PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 15:

Hooray for Friday! The weekend couldn't come soon enough as it's been a tiring week. Today we had mountains of international sound outs to top magazines such as Elle US and Vogue Russia. We ploughed through them to reach the deadlines. I also went to my first Asos sample sale where all of the old samples are sold for £2! Bloomin' bargain! I picked up a few bits which I'm rather chuffed about! 
On the last friday of every month, Asos have an event where they give out free beverages to all of the staff. I joined the PR girls in the events room which was packed full of Asos employees mingling around the beer and wine stands. I definitely wasn't complaining! It was a lovely ending touch to a lovely month. Happy weekend!

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 14:

Today was a quiet one in terms of send outs and returns. I worked at a steady pace to ensure I wasn't left with nothing to do. When all the usual jobs were complete, Alice and I headed to the PR cupboard to sort through the mountains of mixed up jewellery that had just been shoved in any old place. We decided to sort through the whole lot and organise it in boxes of specific categories. We chucked all of the broken pieces away and we put to one side the old pieces that we were then allowed to pick from for ourselves! I chose a rose gold chunky necklace and a load of gold rings. The girls were pleased with the results as finally they can find what they are looking for. I also got to take home this amazing fur coat which I'm pretty chuffed about! Tomorrow Asos are having a sample sale so hopefully I will pick up some amazing bargains then too! This week has gone so fast!

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 13: PERKS OF THE JOB.

 
 

Nothing overly exciting to report back on today other than the fact I brought home FREE CLOTHES! Yes this has to be one of the major perks of the job - getting to have the old season samples. Every day samples are put into bin bags to enter the sample sale, however PR get to take whatever they wish! I've been rummaging around since I began the internship but I've been struggling to find anything that was worth dragging home on the tube. These are some of the pieces I managed to find from today and yesterday. Yay me!

I also tried out the crayfish and avocado salad from Pret for lunch. It gets the big thumbs up from me!

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 12:

Can't believe it's Wednesday tomorrow! The week is flying by. Alice and I were joined by a boy on menswear called Will who is doing work experience for the week. He took some of the less appealing jobs so we cracked on with the usual daily tasks. It wasn't overly busy in the office so I only had a few send outs to do. I spent most of the day arranging gifts for models for London Fashion Week as Asos are sending off some pieces for them to wear backstage etc. I also had the job of looking at bloggers who have featured in the Asos magazine previously and noting down the usual details such as their number of followers for all of their social media accounts. This was pretty cool as I got to spend time searching through blogs and finding out a few new awesome fashionistas who I haven't come across before. I will post a few of my favourites below so check them out!

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 11:

Today was very chilled considering it was a Monday. I rushed to work expecting the day to be hectic, but luckily there were only a few send outs and I was able to work at a reasonably relaxed pace. There's not much to say about my day, other than I discovered this amazing sushi salad from Pret. I'm a sucker for sushi, health and salmon, and this lunch combined all three of those things. I recommend you try it! 

Well Monday is now out of the way. I wonder what the rest of the week has to offer?

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 10:

TGIF! The week has finally come to an end and today the office seemed much more chillaxed than usual. Alice and I organised the the AW13 cupboard and ensured it was tidy as it was originally a mess! The girls were pleased as they weren't used to organised samples so this was good.

I also had a huge surprise at work as I received my first ever PR gift! The other day I blogged about Vita Coco as it's one of my favourite healthy drinks. The company must have seen and they surprised me with 3 free boxes of the stuff! I was so chuffed! What a great way to end the week! Thanks Vita Coco!

Happy Friday everyone!

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 9:

Today was just another regular day in the office sorting through deliveries and running errands for the PR girls, I don't have anything too much to say about my day so I thought I would blog about the best lunch options for a fashion intern.

If you're anything like me, you will be a tad paranoid about the kind of food you consume when on the go. As I am given a £5 allowance from Asos for my lunch, it's so tempting to head to McDonald's and get a large Fillet o' Fish meal, but I can't let myself do that for 5 weeks straight, as lets face it I would pile on the pounds. Instead I'm going for the healthier options for my lunch and giving myself the odd treat here and there. I definitely take advantage of the £5 and make sure I spend the whole lot! Asos is surrounded by supermarkets, Pret a Manger and a Costa. Here is my list of favourite healthy foods to have on lunch:

- Pret a Manger ready made salads

- Sainsbury's Sushi

- Costa Panini's 

- Pret a Manger warm wraps

- Sainsbury's falafel and houmous wrap

- Vegetable crisps

- Salted Popcorn

- Dark chocolate rice cakes

- Pret a Manger soup of the day 

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 8:

 

Today I had to reach a number of deadlines in terms of getting deliveries out to couriers at specific times. It's hard to keep up, especially when I have a load of samples to add into the system, however I work as quickly as possible in order to get my jobs done. I also ran some other errands for Georgie around the PR department.

I'm lucky I get a £5 lunch allowance because there is so much variety and I make sure I cheekily take advantage and spend the whole lot! Today I had sushi which is a perfect, easy meal for a fashion intern. I will be doing a post shortly of my list of top lunch and snacks for an intern so stay tuned!

