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Unpaid Internships:
The Fashion Industry’s Loophole to Free Labor
Stephanie T. Somar
MPS in Fashion Management: The New School – Parsons School of Design
PMFM 5100: Research 2 Capstone Project
Professor Joshua Williams
August 10 , 2021
ABSTRACT & INTRODUCTION
Unpaid Public Relations internships at top luxury fashion brands in New York City have been inherently exploitative. Interns are bending over backwards for experience, and the privilege of having that luxury name on their resume. Brands are aware of this demand, and the fact that “a million girls would kill to have this job”, but why is this issue exclusive to the fashion industry? Across all spectrums, the fashion industry has been known to be the most exclusive, and controversial. There is a lack of cohesion amongst the industry regarding paying interns fair wages, and fair labor practices for interns in general. Why does the fashion industry specifically get a bad reputation for trying to work in their industry?
Through interviews of employers, previous intern case studies, current intern testimonials, and a questionnaire to an established fashion education program, this paper will explore and assess the impact of unpaid internships on all areas of the fashion system. It is anticipated that the findings will show that unpaid internships serve to benefit the employer in the most cost-effective way. Brands capitalize on the fact that candidates are disposable due to such a demand. I aim to open the eyes of the industry and shed light on the actual experiences of the unpaid internship. In a society that is always changing, “paying your dues” has a different meaning now, and candidates have more responsibilities both inside and outside of work they must take on. I aim to bring awareness to these outdated practices and hopefully show luxury fashion how their unpaid internships prevent as they prevent class mobility, maintain the patriarchy, and uphold systemic racism.
Overall, I hope to reach fashion professionals, and create awareness to this issue. I hope that hiring practices are reevaluated, and a more cohesive program is put into place. I hope to create more validity within the fashion industry, to mirror that of others.
The premise of my thesis statement was inspired by observing first hand, various patterns in the hiring process of obtaining an internship in the fashion industry. After being an intern for several years, then eventually getting the chance to hire my own, I have noticed an ongoing trend pertaining to the different hiring processes of interns in fashion.
Over the course of my career, colleagues and classmates of mine shared similar experiences and feelings when it comes to obtaining an internship in the fashion industry and ultimately getting one’s foot in the door in the first place. When launching one’s career into the fashion industry, one must consider several variables that might affect their chances of landing a full-time role.
Internships are pertinent to one’s career development and network, especially in this industry. But what happens when an inherently discriminatory system hinders certain demographics’ chance of landing those internships in the first place? My thesis statement aims to cover what I deem are the most problematic factors of unpaid internships in the fashion industry. The following question and thesis statement has served as the backbone of my research, and has laid the groundwork for my findings:
Thesis Question:
Are unpaid internships in the fashion industry innately exploitative in preventing class mobility, maintaining the patriarchy, and upholding systemic racism?
Thesis Statement:
Unpaid internships in the fashion industry are innately exploitative by preventing class mobility, maintaining the patriarchy, and upholding systemic racism.
Research Approaches/ Methodology Summary
The three methodologies carried out during the research process were phenomenological primary sources, a Refinery 29 Case Study, and an (informal) personal narrative interview. These methodologies allowed me to explore the nuances of the unpaid internship process through a variety of viewpoints and exposed some of the dark truths embedded in the fashion industry.
Through the primary source of in person/email interviews with an employer who implemented these unpaid internship programs I was able to see what they anticipated/expected from their interns. I also assessed the direct impact unpaid labor may have on a company, and how well they perform quarter to quarter. Assessing the other side of the issue and seeing how employers view unpaid internships helped show me the disconnect and broken nature of the fashion system.
This methodology aimed to figure out the root of the issue and inquire about why unpaid internships are implemented in the first place. Cost wise, does it benefit the employer? Are there certain labor laws in place that prohibit internships, and the industry is using unpaid labor as a loophole in trade for experience? Why do we see many women settle for an unpaid position vs a man in the industry? Are there any biases the industry that prevent one candidate from getting hired over another? How many internships must one complete before they are deemed competitive enough to be hired full time? I aimed to get a professional’s take on unpaid internships, and just how successful they are in breaking into the fashion industry.
