Do You Heart Clothes?

Aug 19, 2008 @ 9:34am

i heart store.jpg I Heart, one of the cutest Mott Street boutiques, needs an intern.

The stats:

It's unpaid, though Jill, the owner, says she often gives clothes and discount - if you're good. You need to be able to work about 3 days per week, 3 - 4 hours each time, for September and October.

You will help with showroom appointments, work with stylists, send out e-mails, send out mailers, update lists, and do enough organizing and hands-on tasks with Jill that she promises will result in a thorough understanding of the showroom/retail side of things, provided the intern is willing to learn more than just how to hang up clothes.

Send your information to Jill at info@iheartnyc.com.

And, the lucky winner will be working right next door to us, so we fully expect a thank you in the form of a dress/boots/whatever.

Thanks!

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 9:51AM

i think you guys should do a post on the ethical issues involving unpaid internships. you "might" get a discount?! ha! geez how cheap can you be??

these companies could probably afford to at least pay minimum wage but choose not to. it eliminates a large portion of the population that simply cannot afford to work for free - especially when the internship is full-time.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 10:46AM

Thank you Fashionista for always posting internship positions. I live in Canada so right now they are of no use to me but when I move New York they will be! Thanks again!

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 10:50AM

i love iheart and all, but- c'mon. Boutiques are hiring interns now? i mean, i know she has a showroom in the back, but i'm sure the interns' duties will have a lot more to do with sales. That she should be paid for.

posted by xxi

Aug 19, 2008 11:30AM

Someone needs to control the free labor of internships asap because it's getting out of hand. One place asked for a min of 4 days a week unpaid, and I just wanted to throw up. Are you serious? Will my landlord understand that I can't pay my bills because I need to work for someone that's making more money by not paying me?!

Or the fact that even as a Parsons graduate people expect me to work for free for a few weeks/months before they can hire me? WHAT?!

I think instead of pointless posts about AIC or judging people, fashionista should try to change things like free labor.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 12:02PM

I'm not trying to be rude, but why should you "FULLY expect" a thank-you gift from an UNPAID intern?

Setting aside the fact that it's rude to demand gifts (especially for doing nothing but slapping up a post as a favor to your neighbors), the potential intern is now expected to give away an item -- that she may not even be clearly guaranteed to receive, according to this post -- to YOU?

If you must act so entitled, perhaps demand free things from I Heart -- who you are *actually* helping here (assuming you advertised this position for them for free).

posted by fauvism3

Aug 19, 2008 12:10PM

I agree, but there is always someone else who can do it for free or near nothing. It's the nature of the biz--look at the fashion mag mastheads and you will realize that almost everyone comes from money, even the assistants.

I understand it's a bit ridiculous for a college grad to not get paid, but didn't you guys do internships in the summers during school/during the school year?

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 12:12PM

The two legal stipulations: the intern cannot displace a regular employee and the company must derive no immediate advantage from the student's work.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 12:38PM

This sounds more like an unpaid sales position to me.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 1:04PM

Is everyone just really grumpy this morning? Unpaid sales position? It sounds like a showroom internship to me, and 3 days x 3 hours = 9 hours a week. Sounds perfect for a fashion or merchandising or whatever student. What's the big deal?

posted by xxi

Aug 19, 2008 1:28PM

I know I did. I've paid a lot of dues and my resume is fantastic, but it's like "oh she's already worked for free, let's keep milking that" it's ridiculous and unfair.

and #9

It's not just this internship I'm complaining about, it's all of the free slave labor things that have been going up all summer long every where asking for free labor in exchange for "experience" that no one finds valuable these days because they just want you for free in the end. It's a sad cycle.

posted by fauvism3

Aug 19, 2008 1:34PM

xxi, could you go back to a former internship employer and see if they have paying jobs available?

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 1:47PM

I'm inspired to read these objections to internships. They do take away real jobs and they also discriminate against people with no money or those who are older and not in college who might wish to change professions. I'd love to see them vanish--you pay college credits so somebody in a glamorous field can get a free laborer.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 1:49PM

As long as there are people willing to work for free, companies will take advantage of it. End of story. Beauty of the market. People can say that it discriminates against those who can't afford to do a paid internship--sure, it sucks. Go into a different industry if you want to be paid for your internship, or try to organize. There really are no other ways around it.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 1:54PM

guest #5, are you really that stupid? they were joking. thats the problem with workers these days, most of them are severely unqualified.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 2:20PM

#10:
A 9-hour a week showroom internship hardly qualifies as "slave labor". Anyways, its not like this is Conde Nast or Gap Inc here. It's an independently owned boutique/showroom that probably doesn't have the resources to pay interns. Free clothes though, thats more than I ever got at my internships.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 2:27PM

Well, #14 (#5 here), I thought she might be joking but 1) the entitlement tone runs rampant with certain editors at this site, so it's difficult to be sure, especially because 2) jokes traditionally tend to be, you know, funny.

