A few months ago, my dad suggested I go to London to do an internship at Baukjen. He knew I have a great love for fashion and felt this was my chance to see how the real world works. He thought it would also give me an opportunity to better determine which career path I would enjoy. Super excited, I packed my stuff and moved to London!
On the day of my arrival, I had the lucky opportunity to attend the launch party of the new look womenswear collection. The party was at the beautiful W Hotel and was attended by lots of press and celebrities. I couldn’t believe my luck! I also met lots of future colleagues who were all so welcoming and kind! Knowing some of the people helped a lot in cooling my nerves for my first day at work the following day. The day started with a bit of stress, it was my first time on the tube and I had no idea how it worked. But luckily I didn’t get lost! I arrived at a really cool old post office in north London, rang the bell and stepped into a large and inviting office space full of light, magazines, clothing and friendly people. Was this indeed a girls’ dream? I didn’t know an office could look that cool!
I was asked to start work in the editorial department with Shoot Editor, Ania. My first assignment was to make mood boards for the upcoming shoots, which I was due to be helping with. During the days that followed, my role was to assist in the shoots, by helping to prepare the outfits, dressing the models and ensuring the right accessories were used with the right outfit. The shoots are hard work, with lots of time pressure, but they are also great fun. In fact, I absolutely loved it as I got to work with an awesome photographer, a very experienced stylist and some great models.
After two weeks of shooting, Baukjen asked whether Sophie (another intern) and I would like to see how she prepares a Style Guide. She took the time to explain how it all works and we helped her choose from a range of lovely images. It may sound easy but there is a lot more to it than you might think. I’m really excited to see the final result.
After two great weeks with Ania, I moved to work with Laura in the ecommerce department, because a key objective of my internship is to see how all the different parts of Baukjen work. I had to do all kinds of different things such as testing the website itself and data analysis. It’s a rather complicated business but a key part of the success of Baukjen.
As I write this, I have just joined the marketing department, which is run by Ally. Here we focus on all things related to social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, the blog, as well as the emails and homepages. It’s really interesting and fun because you get to see things from the brand’s perspective. Instead of being the actual customer, you have to think like one. There is a lot more thought and process going into what you put on the site than I could have ever imagined.
I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the Baukjen team! It’s a fun loving, inspirational crowd that’s made me feel welcome and they have involved me in many aspects of the business. It is impressive to see how a brand like Baukjen develops itself and grows, day after day, week after week, year after year. The experience has already taught me a lot, giving me an insight into the industry and the opportunity to meet inspiring people, all in just five weeks!
I’m very much looking forward to what’s coming next but it’s already clear that this is an experience I will never forget!
