Sydney Shanine interned with Mac Duggal and gained experience in creative directing in the fashion industry.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship because I have a fierce passion for fashion. I have a pageant background, and because of this experience, I have a deep love and obsession for all sorts of dresses, especially evening gowns and evening wear. I even own twenty-one evening gowns myself! I am extremely intrigued and captivated by the process of how these gowns are created. I want to further my career in the fashion industry, and I believe my specialty is gowns. With all of this being said, Mac Duggal was the perfect internship to fit these desires and educational needs.
My favorite and most satisfying part of my internship was working on set, doing editorial shooting for upcoming evening gown lines. Being on set is very thrilling, but hard work. It challenges my work ethic, but I enjoy taking up that challenge. It taught me how everyone plays a very important role on set and the shoot heavily depends on teamwork and effort. I bonded with my coworkers a lot on set and made lots of fun memories. Shooting unreleased evening wear and gowns with professional models is highly entertaining, exciting, and fun to watch! Plus, getting to know them personally and establishing connections with them behind the scenes was fun too.
What advice do you have for other students as they search or begin their internship?
Always establish connections! During high school, I competed in multiple pageants which led me into doing modeling runway gigs for big name gown designers. I would take advantage of networking opportunities during the modeling gigs that I worked at to establish more connections with people who worked at various designers, brands, and departments. I established connections with Mac Duggal and was offered a small side job, which was to model a film commercial for their 2019 Spring line. During the shoot, I asked one of the Creative Team members about internship availability. Months later, I sent in my resume to Mac Duggal and had a phone interview and secured my internship.
As you begin your internship, go in with an open mind and dress to stand out! My first day interning, I wore a very chic all pink suit. Granted, my internship is within the fashion industry, but a vibrant color won't hurt nobody and it is a very bold move, but leaves a unique impression.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
My internship experience has taught me so much about the fashion industry. They taught me multiple aspects of what I could do in the industry. This impacted my plan for the future, making me understand what exactly I want to do, which is creative production or be on a creative team for a couture house.