Week 2 Reflection
I have been really enjoying my internship and I think that that can in part be attributed to the attitudes of the people around the workplace. The Free People brand, and the URBN brand in general tend to intrigue a person who perhaps aligns their ideals with the ones we put forth through our clothes/marketing/etc. There are actually five “free people girls” with specific traits/interests that the designers use to inspire new lines, as well as to communicate the new lines/pieces to the public. Everyone knows their place, and what is expected of them, but if anyone were to need help the people who work in the office would be more than willing to help, as the people who work there have been so supportive of both me and the other interns as we settle in. I tend to apologize for having to ask questions, but my superior (who sits across from me so tends to field most of my questions) is super understanding and explains that he only knows this stuff so well because it’s his job, which is really nice to not feel like there is constant pressure to know everything that’s going on and how to do it, especially because the fashion industry can move at a very quick pace. That being said, I’m on my third week now and it’s definitely crazy to see how quick the turnaround is. We release a new line every month, and every month it ships out /is released in the first two weeks and you see sales on towards the end of that, and then within another 3 weeks there’s another line. I think we definitely take the availability of things for granted sometimes, especially now in such a world of instant gratification. I honestly have no criticisms of the functionality/attitude of our office and mostly chose this topic to express my gratitude to be in an office with such a healthy, positive, supportive outlook, and not just to their own employees but to everyone who comes into the showroom. On my first day they had a sign on my desk that said, “Welcome to the Free People Family!” and now I understand why they say that, and that it actually holds (and isn’t just a cutesy welcoming sign).
So it sounds like learning about values, etc. is something that happens through observation and asking questions, that there is not a specific orientation or on-boarding process in which you learn about – say – the five “free people girls” – right? I’m glad to hear that you are working in such a collaborative, supportive environment with a supervisor who is so available to field questions. Seems relatively informal; don’t know if most conversation is face-to-face or if other more formal mechanisms (e-mail, messaging apps, workflow programs) are also used? As you continue, I encourage you to consider whether the environment you describe is a product of the people employed or if it is a product of the field/industry; does your site’s context (type of industry or history) affects the way it functions and is led, including whether the site’s context requires the leadership to be more attentive to certain issues than to others. Thinking about this will provide some insights that will be useful for academic assignments this fall.