It's show time!

It's been a busy few weeks over at Eustratia house getting the final preparations ready for the Fashion and Lifestyle Exhibition this weekend at Event City, Trafford. We will be headlining with a unique fantasy fashion show featuring models from the fabulous Vauhaus agency.

  

As well as getting everything ready for the show, we've been busy getting ready for our stall, where you can purchase items and find out about the after party we're throwing with Vauhaus. 

This year, my family holiday has come at a rather unfortunate time, the week before the show! However, being the good little intern I am, I've taken some prep work with me.

I've been making jewellery ready for the stand. Luckily I've got a great work space in the 

cottage I'm staying in and it's been nice and cosy with the fire on. Fortunately I'm back the day before the exhibition so I will around to help out all weekend. 

In between working and relaxing, I've been out to see some of the local attractions here in Northumberland, including this amazing medieval castle, complete with dungeon and torture room. 

I'm really excited for the exhibition which is expected to attract over 15,000 people and the after party is sure not to disappoint! At least I will be well rested after my relaxing holiday ready for a busy busy couple of days. 

Expectations

When I first went into my internship I didn't really have expectations. I enjoy making things and thought it would be good to learn a new craft. I certainly didn't expect everything which has happened over the last few months, Manchester fashion week, walking on a catwalk in Berlin, fabulous parties and most importantly for me, all the amazing people I have met. 

  For me, my internship has opened up a whole new world, one where I feel I've always belonged but never quite knew about until now. I will post individually about events at a later date, there's a lot of back tracking to do!

  I always get asked about my internship and what I do, so hopefully this blog will give you an insight into the world of a fashion intern, and for those of you who have ever thought about interning, perhaps it will inspire you. It's not all parties, fashion shows and trips abroad, there's a lot of hard graft that comes with it too, long hours in the studio late into the night, show prep, juggling an internship around your paid work, perhaps even doing things you don't find fun or interesting (luckily not so much the case for me!), but for me, it's all worth it. An opportunity like this can open so many doors for you, to things you'd never even thought about before. Through people I've met because of my internship I've had the opportunity to style photoshoots, something which I never would have thought to do before and meet lots of interesting people who play different parts in the fashion world and gain great insight into what it is they do, bloggers, models, photographers, designers. 

  I suppose the most important thing when it comes to interning is finding something you love and have the passion and drive for. If you can do that, and give it your all, then you can achieve great things, and if you're as lucky as I have been, it will surpass any expectations you may have had. 

Photo by Toria Brightside 

Once upon a time

  

 I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in International Fashion Marketing in 2009. Whilst studying I had the opportunity to do a placement year where I worked for a shoe design company as a design assistant. 

  My original plan after graduation was to go full time in the retail job I had worked in since I was 16, earn a bit of money and then go get a job related to my degree. At this time, the job market wasn't great so I thought this was the sensible thing to do. It didn't quite go to plan and 5 years later, I'm still in the same job.

  A few months ago, a friend of mine suggested I contacted his friend, a fashion designer, about an internship, this is where things got interesting...