I also set out to contact professors at Berkley College, an undergraduate institution that has a fashion department, and is known for connecting students to fashion related internships. While it is known that these programs dutifully connect students who may not otherwise have the means or connections to work in fashion, what is the real benefit to these students? Are the placed in jobs after their internship experience? How many students on average develop meaningful connections in the fashion industry? I reached out to several professors to see if they were willing to fill out a quick questionnaire, regarding the outcome of their fashion department’s intern program. Results are still pending from the questionnaire as professors are a bit reluctant to answer authentically about these outcomes.
Looking at a specific case from Refinery29’s website, where former interns have to remain anonymous to protect themselves from being blackballed in the industry that paid them so little, showed me how much reform is needed within the fashion industry. Anonymous testimonials, as provided in Refinery29, Glossy.com, and Fashionista.com helped me understand the root of the problem. Many different women from different backgrounds seem to have an underlying theme of exploitation. The initial enticement of an unpaid internship promises valuable experience upon completion. Through these case studies, and examining their testimonials, I assessed whether the promises were delivered. These primary and secondary sources provided the point of view of the intern, and what their (unpaid) experience was like. This specific case study showed the outdated practices of the fashion industry and show how it defends a patriarchal society.
The primary/ mixed methods approach to a personal narrative interview directly showed the effects unpaid internships have regarding racism. Intentional or not, unpaid internships only allow the privileged and elite to take on the luxury of working for free. This ostracizes a whole population talent that will never get the chance to display their talent. The recruiting process for these internships are also inherently biased and contribute to fashions larger diversity issue. If companies refuse to hire and nonetheless promote people of color, how will the fashion industry achieve true diversity? Fashion professionals in power keep hiring people who look like them, preventing anyone is not wealthy or Caucasian from getting a fair chance. Even when interns who are POC are hired, discrimination and microaggression plague their experience. A firsthand account of a POC unpaid internship experience helped expose to me the subtle and not so subtle racist tendencies of the fashion industry.
CLASS MOBILITY:
To take a step back, according to the division of Human Rights, and intern is defined as…
“As used in the Human Rights Law, “intern” means a person who performs work for an employer for the purpose of training under the following circumstances:
the employer is not committed to hire the person performing the work at the conclusion of the training period;
the employer and the person performing the work agree that the person performing the work is not entitled to wages for the work performed; and the work performed provides or supplements training that may enhance the employability of the intern;
provides experience for the benefit of the person performing the work;
does not displace regular employees;
and is performed under the close supervision of existing staff. (State of New York, 2014).
Under these circumstances, the state of New York determines an internship program based on who is the primary beneficiary of the internship services. Thus, depending on the beneficiary, a candidate can then qualify to receive compensation.
If the student were to be deemed the primary beneficiary- meaning that if adequate experience is provided in place of compensation
Throughout the fashion industry, one could argue that the intern would be the primary beneficiary of such clause, simply due to the fact that the name of the brand that their interning for could hold such weight in the industry. Interns are put in a difficult position between wanting to gain experience in a luxury fashion house that could boost their resume and chances of getting a job exponentially or receiving a fair compensation for their time.
Due to that exclusive nature, only a handful of interns have the privilege of securing that unpaid internship and using the leverage they have in order to succeed in both going to school and interning.
PATRIARCHY
While it is known that more make up the workforce in the fashion industry, more men hold higher and more prominent roles in these spaces. In the modern day fashion industry, how many Tom Ford’s and Alexander McQueen’s are there, compared to the number of Gabriela Hearst’s and Carolina Herrera’s? While most women consist of the design and pattern making aspects of the fashion industry, there are more men residing over them as CEO of the brand as a whole. In the scope of PR- at the widely known agency Karla Otto the number of male senior account managers did not outweigh the number of female account managers, however more male figures held those higher titles.
