Submitted by Madeline Grabill on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Paris, France sponsored by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies…
This week I had my internship at Elie Saab for Haute Couture during Paris Fashion Week. The internship lasted from January 19-23 and it was definitely one of the most exhausting, but rewarding weeks of my life. The first day there was pretty short and all we had to do was unpack and steam the dresses and accessories and then organize the shoes by order and style. However, the days following that were incredibly long and busy.
We dressed models for sizing and fitting and assisted them all day as more and more models arrived for casting. The day before the actual fashion show, we were there at Elie Saab until 4:00 am and spent 19 hours working there that day. We finalized the fittings for models and prepped look boards for backstage at the show. We also helped finish the dresses that needed to be altered as quickly as possible before the show the next day.
In order to prepare for the show, we packed up shoes and accessories with dresses for the show. The actual day of the fashion show, we got there early to organize the dresses and accessories and prepare the look boards, so other dressers knew exactly what the models were supposed to look like. Then we dressed the models before they walked and after it was over, we packed everything up and it was over!
