This summer I was given the opportunity and honor of interning for one of the world’s greatest stylists - Rachel Zoe. The internship took place at their New York office in the Empire State building – it really seemed too good to be true. I had no previous experience working inside of a large fashion brand and didn’t really know what to expect. However, I have constantly been told that the fashion world is a crazy, shallow and impossible industry; I couldn’t wait to finally get my own personal and real impression of whether this is actually true.

For weeks I had been applying for different internships; both through The New Schools career success network and through personal contacts. Why I got especially attracted to the RZ internship was not only my fascination in their clothing line, but also the thrilling thought of bumping into Rachel at the office. Further, the intern position formed part of their design team – a position that I hoped would differ from the traditional image of the “intern coffee runs” etcetera. I was completely stunned when I understood that I was up for an interview with them, which later on, luckily, ended up in an actual offer to work in their design team for the entire summer.

My first day at RZ was exciting. When walking out of the lift, there was a high ceiling, fresh avant-garde shaped lobby. A crispy scent filled the whole floor and added to the modern and fashionable interior in the office - it was decorated in a typical (according to my expectation) way for a company selling style, located next to Juicy Couture and other highly exclusive brands. I believe that the environment of an office is key since it is obviously motivating and energizing getting to return to a nice-looking work place every morning.

My boss Sunny Park, who is also the Head Designer of the company, is truly an amazing leader; always filled with energy, never losing her temper and constantly providing us all with snacks! The office had an incredible vibe, with a constant 70s music playing in the background, an endless creativity with mood boards filled with glitter, tassels and leather mixed with a scent of Pepperidge Farm goldfish and coffee. While the company’s focus lies within women’s wear, it is no surprise that the team includes a majority of women, with the exception of one man working in the production unit. Additionally, it is an incredibly young team where most people are in their mid twenties and the oldest mid thirties. I thought that these circumstances easily would result in a very competitive and intimidating attitude at work, but it turned out I was wrong. The team has a fantastic spirit where everyone accurately works with a more mature and open attitude than I could imagine. There certainly wasn’t any type of “trying to make someone else look bad to make myself look better” going on. I was indeed impressed by the great team spirit and I realize that it is an effect of great leadership, both from the Creative Director, Head Designer and, of course, from Rachel herself.

The first time I met Rachel I was undeniably a bit nervous. It was at our Resort 2016 Presentation and I was lucky to be the chosen intern to form part of their meeting. Of course I didn’t have much to say, but only to be in the same room with these successful and smart women was amazing. I quickly realized that Rachel isn’t a woman to be afraid or nervous for, she is in fact very kind – she never showed any tendencies to treat me with less respect just because I was an intern. Besides, when you look at the people she has chosen as her assistants and everyone in the design team, you notice that it’s frankly a very genuine crowd, really showing their appreciation for every person regardless of position in the company.

This summer was vital for me – I learnt how to make tassels and the significant difference of the colors eggshell and ecru! But most importantly it became clear that the fashion industry isn’t always too different from other industries and that there are great people within it. I haven’t been bothered by the mainstream view of this industry before and after this summer I have no intention of starting either. Even though it’s a cliché, it is all about the teamwork - you do really form the spirit of a company through the leadership you apply to it.