Friday morning, when I walked into the office, Melissa was especially excited to see me. She said “Good morning! Guess what?” with a singsong type of voice. Then she held up the pair of shorts that I had designed for the girl’s children’s line. I got all jumpy and rushed over to take a look at them. It was so insanely thrilling/weird to see that they had come to fruition! I started the design process by doing some industry research. I produced several prints, from which Melissa chose her favorite. From there, I worked on the design for hours on the computer. She asked their factories to sample them a week and a half ago, so I didn’t expect them to be prototyped and shipped to our design office in such a short amount of time!
It’s so cool knowing that something I designed may be in stores with a Hudson label on it. I never knew that I’d actually be getting to design things during my internship here because I fell like, usually, interns do all the little odds and ends jobs that the designers don’t have time for amidst meetings, fittings, and constant struggle with the factories to produce their samples on time for buy-week. Though I will obviously not be getting credit for my design in stores, Melissa said that I could put them in my portfolio with the Hudson jeans label. If they make it through all the critique sessions, they will be in stores by February, so my fingers are crossed.
After telling me the great news about my little shorts, Melissa told me about a party she had been invited to the night before. Her good friend is one of the stylists for Vogue magazine. Vogue was throwing a bash for Victoria’s Secret’s new lotion debut party. She was really excited about her $400 value gift bag that she had received as a guest. Lucky! She seriously has so many cool connections and is such a beautiful person. I’m so happy to have met her. She’s seriously one of the nicest women I’ve met since being in New York, which you wouldn’t expect considering how cutthroat the fashion industry is. I could not have asked for a better boss. Hopefully she feels the same way about me so she will give me a great recommendation!
Being here this summer has been such a needed experience, and I am the luckiest girl in the world for having the connections, right timing, and funding to do so. New York is such an inspiring place to live. Though the streets are dirty and crowded, it’s incredibly beautiful here. It saddens me so much to think that my time is dwindling here in New York. I can’t believe/understand where all the time has gone. I’ve done so many things, yet there are so many things that remain undone. I can’t believe that some people can just come here for a weekend. I have been here the entire summer and haven’t been able to fit everything in.
As the clock ticks on, time flies. I’ve always greatly appreciated my life and everyone that I can call friends or family. Being here has made me really count my blessings. Life is so fleeting that you really have to take advantage of every moment while you can. This experience is life changing and I can’t believe I’ve been so fortunate. I really think I’ve found my home in this sinful city. I don’t have a single complaint about life at the moment, nor should I ever. I’ve met so many incredible people and learned so many things. I love the sticky humidity, the dirty people, and even the muggy subway. New York has put me in such a thankful state of mind.
Always,
Alena Netia Horowitz
