An in-person visit gave first-year Cassidy Crockett the opportunity to stand out among hundreds of applicants for an internship with the high-end luxury brand.
Perhaps you first heard of the name Diane von Furstenberg being tossed around during a shopping montage on “Gossip Girl.” Perhaps you’ve perused Nordstrom only to linger at a piece with the signature DVF label on the collar. Perhaps you were only introduced to von Furstenberg during the Met Gala a few days ago, where von Furstenberg herself and her granddaughter Talita posed together in archive DVF for the soirée’s gilded glamor theme.
LS first-year Cassidy Crockett is more than familiar with Diane von Furstenberg. She began her internship with the brand at the start of the Spring semester, and recently was given the opportunity to meet Diane at one of the company’s events. Aside from meeting the household designer, Crockett’s internship has given her an understanding of exactly how an international fashion brand operates and what it takes to run a successful company.
WSN met with Crockett to discuss her internship, the positive culture at DVF, and the benefits of the trials and tribulations of LinkedIn.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
WSN: Can you describe your role at Diane von Furstenberg?
Cassidy Crockett: I’m the production and project management intern, which basically means that I oversee any project within e-commerce along with assisting the brand photo shoots. In any project that we start, I assist my boss who is in charge of coordinating all of the projects and ensuring they run smoothly.
WSN: How did you get the position and what was the interview process like?
CC: Well, I’m a little bit of a crazy, perfectionist overachiever, and I woke up really stressed one morning because I thought I needed to get an internship right that very second. I found this post on LinkedIn for Diane von Furstenberg, but it was odd because the listing was typed out wrong. There were no spaces in between the job title and internship description, and it was just one giant paragraph without any spaces in between the words, so I decided I was just going to reach out to them and see what happens.
Instead of applying online, I printed out my application and hand wrote a letter both to Diane and to who would later become my boss. I went to the headquarters in Chelsea — which are beautiful, by the way — and delivered them to the front desk. I introduced myself, and I do think I got the job because I went in person. There were around 250 applicants, so I think it made me stand out a little more because I didn’t just submit it online.
WSN: What do your day-to-day responsibilities look like?
CC: It’s different every single day. I never really know what I’m going to walk into. Yesterday, actually, I shipped out 200 dress samples to China for e-commerce. I spent almost four hours with FedEx, so that was lovely. Most of the time it will be a variety of different production things like that, and then whatever my boss needs for projects.
WSN: What are the ups and downs of the position?
CC: Honestly, there are not a lot of downs. It’s difficult sometimes on shoot days, because we have to pack up all of our samples from headquarters into clothing bags and bring them downtown for the photoshoot. It’s definitely a workout, because we’ll stand waiting for an Uber on the street with about 20 bags of clothing. But, there’s so many good things. I’ve learned a lot about Google Sheets, and how to work with other people and pretty much everything about what it takes to run a brand. Diane von Furstenberg also has a lot of offices in China, so it’s been really interesting to see the additional steps it takes to run an international company.
WSN: What is the work environment like and has your perception of DVF changed at all since you started working there?
CC: Honestly, when I first started I thought that DVF was mostly for older women just because I just didn’t have any friends that wore it. I love everyone that works there. The people I work with are just a couple years older than me and recently graduated college, so I can see how they’re starting to bring Diane Von Furstenberg back into social media. I think within the next few years, people are going to see how the brand is going to immerse itself into the younger culture and appeal to those generations.
WSN: What are some qualities one would need to succeed in this position?
CC: You definitely need to be detail-oriented. I mean, it’s one thing to love fashion and be passionate about what you do, but really being able to organize is such an important skill. For example, I’ve had to sort clothing by month and by photoshoot date before. Everything requires very specific organizational skills, so if you’re detail-oriented this job is perfect.
WSN: Are there opportunities for full time employment or other advancements in this position, and what are your plans for the future moving forward?
CC: It’s actually known within the brand that if they like you as an intern, they will ask you if you want to be hired. That would be an awesome opportunity. I’m only a first-year though, so I don’t know what I’m doing yet. I might move on to a different internship, or I’ll stay with DVF, but either way I think that this is a great starting place and I’ve already met so many people that I’ve been able to connect with.
WSN: Last question. What has been your favorite part about interning at Diane von Furstenberg?
CC: Well, I actually met Diane yesterday. The brand has events where employees can go downstairs and meet these powerful entrepreneurial women. It’s almost like a summit, and Diane will also talk about her life and give advice. Everyone will wear the DVF dresses and it’s such an amazing event where we get to network and meet different people. I got to go for the first time yesterday, and it’s these types of events that just make the job so much fun. I also love everyone I work with, so this whole experience has truly been the best.
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Article originally published on Washington Square News. Courtesy photo by Cassidy Crockett.