things like the Staten Island Ferry, SouthStreet Seaport, Brooklyn, Fifth Avenue, Times Square, Broadway, The Empire State and Chrysler Building, to more off-beat locations like Carmines (best pasta in NY!), Chinatown, Parks Slope, St. Marks Place, Barcade (trust me, try it), and Bowery Ballroom. Outside of New York, Upstate New York was just a few hours drive away, but felt like it was a million miles away, with it’s lush green open spaces, syrup tasting factories, centurys old barn bars, and huge open water lakes.

Shreya and me.

I roomed in a homestay with Shreya, a student at Marangoni in Italy, who was interning at RED Models. We got on really well, as we both had similar passions and interests. Fashion Week Internships introduced us both to our host family, pairing us together because of our placement locations. The room was large (for New York), and Shreya and I shared an en-suite bathrrom. The David’s were very friendly, professional, but also really welcoming.

My program manager advised me to savour every opportunity and to be brave enough torynew things, to get the most out of my experience, which I believe I did in every way. Going to New York, straight after a 3-week trip to Greece, I was relaxed and ready to go, but it still took the first week to get used to the long work days, and to snap out of holiday mode, so be prepared!

Should you do it?

Without any hesitation, I would recommend this experience to others students. Interning in New York, is a once in a lifetime experience, full of challenges, fun, meeting new people, and sharing experiences, which all help you grow. For these reasons alone I cannot rate the experience high enough!

I got my first job, as a direct result of my internship! That is the impact the internship has had on my life! During the last two weeks of my internship I began sending my curriculum vitae out to companies back here, and was able to sit four first round interviews while still out in New York, and then followed up with face to face meetings the week I got back. Getting a glowing reference from Jennifer helped me immensely and being able to talk confidently about my experience (I feel) gave me the edge, and I started work last month.

Make an impact

Meaningful travel to me is travelling sustainably, exploring your surroundings outside of the well-beaten paths, and getting to know what really drives a city, because that is what makes it special and unique, and is where you find its soul. In New York, that meant getting out and meeting people, eating the food, sharing in local customs, and pardon the cliche ‘living-local’. New York is an honest city, that has so much to offer.

If you read this far, thanks for sticking with me. Live your dream…….

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