Once you get started

I know that the title may sound as a rather flamboyant song by Gavin Christopher, but it somehow reminds me of a fresh starts which happened in my life over the years. Last month happened incredibly fast. I started my internship a bit earlier, in the beginning of March, which gave me a bit more time to think and adapt to the new environment. Before this, I have never been on an actual internship, so my excitement during the first week at Pauline van Dongen studio was obvious.

Pauline van Dongen is a fashion designer and smart textiles innovator, working in the area of wearable technology. She established her studio straight after graduation 6 years ago and over the time, her work has developed to the new levels but still carrying her apparent signature. As a Digital Communication and Marketing intern in this rather small Dutch studio, I got an opportunity to work closely with each member of our team. Even though I did not pick a biggest company of all, the mere feeling that I, a Slovak girl, studying in Sweden and working closely with 4 different nationalities in The Netherlands made me realised, how cosmopolitan even a smaller place can feel.

Alongside others, few of my tasks include creating and planing marketing content and press material for each of our latest projects, supporting the set up at exhibitions and photo shoots, communication with partners, press and art institutions and creating visual documentation and notes about design processes happening in the studio. I always knew that with work comes also a great responsibility. During my second week, I have already experienced how it feels to be in charge of a set up for a fashion garments exhibition, which needs to visually trigger people but also be accessible for a wider audience.

As for now, I am currently working on a mood boards for our next fashion photo shoot and approaching the potential photographers at the same time. I have a strong feeling that it is going to be even more exciting that what I have experienced so far. Netherlands is a beautiful country full of opportunities and I can feel that we share the same level of aesthetics with my colleagues. It feels like to be a part of a big creative family without any limitation in ideas, designs or used materials. Everybody is a strong independent personality, working hard to make the future of fashion smarter and more sustainable.

My notes from the days in the studio are getting thicker and thicker so stay tuned for the next update from a land of stroopwafels and appelflappen!