Interesting little article (and pic credit) from Fashionista written by Hayley Phelan on the pros and cons of taking an unpaid internship in the fashion industry.  Apparently, one intern is suing Hearst (Harpers Bazaar) for not paying her for her unpaid internship.  The premise is, it is tough taking an unpaid internship.  Who can afford it? I couldn’t, I will tell you that much.  In order to break into this industry, especially in to the fashion magazine sector, you have to take an internship.  The internship is unpaid. Period.  Is it fair to the people who can not afford to? Or are we spoiled and feeling too entitled?  Read this and tell me what you think.  At the end I will give my take.

Are Fashion Internships Fundamentally Unfair? Industry Insiders Weigh In

Former Harper’s Bazaar intern Xuedan Wang’s suit against Hearst for violating state and federal wage and hour laws has certainly got people in the industry talking.

One thing in particular that’s stood out is neither the unsavory working conditions ofunpaid internships (read: long hours, menial tasks, putting up with serious attitudes), nor the lack of compensation (whether by stipend or college credit) but the fact that, as Wang’s lawsuit states, “the prevalence of the practice nationwide, curtails opportunities for employment, [and] fosters class divisions between those who can afford to work for no wage and those who cannot.”

Internships can be a great way to break into the industry–actually we’d argue that they’re pretty much the only way to break into the industry (so far, anyway–all of us here at Fashionista, save Leah, started as Fashionista interns first). But could fashion’s heavy reliance on unpaid interns be creating an unfair disadvantage for kids who don’t have their parents’ money to back them up? We asked several industry insiders, all former interns who now work at major publishing houses, and though none would go on the record (out of fear that their publishers are now targets for these kinds of suits), the general consensus was a resounding yes.

“[Internships] foster and encourage [kids who have access to money]—not the kid who actually has to pay his or her own bills,” another editor told us. “So if there are two great and equal candidates and one will cost the employer a full salary and one will cost nothing, fashion will take the latter. And if the latter has a famous last name to go with it, well, it’s no contest.”

Of course, there are always exceptions. “I get how unfair it is,” one editor counters. “My mom’s annual salary when I was in college was $25,000 a year. And my dad gave us nothing. But I still made it. And I think there is a crazy sense of entitlement with this generation and that maybe working for free and waitressing to make ends meet teaches you a lesson.” What’s more, those who hustle often fare better in the end–they want it more and they’re grateful to have “made it.”

Still, another editor posits that fair or not, it’s just how the game is played. “I think that rich kids have an advantage anyway, whether it’s an ‘unfair’ advantage relates to how you see our society and economic infrastructures,” he told us. “I see magazines as a competitive industry that is closer to acting or art than, say, investment banking. In any creative industry, the first jobs are low paying (or don’t pay at all) and people have to work other jobs or borrow to counterbalance those disparities.” Fashion, film, media and art are glamorous covetable careers and breaking in is just plain tough.

“I think it’s just unfair the way that life is unfair,” he added. “But I think it’s only remarkably unfair if the person going into an internship or apprenticeship was promised something, in terms of compensation, and then did not receive it. But if you took the job knowing you weren’t going to get paid, then I think it’s unfair for you to complain about it after.”

Still, the problem is that if unpaid internships are, for the most part, only available to kids who can afford to work for free, then the industry as whole winds up having a disproportionate amount of people from only one socioeconomic background. And that leads to editorial content that can be stale, elitist, absurd–or all three. See: Vogue‘s ridiculous (and infamous) $31, 349 glamping article. Or this gem from Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, Vogue’s new Style Editor at Large, when asked what parties she looks forward to: “Our wild boar shoot at our home in Germany is always a riot because we invite lots of friends. We spend the day out in the woods, but then we get all dressed up in long gowns to dance around in the evenings.” (Yes, that’s real.)

But could the industry actually change? A few editors suggested that interns be paid at least minimum wage, while others said they should receive school credit and a daily stipend. One suggested that a change in attitude might be all it takes: “Yes interns have to do bitch work but if you respect them and talk to them like adults that might make it ok,” an editor said.

“I guess if magazines took half the money they spend on cars and shoots and putting editors up in the Ritz four times a year they could afford to pay their interns,” one editor quipped. While another told us that as long as an intern is receiving solid mentorship and is learning and making connections then it shouldn’t matter if they receive college credit or financial compensation.

What’s your take? We want to hear what you have to say.

My favorite line in this article is  ”But could fashion’s heavy reliance on unpaid interns be creating an unfair disadvantage for kids who don’t have their parents’ money to back them up? We asked several industry insiders, all former interns who now work at major publishing houses, and though none would go on the record (out of fear that their publishers are now targets for these kinds of suits), the general consensus was a resounding yes.”  That is exactly how I feel.  I worked full time and I put myself through night college. I paid for every single class, in cash, one-by-one.  It took me five and a half years to get an associates degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and I’m damn proud of it.  When it came time to consider an internship, the options were none.  The internship required that I work at least 20 hours, some required more – that would mean that I would have to give up my good job in order to take the internship.  I lived on my own in Manhattan and the choice was simple, I was not willing to do that.

There is your answer – you have to choose.  You can take an unpaid internship but you have to choose to make sacrifices in other areas if you feel that the internship is valuable enough for your future career.  A paid internship is a privilege not and entitlement.  Thats the thing, no one wants to make sacrifices anymore.  Too bad.  Those are hard choices but you CAN do it if you want to.  Here are a  couple of options: 1) Move in with a roommate (move in a with a few roommates) 2) Get a part time night job, doing security, a restaurant, even retail 3) Cut your expenses, big time. 4) Stop shopping.  And the biggest way to take on an unpaid internship is to 5) PLAN AHEAD This is especially for the people in high school or adults considering returning to school, plan for your unpaid internship. Start putting money away now to cover your expenses for the three plus months that you will not be able to work full time.

Or you could do what I did.  I took any and every opportunity that I could.  Any person that I met, professors, other students and complete strangers who had any connection to the fashion industry I talked to.  I picked their brain for any opportunity that might be available that would fit in my life.  When those doors opened I took them, all of them.  I created my own internships and built my own resume.  Since, I have done some amazing things, worked dozens of fashion shows, tradeshows, made hundreds of contacts, explored tons of events, built this website, and now I’m building a fashion show production team.  I have to tell you honestly, that I have learned more and have gained more exposure without a formal internship   than I could of possibly of imagined.  I have to be completely honest though, there is still a big part of me that would give my right arm to intern at Vogue (or Bazaar or WWD).    No matter what your choice is, chose one and stick too it because the greatest education you will ever receive is simply by just doing it.

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