On Thursday, my first day back with Laura, I’m up bright and early. Sitting up in bed, I stick in my headphones, pick up my pencils and sketchpad, and start drawing.
I sketch wrap dresses with curved and plunging necklines in multiple colors. I add details to sleeves, hems, and collars like I’ve seen on some of Stefan’s pieces. During Design Diva, I saw how tiny additions could really set a piece apart, and now, in the midst of the fashion industry, I’m noticing that even more.
Using a tan pencil, I color a pair of silky geometric-patterned shorts. I think about Stefan’s art deco motif and shade in the shapes with a salmon pencil, then pair them with a solid-color blouse. A salmon-colored handbag with gold clasps completes the look.
Suddenly someone taps my shoulder, and I’m so startled I almost fall off the bed. I pull out my headphones and turn to see Avery standing there.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she says. “Your door was open.”
“That’s okay.” I look at the clock. “I should get going soon anyway. I don’t want to be late.”
“Where are you today?” Avery asks.
“With Laura,” I reply. “I think she’s finishing stuff for Fashion Week. I was in PR Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. How about you?”
“I’m in marketing and advertising now,” Avery replies. “I really like it so far. I was watching you sketch, and you had this calm, happy look on your face. I’m not like that when I’m trying to design. It’s so stressful! But with advertising, we have to do ad campaigns and think of slogans, and I love it. It just comes to me.” She smiles.
“That’s great,” I say.
Avery looks relieved. “I know. I thought I messed up by choosing fashion as my major. It’s a relief to see that there are other ways to work in this field. So much depends on how you present a piece to the world. I’m working on a campaign for ‘chic sneaks’ right now, and the goal is to show that the sneaker can be a workout shoe in one light, but dressy in another. We’ve gone through a few drafts of ad campaigns trying to make that balance obvious.”
“My friend, Jake McKay, the one who came by the room before, is a marketing major too. Until he explained what he does, I never realized how important a campaign was, either! You really have to find the right buyer, huh?” I ask.
“Exactly,” says Avery. “It’s just such a relief to find my place!” She looks at her watch. “I’d better go, but thanks for chatting.”
“See you soon!” I say, glad I could help. Avery is already in college and must have been scared when she didn’t love every moment of her internship. We all have doubts, I realize.
I think again about how lucky I am to have this opportunity while I’m still in high school. I realize something else too. Not every part of an internship is a dream, but that’s what makes it real.
* * *
“How’s PR going?” Laura asks when I arrive at the office an hour later.
“It’s cool!” I reply. “I love learning about the different departments. Yesterday, I got to look at magazines all day.”
Laura’s smile looks forced. Does she think I like working with Michael more than with her?
“Designing is still my passion,” I reassure her. “I don’t think all the glitz in the world will change that.”
“Well, what I’ve seen so far has really impressed me. Let’s put all that talent to good use.” Laura winks at me and gets busy laying out prototypes.
There’s a black blouse with white triangles. Another shirt is cotton with an art deco-inspired chevron pattern. Both items have smooth, mother-of-pearl buttons down the front.
“These are additions to Stefan’s art deco line,” says Laura. “He wants to add some menswear-inspired pieces for versatility. Notice the geometric patterns, which are key elements. I want you to study these prototypes. Then go on Stefan’s website and take notes on his menswear as well. Pay special attention to the patterns, cuffs, and collars. Notice which he uses most frequently.”
I nod. I can do that. I’m used to inspecting designs and taking note of common elements or what sets them apart.
“Once you’ve done that, I’d like you to take a stab at your own menswear-inspired sketches,” says Laura.
I bite my lip. In all my years of designing, I’ve never created men’s clothing. All my sketches were things I wanted to wear myself. “Um… I don’t normally design men’s stuff.”
“That’s okay — this is just menswear-inspired. Think about some masculine elements and how you could make them more wearable for women. We’ll discuss them together when you’re finished,” says Laura. “You can do it.”
Laura heads back to her office, and I pull up Stefan’s site, still feeling a bit uncertain. I plow through page after page of menswear, making note of the slim fit that seems to be a constant through formal, sports, and office wear. I notice Stefan’s signature buttoned barrel cuffs and variety of open collars.
Laura mentioned that Stefan wants these pieces to be part of the art deco collection, so I search online for images of men in the 1920s and 1930s. There are photos of men in braces — suspenders with buttons — and with pocket squares. I also notice a lot of hats — Panama hats, bowlers, fedoras — and pinstripes. Now I just have to translate those styles into something a modern woman would wear. Easy, right? Not.
My first few sketches, a mash-up of preppy and formal wear, find a home in the trash. In my head, the final product is stylish, but I can’t seem to get the same result in my sketchpad. The next few drawings resemble something a kid would wear playing dress-up.
I try a different approach and sketch the items separately. Slim-fit shirts in a variety of patterns fill my pages. I add some wrap blouses to the mix for a more feminine silhouette, then add vintage-inspired and classic collars. Next, I play with the cuffs, making some barrel, others French. I add exaggerated cuffs to some of the wide-leg pants I’ve sketched as well.
Once I’ve nailed the shape, I move on to patterns, adding pinstripes to a sleeveless blouse. Another, I detail with converging silver lines. I experiment with only adding art deco elements to the pocket squares and braces, leaving the shirts solid.
Soon, my sketchpad is filled with a new section of menswear-inspired designs. I take them out to Laura’s desk to show her what I’ve done, but she shakes her head, and my heart drops. I really thought I had nailed this assignment.
“Sorry,” I say quietly. “I guess I missed the mark.”
Laura looks surprised. “Not at all! I just didn’t expect you to excel so quickly at this too.”
What’s that supposed to mean? I think. Did she not want me to do well?
The confusion must show on my face because Laura says, “That came out wrong. I can tell you’re very talented, but when Stefan suggested you work on this, I was worried. I know you don’t have much experience with men’s clothing, and I was afraid you’d get discouraged. You’re a hard worker, Chloe, but you take a lot to heart. I didn’t want you to get down on yourself.”
I get what she means. My mom has had very similar advice for me in the past. “I know this internship is about learning, but I still want to be…” I search for the right word.
“Perfect?” Laura says with a laugh. “Honey, who is? If you keep measuring yourself by such high standards, you’ll burn out before you’ve made a spark.”
I sigh. “I know.”
“But you did impress me,” she continues. “It’s clear you took your time with both the prototypes and the website. I like your variety of collars and patterns. And the silhouette of this wrap top is a great way to make menswear more accessible to women. The wrap really works well with the pinstripes — it helps soften the lines.”
Laura flips through the sketches again. “I’d like to see these in more colors, and I want prototypes of the pinstripe blouse for the board. Nice work.”
I head back to my desk, thinking about what Laura said about burning out. Striving for perfection is what got me here. How can wanting to succeed in everything be bad?
