DevHun; Must Read Article

Summary: “Fashion industry internships: exploitation or experience? “ by Jamie Elliott this article opens up strong about how fashion companies are no paying interns but on top of that exploiting them to work 12 hours or more a day. In the article Cassidy a former intern of Alexander McQueen explain how he work all the time doing tasked that paid staff should be doing, also he work long in hard for so long that he could tell they wasn’t going to offering him a job just use him as free labor, so he quit. "If someone is engaged on a regular basis for an extended period of time to sew sequins on to ball gowns or similar work, which is a core part of a clothing manufacturer's operation, then that person may well be considered an employee or worker and would be entitled to the minimum wage." Stated by Employment law expert Timothy Brennan. The article may have focused on Alexander McQueen, but that company is not the only one in the fashion world in attracting criticism. Former interns and staff of a number of other fashion companies claim that long hours and excessive expectations can place intense pressure. It makes you think are you interning to learn or to be used.

Reflection: I know we are supposed to pick articles that have to do with our internship but I think this article is universal and eye opening to me and my fellow peers who are about to enter the workplace in the fashion world and have to start out as interns. I felt like this article exposed the horrors of interning in the fashion world like I seen on tv how hard it is to work for people like Kimora Lee , P. Diddy and Oprah who ask for the most outrageous request from their staff. But there staff is hired getting paid and look after and also go on to do bigger things thanks to the tough love. But to hear stories like this article it makes you think are you signing up to better yourself in a career or to be a slave. I know me personally can do a unpaid internship now but in the future you have to be well off to be able to afford to work for free. It seem to me the only way to have experience you have to work paid job for a while save up, to afford to live and move to a city where the internships are being offered aka New York one the fashion capitals. It is kind of sad because I like Alexander McQueen but after reading this I have not true desire to work there even if they change after this article came out. In addition I think you need to understand yourself worth when it comes to the fashion industry it’s a dog eat dog world where what you know and who you know can make or break you. I think the Devil Wears Prada showed us a side of that with a little glam as well.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jul/24/fashion-industry-interns