intern diaries
Quitting Retail to Pursue the Creative Dream
August 2023
After graduating, I realised I didn’t want to work within textiles as its an extremely wasteful sector of the industry so I tried to hunt for any entry level role within a head office but had no luck. Working in retail seemed like the best option to make some money, establish a regular working week routine and stay surrounded by clothes and fashion, so I started working at H&M.
I quickly increased my hours, eventually training up to be a full time Visual Merchandiser - the most creative role I could be on the shop floor. Dressing the mannequins, steaming the garments, planning floor changes and keeping up to date with quick trends was really fun for a while. Gradually my eco ethics started screaming at me louder than I could ignore, and I couldn’t comfortably stay working for a fast fashion retailer with its evident greenwashing behind the scenes and mass consumption goals that my job role had to encourage. I knew I wanted to work for a more ethical company, using my design skills for a good cause, so I saved up and quit my role with the dream of pursuing 6 months of interning within the Fashion Industry.
Quitting Retail to Pursue the Creative Dream
First Step - Getting Out There
September 2023
I took a lovely, well deserved holiday after handing in my notice and escaped to Lisbon, Portugal with my bestie Zara, for lots of time out and sight seeing. We kept drawing journals and I’d set us little timed drawing exercises that I learnt when I was doing my Art Foundation diploma, like ‘draw with your left hand’ or ‘you only have 30 seconds to draw this’. The time away gave me perspective and energy that I needed to head home and crack on with job hunting.
The first step I took was create lots of different portfolios of each of my separate skills like textile design and graphic design, so that I could send different tailored portfolios and CVs to different brands. I was very openminded to the opportunities I could receive so I ensure my skills were broadly covered across my applications. Job hunting is a numbers game, so I applied to a LOT. You also need to create your own opportunities within the creative industry so I would often find the PR / Studio email addresses of brands I’d like to work for, and create a personalised CV and Portfolio to them, with no reply! - more on that later.
I quickly realised that I had to GET OUT the house and meet people IRL to network most effectively and hope to receive a creative break that way, so I signed up to any fashion-related event on eventbrite.com and attended everything! My first networking event was super daunting as I hadn’t prepared my ‘shpeel’ so I didn’t know how to sum up me and my career yet, whereas everyone else in the room seemed more established (and older). So advice for you - prepare some points you can share with new people, that sum you up and why you’re looking to network with them.
I also wrote a long list of brands and designers I would want to work for, which helped narrow down my job search as the fashion industry is massive. Similarly I listed the job roles that sounded good for me, and hunted for them on Linkedin etc.
For full transparency, I spent a full month applying to jobs, doing short courses and attending networking events before I gained any actual work experience. At the time, all the little tasks I set myself to keep busy like rebranding myself and sorting my wardrobe a million times did come in handy in the long run…
Dabbling in fashion PR
September 2023
After scrolling every day on fashionworkie.com (relate?) I decided to venture into PR as there seemed to be a lot more opportunities within this sector. After successfully being interviewed and receiving the role of a PR intern, Crescent Agency invited me to their model casting session for a brand they were working with. It was so eye opening seeing models IRL, seeing behind-the-scenes of scouting models for the shoot, and seeing all the people involved for this session. For the actual London Fashion Week event, I assisted the photographer in capturing all the thumbnail images for the website, as well as ran errands and organised the garments. I met such lovely girls also interning and trying to break into the industry too, and it was so reassuring to realise how competitive and testing the process really was. This two day unpaid opportunity wasn’t for the weak, as an early 8am start 12pm finish tested most of us, but I was really grateful to have witnessed the realities of working in fashion PR.
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A few months after I was asked back to help at a smaller event with one other intern (there had been over 20 interns at the previous event!). The brand pop up event was super classy, and I was responsible for greeting guests and offering them nibbles from the delicious catering spread as seen in the pics! Using a walkie talkie to chat to the PR girlies was super fun, and made the night go quickly. The event finished super late and then I trekked all the way back to Croydon to recharge!
My third stint with Crescent Agency was for their next event at LFW in 2024, where they’d hired out a venue to host a visual display of mannequins wearing the new collection, alongside violinists performing to create the ambiance desired. I ran errands, helped carry mannequins and assemble them (my visual merchandising skills do come in handy), helping out with any other ad-hoc tasks the team needed. For the event, I was on the door greeting guests on the guest list, controlling capacity of the event inside as the venue was getting popular quickly.
I loved volunteering at these PR events as it showed me the realities of working in PR; long hours, high pressure but also lots of reward when the event pays off.
