Fashion students on placement with Anna Sui, New York
Times Square, just a couple of blocks away from Anna Sui
Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:46:00 BST
Our University has built strong relationships with one of the most celebrated designer names in New York, Anna Sui. Seven University of Huddersfield students had the opportunity to work with the worldwide luxury fashion brand over the last two years. The brand designs clothing, shoes, cosmetics, eyewear, and accessories, as well her signature fragrances.
Iasha Masood a Fashion Design with Textiles placement year student has undertaken a 3-month placement with Anna Sui this summer working in the Design and Pattern making department. Iasha was promoted to Head Intern. Her responsibilities included organising, informing and managing the interns timetables. She says “this really boosted my confidence and I really enjoyed helping the new interns. For me it was one of the greatest experiences of my placement year because Anna Sui is a brand that is perfectly compatible with my style. I was proud to represent the image of the company and I felt a part of it, often being able to give my opinion on new trims, fabrics and the upcoming collection.”
Iasha also created a guide for future interns on how to use a new system she developed for producing technical sheets that accompany each garment during the fitting. She told us “this paid off extremely well later when I left the department as the new interns handled this system far better than the older ones and productivity was improved”.
“My plan for the future is to move back to the US and find a job in the fashion industry to further my knowledge and skills whilst building my portfolio and eventually launch my own brand. This year has helped me make great connections in the fashion world, from buyers to photographers, to business owners and investors. I also took full advantage of the networking opportunities available and met people everywhere I travelled. Through this I made many friends and felt really welcomed wherever I went, which I think is essential to making your internship abroad successful.”
Danielle Scott, Fashion Communication and promotion third year student was recently on placement with Anna Sui’s showroom department studio, based in the Garment District on Fashion Avenue, a few blocks away from Times Square. Everyday duties included inputting orders from companies such as Net-A-Porter, MyHabit and Anthropology, market research based projects including store visits to potential stockist boutiques around New York and compiling a written analysis on the suitability of the boutique and a consumer profile of the customers visiting the store. In the future, Danielle wishes to pursue a career in British Fashion and PR. She told us “I hadn’t anticipated how much this move would challenge my independence and self-reliance, and ultimately give me the confidence to push my boundaries in placement year. As a whole I cannot find the words to justify how incredible the experience was. I highly valued my internship at Anna Sui and feel it will maximise my potential in gaining further internships and jobs. Besides the career benefits, the life experience is something that will stay with me forever.”
