Some think New York Fashion Week is for A-listers but the show can’t go on without people like Belmont fashion student Emmy Silas.
Senior fashion merchandising major Emmy Silas experienced New York Fashion Week firsthand as an intern with Rosetta Getty.
But working with a fashion brand is not just a walk down the runway.
“It was a paid internship… it was nine to six, full workday, Monday through Friday,” said
Silas.
The week-long-stretch of press events, shows and exclusive looks at unreleased collections from top-name brands is fast-paced and calls for organized individuals with extensive product knowledge.
Silas built her knowledge of the fashion industry from the ground up. Her time with the O’More College of Architecture and Design helped her develop both the creative and social skills that landed her internships with Steve Madden this summer and Rosetta Getty at New York Fashion Week.
Her mentors at Belmont have been there every step of the way and have given her that extra push to take bigger steps.
“Stephanie Reese is my adviser… she was so encouraging, and she pushed me to do it on my own. Not that she wasn’t there to help me, but I think it meant a lot more when I ended up getting it that I got it on my own. It was like ‘I did it,’ and it was a little more rewarding in that way,” said Silas.
In NYC, Silas gained valuable experience and mentorship for her future.
“I got to meet the owner of the brand I was working for, and she was so kind. I’ll have that connection for forever and that memory for forever, and those people are already kind of in my corner moving forward,” she said.
Silas was attended events throughout Fashion Week; from networking with top name editors to presenting product information during buying appointments.
“The first night I worked the first event Rosetta Getty was having. It was a press event, and there were editors from Vogue, WGSN, Women’s Wear Daily. Buyers from Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Sax Fifth Avenue. They said I was working the event, but really they let me just mingle and get to know everyone,” said Silas.
While almost 800 miles away from campus, Silas felt well prepared due to the skills she learned here.
“I don't think that I would have been that way had I not been prepared from Belmont specifically. The professors are seriously wonderful,” said Silas.
Her professors said Silas earned the New York gig.
“Her presentation skills are very strong and she is good at networking. She is always on top of it, organized, proactive since she started as a freshman. Honestly, the most important trait that Emmy has is her kindness. I mean, she tries to get a positive spin on anything that she does,” said Jamie Atlas the department chair for Fashion Design and Merchandising.
New York Fashion Week was a bucket list item for Silas, but not her last.
“I don’t know if you ever think you’ve reached your goal completely,” said Silas, “So even as you meet small little accomplishments and have these little milestones, there’s always going to be something bigger.”
After a summer away in NYC, Silas is starting her senior year full of inspiration from some of the artists she saw.
Her senior thesis project, influenced by an AI-generated collection she saw this summer, incorporates the effect AI will have on the business side of fashion and trends in fashion.
The internship gave Silas a bite out of the Big Apple. But she wants more.
“I can’t even think about it without my jaw dropping to the ground, because everything was just so lavish and incredible,” Silas said, “I loved going, and I hope I get to go back again in the future.”
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This article was written by Georgina America with contributory reporting from Haley Ramsey
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