Tip of the day: Try not to crumble if you are under pressure, keep focused whilst working as quickly as possible.

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 7:

Today was even better than yesterday as I continued learning new things and was given more responsibility. I began the day with processing some send outs and it was a bit of a rush. We have deadlines throughout the day for different couriers who are located specific areas, therefore we have to prioritise each delivery and sometimes we have a bundle to do in a short space of time. My job is to ensure all the samples are labelled correctly and put into Fashion GPS when they are sent out. Sometimes the samples are already labelled so it's just a case of scanning them in, but for the majority of the time, I have to create a new label for each sample, and this involves entering a variety of details about the piece. 

Whenever I have a spare minute, I like to head downstairs to the stock room and replenish any areas that need more samples. I make sure it is organised and tidy ready for any appointments throughout the day. This is quite a fun job as you get to see all of the new seasons collections in a more glamorous arrangement. 

Tip of the day: If you have a spare minute, use your initiative to complete another job. This shows you are willing and you will receive greater responsibilities too!

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 6:

Today's outfit

Vita Coco and water on my desk to keep me hydrated!

A sneak peak inside Asos HQ (apologies for the blur)

I was so excited to start at Asos as I am so into the brand. Plus when I went for my interview I fell in love with the Ugly Betty style building and the contemporary office decor. I arrived at 10am and headed straight to the PR department. I initially met the team and everyone was so friendly. There is also another intern named Alice who I have been working alongside and she was able to teach me all of the basics which thankfully I picked up really quickly.
I have been allocated my own desk which is pretty cool. I've never had my own desk before! Georgina, the manager, talked me through everything and I got to work straight away. My main responsibilities are managing returns and deliveries, packing everything away, merchandising the show room and organising the fashion cupboard. I have to use Fashion GPS which is a database to manage all of the samples. My job involves inputting samples and data into the database and labelling the samples with the correct barcodes so that we can scan them into the system and locate them. 
Perks of the job have to be seeing all the free gifts Asos give away to celebrities and bloggers. Today I sent packages to Cara Delevingne, Ellie Goulding and Jourdan Dunn. Also handling all of the SS14 collections before they are published on site is pretty awesome. I'm an Asos shopper myself, so now I can keep track of my favourite pieces and get hold of them before anyone else! Roll on tomorrow!

ASOS PR INTERNSHIP.

So as of Monday, I will officially be an intern in the PR department of Asos for 5 weeks! This is really exciting for me as I have always been a big fan of the brand and their site, and now I will finally be able to see what goes on behind those big glass doors at their amazing HQ in North London. 

PR has always appealed to me due to the versatility clients and contacts that are involved. I can't wait to meet new people and network with other fashion creatives out there. With Asos being one of the fastest emerging brands of today, reaching out to thousands of fashionista's across the planet, I have a good feeling I am going to enjoy my learning experience at this company.

Stay tuned for daily updates of my experience.

I hope you enjoy!

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 5: BEST IPHONE APPS.

Friday was another day of returns for Hunger Magazine. This time I had to pack the deliveries myself which meant a lot complications due to the unorganised structure of the styling world. Samples could be anywhere for I knew - trying to track them down was somewhat complicated, but luckily I managed.  Thank God it's Friday!

I don't think I could have made it through the past 5 days without my iPhone and some of the apps that I have been using to help me find my way around London and entertain me in the process. Here are some of my chosen top iPhone apps for a London fashion intern:

1. Citymapper - This app is honestly a total life saver, especially for anyone who is travelling around London doing returns and pick ups. It's hard to know your way around if you are going East to West, West to North. This app shows you every move to your destination, from bus stations and numbers, to correct trains and times, walking routes, tube routes, you name it, Citymapper will not let you down. Thanks to this app I have managed to get everywhere on time this week and it has guided me to every single location. Thanks Citymapper!

2. Tube Map - When I know I only need to get to a tube station, this is a much quicker app to use. Simply put in where you want to travel to and the program will show you all routes. It also lets you know of any service problems on that line - perfect if you are in a rush.

3. Around Me - In a hurry to get lunch? Around Me will show you the nearest restaurants and coffee shops. It will also guide you to supermarkets, taxis, banks and more - great if you don't know the area.

4. Instagram - Need I say more? The perfect place to document all of the exciting moments on your internship and sharing them with your followers.

4. The Daily Mail - Everyone loves to know the latest gossip in the world. This app is great as you can sync it whilst online so that you can read it on the tube when there is no signal. This keeps me entertained on those long journeys. 

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 4:

Thursday was a day of returns and pick-ups which involved a lot of travelling. I arrived at Rankin's studio in Camden to pick up my designated returns. First stop was East London. I'm really not familiar with the area so thank God for my Citymapper App on my iPhone which directed me to the correct bus stations and address. I can't say that the locations I went to were the most safest of areas to visit whilst carrying thousands of pounds worth of fashion pieces, but I managed to put this to the back of my mind and finished the job as soon as possible. 