Assisting my fave Upcycling Designer
October 2023
After signing up to and attending a mending workshop hosted by one of my fave up-cycling designers Lydia Bolton, I bit the bullet and asked if she needed any studio help - and she did! Once a week I would pop to her Hackney-based studio and help her with any ad-hoc tasks she’d set aside for me; from tidying her studio, organising textile samples, and lots and lots of hand sewing - a skill I used to view as boring and tedious, but absolutely love it now as it calms me down and focuses my mind!
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As well as assisting in her studio, I was fortunate enough to be invited along to her patchwork event at Pinterest HQ! I’d previously created some patchwork samples for her, and then helped the guests to hand sew their own. Lydia’s use of educational workshops within her creative practise is super innovative to me, as it’s such a great way to teach others new ways to be more resourceful and sustainable, whilst also funding her brand.
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Her best selling scrunchie workshops have been super popular, so she’s done a few collaborative workshops with brands, like at Nike’s NEW GEN LDN event with ASOS. I was invited to help the guests to make their own scrunchies made using dead stock ASOS fabrics, giving them ideas and showing practical ways to show and assemble them. I LOVED meeting some of the graphic design team at ASOS, who encouraged me to keep going on my interning journey to build up a lot of work experience that I can use to get a job with a company like ASOS in the future. Fingers crossed.
Crocheting Professionally for bag brand, Isla De Gar
October 2023
By filtering through the brands and creators I follow on Instagram, I was able to curate an algorithm of brands I loved and relevant content targeted towards job hunting in the Fashion Industry. By staying up to date with small brands on socials, I was always first to know of any work opportunities with them as they grew and could hire people to get onboard. Isla De Gar needed a studio assistant to help sew labels and magnetic clasps onto their satin ribbon crochet bags, and pack all their orders over the busy Christmas period. I absolutely loved working within their colourful studio in Hackney, as the vibes were always peaceful yet productive, with music and podcasts playing all day to keep us motivated on these repetitive tasks.
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After Christmas I was actually asked to return to the studio as a Production Assistant, where I learnt how to crochet the bags, making the Hive and Hive Crossbody bags. I love being in the studio with the girls, contributing to marketing discussions and creating content too,It’s been super informative to me to understand the behind-the-scenes of running an accessories brand, like coordinating campaigns, hosting sample sales and open studio events, and leasing with stockists. I’m super grateful for my time working with Emma and Bella, and am currently still working here as a freelance Production Assistant.
Back to Retail - with a Purpose
October 2023
My two internships with Lydia Bolton and Isla De Gar filled up 3 of my days a week, I wanted another role to get me to full-time and ideally paid to keep myself going. The pop up retail organisation Curated Makers were hiring for a Christmas temp in their London Bridge Station Shop, so I took the chance and started working there 3 days a week (Yes, I worked 6 days a week for 3 months ah!) I loved running the store alone, replenishing the shelves, scanning in new stock deliveries, chatting to the small brand owners who popped in, and telling customers why shopping small is so important if you can. It was great to use my retail experience to support small independent businesses and local makers, rather than contributing to exploitative fast fashion companies. It was also invaluable to witness the realities of running a small business, as I met many makers who were stocked in the shop, and learnt the behind-the-scenes involved.
Unemployment Blues
January 2024
As my internships were temporary contracts, they all finished at Christmas, so I was back to the job hunt again with a new perspective and drive to find more studio assist roles as I’d had such good experiences with Lydia Bolton and Isla de Gar. However, to cut a long story short, the other studios I did trial for within the first 2 months of 2024 did not match the vibe I had grown accustom to. My job search was slowly getting me down…
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To keep motivated and positive, I attended lots of events again like Top Drawer and Source Fashion events. I went to workshops like Helen Kirkum’s shoe up-cycling collab with Birkenstock.
It was getting harder to find studio roles and I slowly realised I wanted to pivot into Content Creation and Marketing so started to look for roles within this sector …
Creating Content for Fashion App, Whering
March 2024
After using the app for a few months + following along on their socials, a job opportunity came up on Whering's Instagram stories for content interns so I created a video application and got the role! Creating video content for TikTok, my purpose was to promote the app using trending sounds and fun editing. I loved discovering new app features and figuring out how to produce content to showcase them. There was a campaign shoot I was invited to assist at, where I discovered even more new roles I’d not heard of before, which was super cool to see the different people involved behind-the-scenes of a social campaign.
I loved creating content but don’t think I’d want to do this full time as it’s quite repetitive and you need to consume social media 24/7 to stay up to date with the trends, which isn’t healthy for me.
