Is the fashion industry all glitz and glamour? What’s it really like to work for such high-profile names as Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Polo Ralph Lauren? The Office of Career Services hosted a panel of four current undergraduates with internship experience in this exciting business. Speaking candidly to an audience that spanned four classes, the panel collectively represented a diversity of experience and opportunities available to any fashion seeker.
Cara Aiello, an Eliot House senior concentrating in linguistics and romance languages, first became interested in fashion during her sophomore year. After studying retail analysis with Jimmy Choo, Aiello spent a summer with the merchandise buying team at Bloomingdale’s with a special focus on women’s shoes. Buying teams “go to market” three or four times a year while constantly tracking sales and readjusting price as appropriate. “I really liked my experience,” she reflected. “You get the fun of business combined with the pleasure of a tangible product.” Aiello will return to Bloomingdale’s following graduation.
Alexandra Rose, a Mather House senior concentrating in government with a French citation, declared herself a “shopping addict” for most of her life. Though she had limited experience with White House Black Market before college, Rose didn’t aggressively pursue fashion until her junior year at which time she held an internship with Saks Fifth Avenue. At Saks, Rose worked with the planning team, the “flip side” to buying in retail. These planning teams direct readjustment of supply in response to sales, and give feedback to specific retail locations on budget and other practices. “I spent most of my time in front a computer with an Excel spreadsheet,” she admitted. “I didn’t expect that, but I really enjoyed it. You get a very high level view of things are sold.” Like Aiello, Rose will return to Saks following graduation.
Jane Chun, an Adams House senior concentrating in visual and environmental studies, entered the fashion industry at age sixteen, working at both the GAP and American Apparel through high school. While at Harvard, Chun sought corporate experience in beauty and fashion, first spending a summer with Shiseido in Toyko before holding an internship at Polo Ralph Lauren. At Polo, Chun worked in marketing and branding – a very important task, she quickly discovered, noting “Polo represents America to many people around the world.” She took her direction from the company’s creative team, who thought up a story for marketing to communicate. In particular, Chun supported online marketing by analyzing how companies used social media for collaborations with particular designers.
Thomas Dai, a Winthrop House sophomore, had no fashion experience prior to college but decided to give it a shot anyway. Interested in fashion media, Dai landed a term-time internship with OliviaPalermo.com where he writes regularly on topics of the day. Don’t let this description fool you, however – fashion writing is harder than it first appears. “There’s an excess of young people willing to write about fashion, so most places won’t pay you anything as an intern,” he explained. “If you really want it, you have to accept low pay and find ways to work your way up.” Futhermore, both he and Chun are recipients of the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, which will fund and support work in fashion this year.
Looking for an internship? You can go through formal application programs, or you can use resources like Crimson Compass to contact individuals directly. Both methods can be successful. Regardless of the path, remember to be professional – arrive to your interview early, bring writing samples, and err on the side of professional dress according to the culture of the organization to which you are applying. Most importantly, know what you want and be believable! Otherwise, as Rose noted, “you’ll be seen as a Harvard student just casting your net wide” without a strong commitment to the industry. Don’t be afraid to include “unusual” experiences and to connect the dots between experiences to create a powerful narrative.
Ultimately, as Aiello said, it’s important to “know the world you’re getting into” when you apply for these internships. Recognize that intro-level positions occupy a clutter landscape of opportunities and may be more grueling than you expect. Look up the career ladder and see if those people could be your mentors. And pay careful attention to the “center of the universe,” that is, the successful and growing parts of companies in the industry. Be mindful of your strategy, and you will find success.
Good luck!
—Nicandro Iannacci, ’13
Reminder: If you’re researching job and internship possibilities, don’t forget to talk to your peers! OCS hosts a database of over 1,500 Harvard undergraduates willing to share their summer experiences. Learn more.
