My first weeks at
KappAhl’s womenswear department have filled me with plenty of new impressions. Although
my studies and previous work experience of course have prepared me well for the
corporate fashion world, I feel that it is this internship that finally puts all
pieces together. That “Oh, I see; that’s how it works!” is
truly a great feeling! I’m sure that many of you feel the same in your
internships.
The objective of
my internship is to gain understanding of the buying function within a large
apparel firm. It’s interesting to see how large companies are organized! Here,
the structure looks similar across departments, which makes it easy to help out
for different concepts and collections. In an enormous work space with an open
landscape configuration, communication travels freely in all directions among
designers, design assistants, buyers, buying assistants, garment technicians,
business controllers, managers and directors. There are pieces of clothing
everywhere. Fabric and garment samples, lab dips, strike-offs and details keep
coming in with a steady flow from suppliers. There are fittings not only on
mannequins but also on real fit models. Here, you breathe creativity and
inspiration!
Three major “first
impressions”:
- How creative the buying position can be! I was surprised to discover to what degree a
buyer/buying assistant actually engages in product development. At least
at KappAhl, you work in cross-functional teams with lots of room for
creativity! You work with fabrics, colors, trends, trims and accessories,
developing silhouettes and styles, creating commercial clothes. Personally,
I wonder: can it be more fun?
- The wonderful corporate culture. I see high professionalism, huge competence and wonderful colleagues who are very kind, helpful and have fun working together. It is obvious that KappAhl is a nice and healthy workplace.
- Impressive structure. The well-developed organizational structure enables you to focus on your link in the textile value chain whilst operating with several different parts of the organization: production offices, merchandising, marketing, logistics, finance, sourcing, procurement, press etc. This web-like structure makes work run smoothly and you get lots of support from others. Also, it contributes to an interesting and highly stimulating work environment!
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