Fashion Assistant

What To Expect At A Fashion Magazine Internship
By Kimberly Joy

The movie "The Devil Wears Prada" left many aspiring fashion magazine interns wondering if the interning at a fashion magazine is really the way it was portrayed. It may be a surprise to many but most of what is seen in that movie is not an exaggeration; after all, it was written by someone who worked for Vogue magazine editor in chief Anna Wintour.



It's A Seasonal Position

Of course every magazine will have a different schedule. Top fashion magazines, like Allure or Marie Claire for instance, hire fashion interns for the season. Usually the fashion intern would start in late December or early January and work through May for the Winter/Spring season. If you impress the boss during your fashion magazine internship, they will keep you on longer.



You'll Work Your Manicured Fingers To The Bone

One of the most accurate parts of "The Devil Wears Prada" was the long hours that Anne Hathaway's character had to work. The amount of hours your scheduled for means nothing. Expect to work 12 hour days, maybe shorter, maybe even longer. Most of the work will be running errands, going to showrooms to pick up items, answering phones and emails, and organizing the fashion closet.



When your work is done a lot of times you'll be asked to stay later until the fashion assistants are finished with their work. And it's highly unlikely that you'll have any interaction with the editor; at Vogue magazine interns are told never to look Anna Wintour in the face and not to look in to her office. The fashion assistant will be your boss, but that doesn't mean they're not demanding.



Enjoy The Perks

After you're established in your fashion magazine internship, you might get the chance to fly across the country or perhaps out of the country, just like Lauren Conrad of The Hills did for her internship at Teen Vogue. Part of your work will probably include assisting on shoots and styling the models, which is a lot of fun for any fashion loving girl. And even interns are gifted with high fashion designer label items from the closet.



A fashion magazine internship certainly isn't a walk in the park, but it's a good test to see who can and can't make it in the industry. And if you're looking for a careers specifically it's basically the only way to get your foot in the door.