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You can check out the video content I created for them over on their TikTok page @whering
Pop Up Shop - Round Two
April 2024
The inconsistency of internships meant my routine wasn’t stable and neither was my income. So I decided to find another retail job to tie me over, use my retail skills again and support an independent business. Whilst researching businesses on Instagram, I stumbled across local pop up shop Better Things who are a South London based shop in Forest Hill - I was delighted to find it as most sustainable businesses seemed to be located in North, East or Central London, not many in South London - something I want to change. I worked one day a week in the shop, running the floor alone, restocking the shelves and most importantly, capturing engaging content and editing videos to post onto their new TikTok page that I created. I loved showcasing all the small independent brands Jacqui stocks in her shop, and meeting the brand founders was super cool to chat about their careers and realities of running a business.
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You can find my content over on their TikTok page @betterthings07
Eco-warriors Unite!
May 2024
I’ve always been a pretty nifty, frugal person, who likes to ration things and constantly wondered about where waste goes (because where DOES it go really?) so I wanted to explore this side of me more. Through social media I came across conscious creative group Are You Mad?, and was mesmerised by how cool yet ethical they were. They’ve managed to create such a strong brand identity, which has allowed them to partnership with big names like Nike and Coachtopia on exciting recycled projects.
My Dad is also an eco warrior just like me, and probably instilled my green ethics and morals. So when I told him about this brand and the work they do, he wanted to get involved too! We volunteered as litter pickers at their Clean Up The Ting event in Barking, which was in collaboration with North Face, and spent the day clearing rubbish from the river banks. I enjoyed it so much, as it was so rewarding to be a part of a community working together to have a positive impact on the environment, both for nature and for people.
A few weeks later they requested more volunteers to assist in their Hackney- based warehouse, to sort through lots of collected rubbish. Working with the nicest group of people, we spent the day sorting through CDs and DVDs, separating each component part ready to be shredded down. Using the plastic machines, we melted the plastic chips into moulds to create new products, like whistles, grinders and key-rings. I love this process so much and have so many ideas for new products that could be created!
Career Crossroads
July 2024
I’ve now reached 10 months of interning, and I’m now craving the stability of a full time role within a company, so I can set my roots down and grow there. I think I’ve gained a lot of valuable relevant work experience from interning, so I hope to find a role soon.
I’m very interested in marketing, branding, visual communication and copywriting, so I have been busy applying to roles related to these specialisms.
To keep myself busy and creative, I’ve been completing lots of side projects you can find within my Portfolio. I’d love to grow these projects, and collaborate with other creatives and brands in the future, as I think there’s a lot of potential with my craft style.
If you’d like to work with me on a collaboration, get in touch via email or on my socials. Similarly if you see any fully time roles that you think I’d be great at, feel free to send them my way via email too! Thank you!
No longer an intern
September 2024
since I created this website, I’ve had some big life changes! the key one to note is that I am no longer INTERNING!!
the digital accelerator course I did at Creative Process Digital made me realise that I was actually a lot more professional and ready to freelance than I first assumed. After spending a year interning at various companies, I had reached my max, I had absorbed as much as I physically could, I was exhausted and ready to get a more stable routine and start working on my own stuff, more seriously. And so I have.
My final internship was wrapped up at the end of summer, and then I was able to fully immerse my time into my brand Sewlots. I consistently posted my process making BTS videos online, and received a lot of feedback and support from strangers. In fact, some companies and individuals reached out to me to commission work!
I worked with a videographer, MavTheFilmmaker, who commissioned me to create an Arsenal 24/25 crochet shirt, and he created a promotional video where it featured! From this I gained a lot more followers and traction, leading me to being invited to sell my crochet creations at my first ever market! Me and my sister trekked to Liverpool for the first time, and got involved in Get Your Kits Out Festival celebrating women’s football and fashion fusion! It was amazing and motivated me to make more and do more!
Then I burnt out completely.
I was still working a few days a week at Isla De Gar as a production assistant, but I was told by my doctor to rest my wrists as I was crocheting too much and had given myself a repetitive strain injury! During this time off, I decided to apply for admin roles and other work but got rejected from everything. Things felt pretty out of alignment again, but I knew something good was coming…
Working with the Premier League
December 2024
I WORKED WITH THE PREMIER LEAGUE!
After weeks of job rejections and hopelessness slowly creeping in, I received an email one Wednesday evening from a sports agent working with The Premier League. Doubtful that it was scam, I followed up his linkedin and confirmed it was all legit, then jumped on a zoom call the next morning!
I was tasked with making video content that encouraged watching football with others, as well as celebrating my crafty skills. I gathered some of my family members, taught them how to crochet, and created 2 colourful videos posted collaboratively on mine and The Premier League’s Instagrams. You can check out the videos here:
I’m so relieved I received all those rejections in November, otherwise I wouldn’t have had the time to commit to this exciting collaboration. What’s meant for you won’t pass you!!