When these returns were completed, I headed back to the studio to pick up some more bags. This time I  was heading towards Knightsbridge to Harrods, Georgio Armani and the cutest little PR company down Ennismore Mews, which is probably one located down one of the nicest and quaintest streets I have ever seen! This is definitely a perk to travelling around the City to return pieces - getting to see the ins and outs of London and the hidden streets that you rarely get to visit. 

(I may have taken a cheeky little selfie at midday to pass some time on one of my many bus journeys.)

Tip of the day: Be prepared - PACK AN UMBRELLA! 

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 3: ALL BLACK EVERYTHING.

Crop top / Forever 21 black motorcycle jacket / ASOS ripped skinny jeans / Forever 21 cushioned shoes / Mi Lajki adjustable belt, Adrienne Landau accessory

Wednesday was the last day on set for the Haagen Dazs campaign shoot in Wimbledon. Another long and tiring day of assisting and everyone was extremely relieved when Rankin wrapped up. The day consisted of steaming clothes, organising the rails and accessories, helping set up and packing away, responding to emails, plus other nick-nacky errands. I wasn't permitted to take photo's for obvious reasons, however I will get some images up when the campaign is released!

Being required to wear all black on set was trickier than it seems. How can you wear all black for three days straight and still look like a mega fashionista? I doubted this when delving into my wardrobe of monochromatic prints and block colour, however I managed to find a few black staples that I could style together nicely. 

I put together this collage of affordable black pieces on Polyvore that would be perfect for an all-black outfit. It's a great look for a London based fashion intern in the Winter as it's practical, stylish, warm, comfortable and affordable. Enjoy!

Tip of the day: Layers are a great way to keep warm outside and cool inside. Try wearing simple jumpers with funky shirts underneath, accompanied by a good quality coat or jacket that will protect you from the nasty London weather. 

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 2:

Another 6am start. This time I managed to be half an hour early after sneakily getting a cab to the tube station and hopping on the bus to the studio (my legs are hurting from yesterday's walking marathon). So I treated myself to Starbucks breakfast to pass some time.

After my 2 hour journey, I arrived on set and I wasn't needed, so I waited around for an hour in case a job popped up. I managed to catch a sneak peak of some of the commercial editing in the process, which made me feel a tad more exclusive. I was then told to head back to Rankin's studio in Kentish town where the other intern needed a hand. 

I spent the rest of the day returning press samples to their correct company within West London, but luckily I had the company of Lennard, the other intern, who was lovely! We spent the time together chatting about the industry and time eventually flew by. I also enjoyed nosing in the luxury press offices and scanning the latest collections - my favourite was Tom Ford's press office in Victoria.

Tip of the day: Do everything with a smile. A bad attitude will get you nowhere.

PLACEMENT DIARY - DAY 1:

Well it's safe to say that today was a long and tiring day. Early mornings aren't my strong point, so when I found out I had to be on set in Wimbledon at 9am on a Monday morning, you can imagine my worry. Luckily I managed to get to bed at a reasonable time on Sunday night in order to wake up at 6am this morning. At least walking to work in the dark can now be ticked off my bucket list (not that it even made it on my bucket list in the first place). 

I'm already familiar with the team at Rankin photography after assisting them on shoots previously. It was nice to be helping out again and familiarising myself with all of the goings on of a standard Rankin project. Today Rankin and the team were shooting for a Haagen Dazs commercial. My job was to assist the stylists on set and running any errands that needed to be done. 

When I had a spare moment, I would research online specific looks for a photo shoot with the Captain America actress, Hayley Atwell, which will be taking place on Friday. This involved looking at designers that she wears and likes and finding appropriate looks on Style.com that can be pulled in from PR companies for the shoot. 

I was also sent out shopping in the pouring rain, which wasn't so fun. I was instructed to buy a range of nude underwear and slip dresses for the models to wear underneath the gorgeous fitted red dresses that are featuring in the campaign. This proved harder than it sounds after most shops had sold out of standard pieces due to the January sales!

Tip of the day: Always ask for help if you are unsure. It saves time, benefits you, and saves any embarrassment later on! 

WEEK 1: HUNGER MAGAZINE/RANKIN PHOTOGRAPHY.

As of 13th January 2014, I am taking up a placement period as part of my fashion degree to get out into the fashion industry and gain some helpful experience.  I'm extremely excited to meet new people and network with other fashion creatives. I have created a blog to share with others my journey, so stay tuned for daily updates of my experience, placement do's and don'ts, internship tips, plus more! 

To kick it off, I am heading back to Hunger Magazine based at Rankin's photography studio for one week. This is a super exciting environment as I get to be around and amongst a whole team of photographers, stylists, editors, makeup artists and not forgetting celebrities, including Rankin himself. I interned there for a month last summer and assisted on set for a number of photo shoots involving Jessie J, Vivienne Westwood, Suki Waterhouse plus more. I'm thrilled to be going back and seeing what the week has to offer me, especially after the hype of London Collections Men and with London Fashion Week on the horizon. 

I will be sure to post as much as possible to share the ins and outs of my role at such a contemporary fashion magazine! 

If you're not familiar with Rankin's work, you can check him out here.

I hope you enjoy!