SYSTEMIC RACISM
Due to the exclusive nature of attaining a fashion internship in NYC, the systemic oppression students of color face when applying stacks against their favor. Two candidates can be just as qualified with the same level of experience, however the candidate with the most connections and referrals are more likely to land the internship. When it comes to these certain connections and referrals it is no secret that the privileged Caucasian female, from a wealthy background will be able to secure one first. Through years of systemic racism and oppression, students of color have started at a disadvantage when it comes to the wealth gap; thus, hindering any future opportunities where nepotism is so prominent.
SOLUTIONS:
While some might say the industry is progressing with paid internship opportunities, apprenticeship programs and college credit being available, the reality is that prestigious internships; ones that get resume’s recognized, still are problem areas for experienced interns looking to finally land an entry level role. Due to the networking nature of PR, these unpaid internships are where aspiring publicists network and make connections. As time goes on and unpaid internships stack up, they are able to form these connections, but at what cost?
APPENDIX
Intro/abstract
Background into fashion PR and PR internships in the city
PREVENTING CLASS MOBILITY
Labor laws
Students paying to work
Foreign students
MAINTAINING PATRIARCHY
Women take on more unpaid internships
Women have less C-Suite roles
Compare industry to others (Macys management in training program)
UPHOLDING SYSTEMIC RACISM
Most POC are at a disadvantage from advancing further into fashion industry because unpaid internships are an additional expense themselves
Experience with micro aggressions, “imposter syndrome” and token POC placements
Many barriers to entry for POC (connections and nepotism, privileged backgrounds)
Solutions
What are they
Solutions that are already in place
Apprenticeships
Paid internship programs
“micro” internships
Paid stipends (lunch and commute are covered)
Laws in place that interns cannot work past 6pm
More websites willing to connect and help interns get their foot in the door
PR Couture
Glam Observer
Free Fashion Internships.com
Fashionista
Labor unions
What does future look like?
APPENDIX
State of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Fashion – Barriers to Entry
RAISEfashion – 10-week internship program
Disproportionality across intern status, by race-ethnicity (2019)
Key Opportunity Areas where Fashion Brands can Improve Upon during the Recruitment Process
Different Types of Unconscious Bias Impacting Recruitment Process
Where Fashion Students Can Search for Internships
Fashionista.com
Glamobserver.com
FreeFashionInternships.com
BOF Careers
Company Websites
Indeed
Chegg
PR Couture.com
School’s job/internship portal
OUTREACH LETTER
August 2nd, 2021
Hello Ms. Pamela Snyder-Gallagher
I hope all is well. I am Stephanie Somar, a current graduate student in the Fashion Management program at Parsons School of Design. I am reaching out in regards to a research project I am conducting for my Individual Research course and was wondering if you would like to be of any assistance, or would be able to connect me to anyone willing to contribute?
Project Background:
The premise of the course is to follow a research topic surrounding an area of deep interest in relation to the fashion industry and figure out possible solutions to that issue. I have decided to focus on internships in the fashion industry and explore the intricacies and politics surrounding the matter. My thesis question: “Are unpaid internships in the fashion industry innately exploitative, as they prevent class mobility, maintain the patriarchy, and uphold systemic racism?” plans to explore the different obstacles an aspiring fashion intern in NYC must face while starting out in the industry.
Why I am reaching out to Berkeley College:
It is to my understanding that Berkley College has a great internship/mentorship program that helps place students of all backgrounds into internships within the fashion industry and provides guidance to those students along their fashion career.
I am interested in hearing more about the internship program at Berkeley as I believe I could develop a case study relevant to my topic in regards to the experience of an intern in the fashion industry.
Next Steps:
If you are interested in contributing to this project by answering a few questions I have, please see the next page! Please feel free to email back your responses or type them below. I would also greatly welcome the opportunity to speak with you more in depth regarding the program and can be reached at stephanie.somar@newschool.edu, somarstephanie@gmail.com or at 908.240.9317 at any time! Hopefully, we can secure something by Tuesday of next week!
Thank you again for your time, I sincerely appreciate all the help and guidance in advance!
