[dropcap letter=”A”]s I sit here in quarantine in my home writing this exit post, I am lucky this is the first time this has happened over the last 7 months I have spent as a styling intern at PATTERN. To get sidelined in the final days of my internship was not how I saw it going, but did anyone see 2020 going the way it did? Even though the world has been nothing but chaotic, PATTERN could not have shown up at a better time. After being sent home early from my study abroad semester in Italy in February, I was looking for my next step, a path that felt right during all the confusion. When I accepted the internship in May, I really did not know the impact it would have on me, but I wouldn’t have changed how it happened for anything.
Fashion has always been a love of mine. As a kid, I used to put together outfits for my friends, make dresses with a stapler and fabric and do photoshoots with a disposable camera. Fashion became my expression. My style made me stand out. It made me into the creative person I am today.
Being a styling intern with PATTERN taught me to love the fact that I stand out, that I go against the grain and it will always be something that I do. The best part is I don’t have to do it alone. The amazing group of interns and fellows I met were the most creative and talented people. They are the best at in-depth story writing, unique graphics, knowing where to find sick vintage clothes, skilled with a camera, always using the best GIF and even sewing clothes for an editorial. It wasn’t just those people at PATTERN, though, who made this experience so worthwhile. It was the models who came in for test shoots and helped my fashion editorials come to life, the hair stylists and makeup artists who brought the looks together, the photographers who knew just the right angle, and the styling mentors who I shadowed and learned so much from. They showed me that it takes a village to create something spectacular.
These people and their crafts give me the drive to chase mine, and that is something I will always be thankful for.
As I set my sights on a next step, I know PATTERN has given me the foundation to be a force in the Indianapolis and Midwest creative community. I have styling connections, friends, and colleagues who I know will always be there to support, cheer on and participate in my future projects.
I am promising myself that this is just the start of something amazing, and I wouldn’t be here without PATTERN.
