EAST GREENSBORO, NC (Aug. 8, 2022) – North Carolina A&T students are lighting up the country’s premier retail and apparel brands this summer as interns at some of the world’s most recognizable brands.
Students in the Fashion Design and Merchandising program, in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, are currently in the midst of summer internships at companies including major Winston-Salem conglomerate Hanesbrands; lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters and its satellite companies in Pennsylvania; and New York retail giants Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s.
“Most fashion students’ dream internship experience is one that places them in areas where they can be inspired by cultural diversity and creative viewpoints and immerse themselves among leading national and international fashion brands,” said Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer, Ph.D., associate. teacher in the program. “Unfortunately, our NC A&T fashion students have historically faced challenges securing the internships of their dreams, in part due to long-standing discrimination in the fashion industry that has curtailed opportunities for HBCU students.
“The other faculty members and I are very proud that every student participates in a summer internship,” Newcomb said. “We are equally excited about the connections these internships will allow the program to make for future degree-seeking students.”
Amberatta Faulkner, senior, is interning at Hanesbrands Inc., the Winston-Salem-based company that owns such brands as Hanes, Champion, Bali and L’eggs. Working in the field of licensed sportswear for Champion, Faulkner’s task was to help the brand appeal to a younger female audience in college bookstores.
“Women are the biggest consumers of fashion, period, because they shop for their whole family, so we’re trying to make the merchandise in the (NC A&T) bookstore more geared toward female audiences,” Faulkner said. “’What can we bring?’ ‘What kinds of new products can we sell?’ We are working on those kinds of questions.”
Faulkner, who is interning at Hanesbrands with fellow senior Aggie Tatyana Richardson, said he appreciates Champion’s willingness to expand its demographic in age and culture.
“They are very open to our opinions on how they can improve their brand and appeal to younger people,” Faulkner said. “Some brands are stuck on their consumer, but I feel like Champion is willing to break out and go to different colleges. They are researching HBCUs and expanding to the HBCU audience. That’s something some brands won’t do because they’re so stuck on certain things.”
In Pennsylvania, junior Mya Harris is exploring the history of NC A&T and working under women’s designer structure clothing for the Urban Outfitters summer class.
“This class has really been able to be in my zone when it comes to creation,” Harris said of interning for the Philadelphia-based lifestyle retailer. “Creating at home is different. But as I’ve been able to get out more and explore the world and be involved in different aspects of the fashion industry, I’ve been able to push myself more creatively into whatever comes to mind and design.”
In what he described as a “triple internship,” Harris is balancing three ongoing assignments: He’s working on a retrospective of what he’s learning while working for the company; be available for on-site activities, such as photography; and create a collection that best represents her college.
“The foundation of Summer Class is telling the story of your school,” said Harris. “For me, it’s really important to tell the A&T story and promote the unknown. People know the ‘Largest Public HBCU’ and the ‘Largest Producer of Black Engineers and Agricultural Science Students’, but people don’t know, for example, the history of the bulldog Aggie or how the name has progressed over time. the years”.
Samya Gilliam-Frazier, who is interning with the Free People’s FP Movement (owned by Urban Outfitters’ parent company URBN) in Pennsylvania, had to overcome injuries from a car accident in May 2021 before she could apply for the internship this year.
“For about two weeks I was bedridden,” Gilliam-Frazier said, “and then it was another two months before I was able to start using my left hand and arm, after physical and functional therapy. Dr. Newcomb really worked with me and made it a priority to help me get into an internship.”
After a successful online interview with Free People—“I was just trying to be as confident and happy as possible,” she said—Gilliam-Frazier came to Pennsylvania as a design intern at FP Movement for commuting casual wear. In addition to her day-to-day tasks, such as presenting summits, tech packs and other assignment aspects, Gilliam-Frazier embarked on two ongoing projects, one of which, like Harris’s, involved A&T designs in the Class Of summer.
“For Free People, we have to design our own bodies and our own silhouettes. So, my pants are not sweatpants. I completely made the pants. It’s completely my idea, which I felt was very creative. I am so happy that I had the experience of doing that. Of course, they must have the AT&T logo or mascot. I made a bottom, a top, a heavyweight, and a sock.”
In New York City, senior Anthony Marshall said “being on set in general” is the highlight so far of his photo shoot production internship at luxury retailer Saks Fifth Avenue.
“I started out wanting to be a visual merchandiser,” Marshall said. “I am passionate about styling and set design. I also have a theater major, so I’m passionate about the acting aspect and videography as well. I really enjoy being on set and being able to interact with people in so many different roles.”
Marshall said that shadowing the art director, stylist, producer, and other crew members was one of the best parts of the experience.
“I’ve really been able to gain a great insight into the ‘previous process’ of these people, got into the roles they have and was able to gain a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses and what I need to work on more. to get into some of these roles in the future,” he said.
Aniya Chavis has been hanging around New York City at Bloomingdale’s as a shopping intern for ready-to-wear portfolios at Bloomingdale’s. Her responsibilities range from following a lead shopper to starring in an Instagram video for the retailer.
“One of the cosmetics buyers emailed the coordinator in charge of the internship program and said, ‘We’re launching a new skin care brand at Bloomingdale’s and we’d love for interns to volunteer if they have the time and want to. do it. ‘” Chavis said. “So, I emailed them and said, ‘Yes, I’d love to volunteer and help you.'”
From the 17th floor of Bloomingdale’s office building, Chavis and other interns acted out a video montage of “customers” excitedly looking at a mystery product in a shopping bag, later revealed to be the line of skin care products. the skin of the retailer.
“Having that experience and feeling how fashion directors work was a lot of fun,” said Chavis. “Being on Instagram with my family, being able to see it and get exposure in different departments, was probably the best thing about the experience.”
Source: www.ncat.edu