I don't doubt many of today's workers are unqualified, lazy, or worse. I would imagine that tends to happen even more frequently when you don't PAY people.

I really can't say first-hand, though, because I've always worked my ass off, and never worked for free (except for volunteering).

Have a lovely day

posted by xxi

Aug 19, 2008 2:47PM

#11

Nope, no one wants to hire when they can just get someone else to do what I did for free. It's really complicated, frustrating, and silly. A lot of my friends are dealing with this fall out post graduation as well.

#15

Slave labor might not apply to this one, but all of the internships have wanted 3+ days recently and it's just getting out of hand.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 3:18PM

you sure made a hell of an arguement for someone who thought they might be joking.

as for not getting paid, deal with it or find a different industry. also, you shouldnt mistake working your ass off for being qualified.

and you talk about the entitlement tone of the writers on this site. most of the commenters, yourself included, feel awfully entitled to berate whomever and whatever they want and hide behind their monitors. if you are so badass, start your own blog genius!

posted by kenya

Aug 19, 2008 3:29PM

i live in ny and have lived in the US my whole life and im here to say people in this country complain too much (myself included but more so for things like the olympic scoring). sometimes you have to eat shit for a few years, sometimes more like 4-5. if you want to succeed and dont have the connections those are the breaks. otherwise, there is always mcdonalds, walmart, dominoes etc. do yourselves a favor now and toughen up.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 3:56PM

#18 your first point makes no sense to me. I think and type fast.

Your second point also makes no sense, as I don't work in fashion and therefore have nothing to "deal with." I am well beyond the age of interning as well. My original point was to object to the "joke" that the intern give the writer of this piece a gift. If people want to work for free, good for them, although I do find that either very stupid or very lucky with little in between.

Your third point, well I grant that anonymity does result in harshness sometimes. But if you think my original point (post #5) was "berating," well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I tried not to be and perhaps I failed, tone is difficult to express on the internet.

Lastly, I have no desire to start a blog. I love my job and don't find blogging to be best suited to my other interests.

I don't know why you're reacting so angrily unless you have a personal stake in this, but fighting is unpleasant, so I will stop here.

posted by Modupe

Aug 19, 2008 7:07PM

omg, i can't wat till i turn 18 and move to the city because there is nothing fashion related for a 15 yr old to do in atlanta....

posted by cesarcmma

Aug 19, 2008 8:50PM

Kenya I couldn't said it better...people sometimes complain TOO much...Like in any other industry you have to eat shit and work very hard to be recognized and learn about the job, it's life people, and you have to suffer the bad times to enjoy the good ones.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 9:13PM

I feel bad for I Heart, they're little intern posting turned into a discussion about slave labor. harsh.

As a fashion intern that spent all summer working 70 hours a week between my internship and a part time job to make money, I'm here to say that it can be done. It's not hard to do, so suck it up and deal.

Why would a magazine, a website or any other fashion related media pay an intern when there are hundreds, thousands of people out there that will do it for free and make up the cost somewhere else?? I sure as hell wouldn't.

Truth is, experience is vital, it's necessary and you can't trade it for anything. suck it up, work long hours, don't sleep and work your way up.

posted by guest

Aug 19, 2008 10:54PM

I spent months after graduating from a top university working over 60 hours a week for free (I'd had several internships while still a student as well), and now I have a job doing what I've always wanted. if you love the industry, you do what you have to do. It's not going to change anytime soon, so buckle down and enjoy the free clothes, something I never saw!

posted by guest

Aug 20, 2008 2:10AM

sounds convincing everyone.. but really not to offend anybody who had an objection over this matter....

this is not the first time we see a fashion intern post.. like someone else mentioned this is just the nature of the industry whether you like it or not

posted by guest

Aug 20, 2008 4:32PM

I know I won't be shopping there anymore. The reason so many people are objecting is because this is clearly a retail job. I hope aspiring interns can see the difference and look elsewhere.