Laura during her Fashion internship in New York, USA

Type of Internship
Fashion PR

What did you think of the city?
I’m currently still in New York, but the city is amazing! I had been to New York once before, so it’s not entirely new to me, but it still feels incredibly impressive! When you arrive, it feels like you’ve stepped into a movie. Everything is so big and overwhelming. Thanks to the logical street system—each street is numbered and divided into east and west—it’s almost impossible to get lost.

Some things, like certain clothing and beauty brands, are much cheaper here than in the Netherlands. You really notice that when you go shopping for a day (on the other hand, grabbing a drink somewhere is a lot more expensive than back home!). You’ll never be bored in this city. There’s always something to do or somewhere fun to go.

What did you think of the internship?
I’m really enjoying my internship. I get to fully participate in the team and I’m not just being used as the coffee girl or anything like that. We work in a small team of young women, which makes it a really fun atmosphere. The working hours are from 10 to 6, the standard American schedule, and I’m never bored.

My tasks mainly involve maintaining the showroom, which means checking clothing items in and out and keeping the showroom tidy. I also search big fashion magazines for articles featuring our clients, do research, look up and track bloggers, collect contact details for well-known stylists, and so on—there’s always something to do!

What’s also great is that my boss involves the interns in everything. She has a lot of high-profile connections, and because of that, I even got to attend a concert as a VIP.

What was the most special thing you experienced?
So far, that would be New York Fashion Week. My internship company organized the show for a rising major designer. Among the attendees were editors from Vogue, well-known bloggers, and several other important figures from the fashion industry. After the show, my colleagues and I were invited to the afterparty. It was an incredible experience!

Do you have any tips for students?
First of all, make sure you start arranging everything on time. Especially the visa process takes quite a bit of time. Start at least six months before your departure to research and organize everything. Also, make sure you've saved enough money! Life in the U.S. (especially in New York) is very expensive. And of course, you don’t want to be stuck in your room during your free time!

Don’t let the high costs of an internship abroad discourage or scare you off. Maybe you can, like me, borrow money interest-free from your parents, or use your student loan from DUO if needed. It’s absolutely worth it!