Summer Fashion Internship Program (11weeks)

Global Experiences, the world leader in fashion internships, invites you to explore the world of Italian fashion, culture and language with the Global Experiences Summer Fashion Internship Program.

Come discover the inspiration for the world’s most famous designers and find out why the Made in Italy brand is adored all over the world. Florence’s fashion businesses are the perfect size to gain valuable hands on experience in a fashion company and explore the business strategies of Italian producers in the new globalized fashion industry. The program offers the opportunity for a comprehensive view of the fashion industry in Italy through an internship, guided excursions, and study of Italian fashion history, language and culture. It is truly a complete educational experience for both those just starting school and those entering the job market.

Program Includes

• Intensive Italian Language Training
• Custom Internship Placement
• Professional Seminar and intern shadowing
• Guided Fashion related Excursions
• Internship Orientation
• Accommodation in single room
• Emergency Medical Travel Insurance provided by Travelguard
• 24/7 On-site Support
• Personal Mobile Phone (rental covered in program fee)
• GE Participant Happy Hour
• Pre-Departure Information

Intensive Italian Language Training

The four week Intensive Italian Language Course, run by a well respected Italian language school and accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education, includes a total of 20 lesson hours per week in small groups of no more than 12. In order to gain experience with different accents and voice inflections each class will be taught by two University of Florence graduates, specialized in teaching Italian as a foreign language and who in addition to the textbook are equipped with supplementary audio-visual aides and an ample library of language learning materials.

The two week Language of Fashion Course will introduce you not only to terms that will be useful to you in your internship but also the history of fashion in Italy, the rich artisan traditions in Florence, and the fashion related industries in the region of Tuscany.

As the quality of your internship experience will be largely dependent on your proficiency in the language we encourage all participants to prepare as much as possible prior to arriving in Italy through self study or courses. To that end Monday night conversation exchanges will be organized and compulsory to ensure that participants maximize the effectiveness of the language course by practicing speaking skills.

Custom Internship Placement

We will work with you to find the best available placement in the internship area you request. Interviews are conducted prior to arrival but as the Italian business culture is very personal, final placements will be determined once you have arrived in Florence and have interviewed with the Internship Coordinator and the company. For a sampling of past internship opportunities please click here.

Skills Required

Flexible, self-starter, mature and independent, adaptable, willing to learn, detail orientated, and a passion for Italian culture and fashion.

Available Placement Fields

• Fashion Design: Menswear/Women’s wear, Bridal, Accessories, Illustration
• Fashion Business: Marketing/Merchandising, Showroom Sales

24/7 Onsite Support

Guided Fashion Excursion Program

• May 27th, 2009 Shopping Tour of Florence, 4pm – 7pm
  With guide in hand, we will take a tour of the different fashion districts in Florence. From the luxury of via Tournabuoni to the artisans of the Oltrarno and the boutiques of Borgo Pinti, you will discover the hidden treasures of Florence’s rich artisan culture and history.
• June 5th Milan 8am- 5pm
  One of the fashion capitals of the world, Milan offers a fresh look into the past and future of fashion. We will visit the most luxurious street in Italy, via Montenapoleone and see some of the most innovate architectural and design flagship stores in Italy including Armani and Dolce and Gabbana. We will travel to the trendy Brera district and stop by the innovative 10 Corso Como, one of the first concept stores in the world.
• June 10th Company Visits 2pm-6pm
  We will visit two sides of the Florentine fashion community, a boutique and midsized fashion company with worldwide distribution. We will speak with the owners and hear about their experiences owning a fashion company.
• July 18th Prada Outlet, The Mall and D&G
  During the height of the sale seasons, we will visit all of the major outlets where you will find up to 70% off the already discounted outlet prices at Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, D&G and many more, so save your money for this trip!
• July 24th Ferragamo Museum and Costume Museum at Pitti Palace
  Now that Gucci has jumped ship to Rome, Ferragamo is the most important fashion house in Florence. We will visit the museum in the historic Ferragamo headquarters to discover the house’s past and present. We will then go to the Costume Museum to see the collections of historic costumes and pieces by the innovative designers that began the Made in Italy movement.

Dates and Prices

Dates : May 18th,  2009 – July 31st, 2009
Price : 5290 Euro