welcome to the first installment of philadelphia style! i'll be featuring one stylish philadelphian per month, showcasing their personal style and sharing a short interview.
i've mentioned my good friend bernadette many times on tick tock vintage; she's an incredibly stylish, talented, and sweet girl who has years of experience of working in the fashion industry. bernadette has an amazing eye for pattern and texture, and is a layering master. in her interview, she chats about her internship at harper's bazaar, what she'll be wearing this summer, and sewing costumes for the musical CATS. yes, you read that right.age & occupation: 24 yrs old, Assistant designer for knit tops and dresses at Anthropologie.
what experience do you have in the fashion industry? I went to school at Pratt Institute for Fashion Design. Pratt is located in Brooklyn. I think living and going to school in New York gave me a great advantage in obtaining a job after graduating. The city offered a multitude of internship opportunities in which I learned things that cannot be taught from a book. When starting fashion school I knew I wanted to make beautiful things and dreamed one day I would work for Anthropologie, but never thought it could or would ever be a possibility.
My first internship was at a small community theater one summer in which I , no-lie, sewed and created costumes for the musical CATS. This is not something I always like to admit, but it was quite a learning experience. I was knee deep in fake fur, and spandex in a 102 degree attic of a theater that is older than my grandmother. I was also surrounded by volunteer diva actors and actresses. That was the summer I decided I never wanted to do costume work ever-again. I did acquire the skill of airbrushing "cat" stripes onto spandex, and sewing fur onto spandex (a lot harder than in sounds).
After doing something so crafty I thought a more corporate atmosphere is want I wanted. My friend was working at a company in Manhattan called Li & Fung as an intern for the GO! line at Target (that is the designer line they have there). She got me an interview and soon after I was working as an intern for the Mossimo and Merona lines of Target helping the structured team. I mostly made copies, made layouts, helped set up presentations and sketched things on the computer all day. It was for the most part pretty slow moving. I wouldn't say it was not the most creative job, but I am now a pro at using illustrator. If you're a fashion designer this company looks great on your resume.
My third internship was at Harper's Bazaar Magazine. I was the intern to one of the assistants to the head editor of the magazine. have never been more terrified in my life. At the time I worked there the head editor had two assistants and two interns. Within the first 10 minutes of me entering the door I was told I had to get into a cab outside, go to her home, which was across from Central Park (which I still cannot fathom) and get something from the doorman, who knew I was coming. This about set the pace for how the internship the four months I was there. With this internship I learned Manhattan very fast. I did anything and everything: picked up dry cleaning, got coffee, got lunch, delivered gifts to celebrities agents, picked up gifts, wrote thank yous, read and respond to invites...I could go on and on. I got very good at thinking on my feet.
I eventually applied to Anthropologie and got an interview. I was hired on the spot, but as an "Intern-to-hire." This means I was a paid intern and when a position opened up I would be hired and given a real salary. I'm not going to lie - it was not easy moving from intern to a salary position in this company. I was definitely very grateful for such and opportunity and just happy to be working at a placed I had always dreamed of working at. After a couple of months as an intern, I was hired as a freelancer, and then hired as a design assistant. I was just promoted to Assistant Designer.
how does working at anthropologie affect your style? Working at Anthropologie definitely makes it hard to get dressed in the morning. Anthropologie's aesthetic to me is a great mix of vintage inspired with new and modern, as well as crafty with a clever twist. This is a very hard look to achieve every morning, but I think I make a good effort most days of the week.
how is philadelphia style is different that new york style? Speaking generally (because if i didn't, this response would be a page long), New York City's fashion is fast, edgy and clean. Philadelphia style is a little more relaxed, but still on trend. There are a ton of fashion-saavy Philadelphians who incorporate this practicality in their wardrobe and look effortlessly amazing everyday.
what will you be wearing this spring and summer? Stripes stripes stripes! High waisted shorts. White eyelet dresses. Oxfords and boat shoes. I'm looking out for 1930s, 1940s and 1950s vintage clothing as well.