Best Regards,
Stephanie Somar
Individual Research: Securing an Internship in the Fashion Industry with Berkeley College
Thesis Statement: Are unpaid internships in the fashion industry innately exploitative, as they prevent class mobility, maintain the patriarchy, and uphold systemic racism?
Questions for Berkley Faculty:
General Program Questions
Can you explain the main goal of the fashion internship program at Berkeley?
What qualities does Berkley aim to instill in their fashion students upon graduating?
How did the program start?
How effective is the program for students trying to break out into the fashion industry?
Demographic Questions
How diverse is the student population regarding Berkley’s fashion majors?
How diverse are the mentors/guidance counselors regarding the fashion internship/mentorship program?
What are the demographics for this program?
How many students secure fashion related internships while attending Berkeley College?
Internship Feedback & Outcomes
What has been some of the feedback from students regarding the internship program, and starting their career in the fashion industry?
What have been some of the top concern’s students have upon entering the workforce?
Out of the internships secured, what portion are paid? Unpaid?
Upon graduation of Berkley/completion of internships, how likely is it that students go on to securing full time roles in the fashion industry?
Annotations
Adams, Susan. “Odds Are Your Internship Will Get You A Job.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, July 26, 2012. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/07/25/odds-are-your-internship-will-get-you-a-job/?sh=395b870562e5.
Outlined is a “how to” guide into making the most of an unpaid internship, and how to leverage the opportunity. While it is widely known that paid interns are more likely to secure a role at the same company, unpaid interns can leverage their experience into a full-time paid role as well. The driving factor is the type of internship/company a candidate chooses to work for. Assessing the size and budget of a company before applying for an internship is a key step in awareness of the type of labor that is expected. Smaller companies may genuinely not have the funds to uphold an official internship program, whereas they offer in depth training and valuable industry knowledge instead. There are many different tradeoffs of an unpaid internship vs. paid internship, and with 37% of unpaid interns receiving full time job offers, this is a key aspect most candidates must consider.
Anderson, Greta. “Analysis: Students of Color Less Likely to Have Paid Internships.” Inside Higher Ed- Quick Takes. Inside Higher Ed, September 10, 2020. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/09/10/analysis-students-color-less-likely-have-paid-internships.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, in its 2019 Student Survey Report of 3,952 seniors who graduated in spring of 2019: Black students made up 6.6 percent of the graduating students yet held only 6 percent of paid internships and 7.3 percent of unpaid internships. From this survey and observing hiring practices, students of color are much less likely to secure paid internships hindering their overall career experience. This research also shows the importance of career centers and career development during college. An additional study showed that Black students on average utilize career center resources and make up for most career center visits. It is important to implement actual useful tools for young students of color to launch their career as equally successful as their white counterparts. Resources need to be effective, impactful, and proactive when assisting with career development.
Anonymous. “Confessions Of…An Unpaid Fashion Intern.” What It’s Like To Be An Unpaid Fashion Intern. Refinery29, November 16, 2019. https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/unpaid-fashion-intern-experience.
Interns often have to pay out of pocket in order to sustain a prestigious unpaid internship at a reputable “resume worthy” company. Lack of hands on supervision and regulation in the industry has allowed companies to have a flexible definition in regards to an internship program and what their tasks entail. Although the overall experience dictated in the article indicated a satisfactory internship experience, there were factors that are only present in the fashion industry that should be addressed and regulated. Interns should not have to pay out of pocket for covering the cost of expenses for tasks required of them throughout the internship. A reimbursement is fine; however, it is unacceptable to expect an intern to cover the cost of dry cleaning and errands while being unpaid.
Bovy, Phoebe Maltz. “Unpaid Internships Are a Rich-Girl Problem-and Also a Real Problem.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, February 13, 2013. https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/02/unpaid-internships-are-a-rich-girl-problem-and-also-a-real-problem/273106/.
Women often comprise the body of a fashion operation and make up for the majority of workers in the fashion industry, yet most powerful CEO positions are held by males. Where is the disconnect between female leadership in a mostly female dominant industry? Unpaid fashion interns are almost all female as well, with male interns securing paid internships and full time rolls more often than not. The fashion industry is no exception to the patriarchal influences that have ruled our society. While more privileged women are in places to take on the luxury of an unpaid internship, more men in general are securing paid internships and paid full time roles at a faster rate.
