“It was my first day on the job and I was just as nervous as could be. I got on the elevator with a ton of other people who were working in the same building and as we starting going up, I put on my headphones and began listening to music on my iPod. I wasn’t paying attention and when we stopped, I didn’t notice this one lady get on and stand in the front of the elevator. She had on huge sunglasses and looked really important, but I had no idea who it was, so I just kept listening to my music. When we stopped on the next floor, every single person on the elevator, except me, got off. I couldn’t believe that everyone in the elevator had been going to the same place, and that’s when I realized I was supposed to get off with them. Next thing I know, the important lady in the front turned around and it was Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue. She gave me this look that said it all: ‘Why did you not get off of my elevator with everyone else?’”. The elevator did not stop for another 16 floors, which meant I spent 16 floors in awkward silence with the most prominent person in the fashion industry, knowing I wasn’t supposed to be there. She got off though, and I just had to go on with the day. It was such an honor just to be within proximity of her though, and it really is true: she is always wearing those huge shades.” - Leah Tucker

Most girls interested in working in the fashion industry only dream of working in fashion closets, looking at the newest trends all day long, and meeting couture designers and world-renowned photographers on shoots. But Leah Tucker, a junior fashion retailing and American studies major, lived the dream and beyond as she spent the summer in New York working as an intern for Glamour, a fashion and beauty magazine.

“I have always been really interested in working in New York and since I started out as journalism major at the University, I figured I would end up wanting to do something in the magazine industry,” Tucker said. “I realized that I was very interested in fashion and what people are interested in wearing though and changed my major so I could focus more on fashion overall.”

However, the road to spending a summer in New York City was not nearly as exciting as the final job. Tucker applied to over 50 places looking for summer internships and received only three call-backs from potential employers interested in her work.

“I went into the process knowing I wanted to work with a fashion magazine and kept my options open, expecting to start with a small-time publication and I was shocked because I didn’t realize the competition was going to be so intense,” Tucker said. “I received calls from Nylon magazine and a much smaller magazine publication but was unable to start the job when they wanted. Luckily, I received a call from Glamour, a month before school was out, and they offered me this awesome opportunity, which ended up being a dream come true.”

The editors at Glamour liked that Tucker had a plethora of fashion experience, after she had previously worked as a visual merchandiser, and offered her a summer internship at their offices in New York City.

“My first day on the job was so surreal. It was like I was walking onto the set of The Devil Wears Prada, because everyone was wearing heels and really sophisticated, intense, in-your-face fashion,” Tucker said. “It took some getting used to, but it was a really great atmosphere to work in, because everyone is so creative and inspiring.”

On a day-to-day basis while working in the city, Tucker faced the task of organizing the latest fashions in the fashion closet, which is where temporarily donated clothes are kept for photo shoots and stories for the magazine.

“We would have a run through where editors would come see what they wanted to feature in their magazines for the month, and the interns were in charge of making sure everything was organized for these events,” Tucker said. “On those days, interns were told to not talk or make any noise so as not to distract the editors and the creative process. At first it seemed snobbish, but it’s really not, the editors just expect a really high level of respect because they’re good at what they do and have worked their way up to the top.”

In addition to organizing the fashion closet, Tucker and her fellow interns were expected to return the clothing to specific designers in a timely and fashionable manner.

“The closet receives hundreds of samples every day, all of which are borrowed and must eventually be returned to the designers after the editors have had time to sort through them,” Tucker said. “So when a designer calls and asks for the clothes back, we are expected to run in high heels to return the clothes, just like in the movies, and they really do prefer that you are back in 30 minutes or less so as not to waste important working hours.”

Amidst fashion photo shoots with premier photographers and priceless learning experiences with top editors, competition was fierce and people used whatever connections they could to get ahead.

“Whether you like it or not, there are always going to be people you are working with you are going to get preference simply because of their name and connections with important figures in the fashion industry,” Tucker said. “The important thing is to remember that going the extra mile and making yourself look better than the intern next to you is what really counts.”

Overall, Tucker learned lessons that simply cannot be taught in a classroom and encourages students across the University to start early and get as much experience as possible.

“Classes teach you the basics you need to know, but in general what I had learned in the classroom wasn’t what they wanted; they wanted to know if I was in tune with the latest designer, if I had speaking skills, and confidence,” Tucker said. “As an intern, the work is going to be confusing at first, but with time, the work gets easier and the experience builds and you begin to see that you can be great at whatever you really try at.”

“It’s important to start applying early and be persistent if you really want an internship,” Tucker said. “Don’t give up, talk to whoever you can (including editors and people in high ranked positions), because convincing them that you really want the job is half the battle.”

by Kelsey Hendrix