So… You Want to Work in Fashion?
By: Samina Kaushek, CAS ’25
Samina at Luz Ballestero’s Fashion Event in June 2023
GRIP: Social Impact in Buenos Aires, Argentina
As I imagined my friends marching into Midtown Manhattan dressed in suits, I knew my summer would look quite different. It would be the summer when I worked in fashion in Buenos Aires. I would feel like the protagonist in my own 2000s romantic comedy. Argentina edition.
“Sam, why fashion?” My apprehensive father asked me during our last dinner before I departed to the San Francisco International Airport. Instead of defending the power of consumer retail in modern society, I responded: “Dad, I honestly don’t know.” Sure, clothes are fun. But he made a valid point. Why fashion?
On my first day, I met with my boss at a showroom of the sustainable fashion brand Vero Forest. After entering the minimalistic studio located in Barrio Norte, I was handed a camera and told to interview the designer in Spanish. After five minutes, I was engaged in a meaningful conversation about Forest’s Salteña influence on her clothing and the constant struggle to find sustainable alternative fibers in Argentina. She walked me through her favorite collections and encouraged me to take in the softness of each textile. While editing the interview, I realized that I had found a potential answer to my father’s question: fashion is tangible. The ability to carefully craft a product that holds symbolic meaning is powerful. Marketing this artisanship and sentiment is what excites me the most.
The following week, I was invited to a fashion event by Luz Ballestero, a designer known for her innovative and bright collections. Arriving at what looked like an abandoned warehouse in Palermo Hollywood, I was surprised to see rooms full of Ballestero’s stunning collections along with modern artwork that inspired her during
the design process. At this moment, I told myself: “Samina, this is your ‘Devil Wears Prada’ moment.” I then introduced myself to the Argentinian designers at the event. I became friends with a student studying fashion and working as an intern for a Peruvian wool company. I met a jewelry designer who collaborates with Ballestero to create full looks for the runway. As I walked home to Palermo Soho, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was in a room full of creative women who are passionate about their craft and equally as eager to be inspired by the work of their peers. I found another answer to my father’s question: fashion is community.
After saying goodbye to the many designers I had the fortunate opportunity to work with, I had finally perfected a response to tell my dad back in San Francisco. The tangibility of fashion is thrilling. Staring at a blueprint and watching these drawings come to life is a process I closely witnessed this summer. Successfully marketing complex stories and the strong community behind the finished product is a strategy I am excited to develop further. So yes, clothes are fun. But the tangibility and intangibility of this industry are what made my job feel so dynamic. Sure, I am no Anne Hathaway. But I am now someone who is excited to discover many more answers to my father’s question in the professional experiences to come.
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.