Burgos, Jasmine, Abigail Cherubin, and Christopher Akintonde. “Op-Ed: What It’s Like Being a Black Fashion Intern.” The Business of Fashion. The Business of Fashion, June 26, 2020. https://www.businessoffashion.com/opinions/workplace-talent/op-ed-what-its-like-being-a-black-fashion-intern.
The visual disparity between the intern closet and main staff working at desks prompts interns to question the possibility of advancing within an inherently exclusive industry. Amid the racial uprising occurring during the Summer of 2020, more interns share their experience of unfair treatment believed to be fueled by the inherent racist beliefs of the industry. Black interns feel that their talent is often overlooked and must prove themselves three times as much as their white counterparts to succeed. Few contemplate leaving the industry all together as they feel hopeless and stagnant in an industry that often uses token POC as their claim to diversity and nothing more.
REFERENCES
Adams, S. (2012, July 26). Odds are your internship will get you a job. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/07/25/odds-are-your-internship-will-get-you-a-job/?sh=395b870562e5.
Anderson, G. (2020, September 10). Analysis: Students of color less likely to have paid internships. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/09/10/analysis-students-color-less-likely-have-paid-internships.
Anonymous. (2017, July 13). An unpaid Intern’s week in New York, NY. Money Diary Grad Student Counseling Intern New York. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/money-diary-new-york-ny-intern-grad-student-counseling-intern-budget.
Anonymous. (2019, November 19). Confessions of…an unpaid fashion intern. What It’s Like To Be An Unpaid Fashion Intern. https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/unpaid-fashion-intern-experience.
Bauck, W. (2020, September 11). Are unpaid fashion internships inherently exploitative? Fashionista. https://fashionista.com/2020/09/unpaid-internships-fashion-exploitation.
Bovy, P. M. (2013, February 13). Unpaid internships are a rich-girl problem-and also a real problem. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/02/unpaid-internships-are-a-rich-girl-problem-and-also-a-real-problem/273106/.
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Burgos, J., Cherubin, A., & Akintonde, C. (2020, June 26). Op-Ed: What It’s like being a Black fashion intern. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/opinions/workplace-talent/op-ed-what-its-like-being-a-black-fashion-intern.
CFDA, & PVH Corp. (2021, February). State of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Fashion. https://s3.amazonaws.com/cfda.f.mrhenry.be/2021/02/CFDA-PVH_State-of-DEI-in-Fashion_02-2021.pdf.
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Feitelberg, R. (2020, July 31). CFDA taking action to foster a more racially BALANCED INDUSTRY. WWD. https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/cfda-taking-action-to-foster-a-more-racially-balanced-industry-1203646931/.
Fernandez, C. (2019, October 22). Op-Ed: Fashion’s class barrier. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/opinions/workplace-talent/op-ed-fashions-class-barrier.
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Graziano, G. (2020, July 8). How to survive an unpaid fashion internship. Glam Observer. https://www.glamobserver.com/how-to-survive-an-unpaid-fashion-internship/.
Hopkins, K. (2021, May 3). Do Glossy Fashion Magazine Internships Still Exist? WWD. https://wwd-com.libproxy.newschool.edu/business-news/media/do-glossy-fashion-magazine-internships-still-exist-1234810258/.
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Pearson, A. (2017, March 29). Unpaid internships might be over, thanks to the Olsen twins. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2017/03/28/unpaid-internships-might-be-over-thanks-to-the-olsen-twins/.
Ravishankar, R. A. (2021, May 28). It’s time to officially end unpaid internships. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/05/its-time-to-officially-end-unpaid-internships.
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Sundar, S. (2021, February 24). RAISEfashion, Anti-Racism Fund Partner to Address Diversity in Fashion’s Pipeline. WWD. https://wwd-com.libproxy.newschool.edu/business-news/retail/raisefashion-anti-racism-fund-internship-fashion-pipeline-diversity-1234746327/.
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