Free Fashion Internships

New rules will apply to free fashion internships, at last.  They will receive a salary and not just expenses, such as lunch and transport.  However, I have to ask.  Does the joy of working in the fashion industry justify working without a salary?

It beggars believe that such a practice goes on.  Surely with the costing of designer garments, fashion houses and designers would ensure that all those who helped with the work involved to create the fashion  designs was paid, at the very least, the minimum salary.  Thankfully the free fashion internships situation is now being addressed, as reported in the following report.

In a move welcomed by the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, HMRC says it has written to all 102 fashion houses involved with September’s London fashion week warning them about non-payment of the minimum wage of £6.08 an hour for those aged 21 and over.

Companies that have received letters include Mulberry, Paul Smith, Nicole Farhi and Burberry.

Clegg, said: “I strongly urge fashion houses and designer labels to make sure they are treating interns fairly. Where an individual is entitled to the minimum wage they should receive it.

“Internships provide valuable opportunities and should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford to work for nothing.”

Free Fashion Internships  report

Having experience of running a fashion business and designing garments in the high price bracket, I cannot see how fashion companies can find an arguement for not paying staff a sufficent salary.   Taking pride in creating designs which the public want to wear is one thing but without looking after your staff, at all levels, that is surely unacceptable.

Obviously with the current recession, costs have to be made in every aspect of running a business.  Possibly when a company is at the walls with business debt, then they may feel that they cannot afford to pay the staff, but this is a different senario altogether.

Interns are looking for experience and the fact that they have been allowed to be exploited for so long, is very surprising.

The fashion industry is unusual in that it has to combine the creativity of the fashion designs with the necessary day to day business practices.  This can be a challenge for new fashion companies but definitely not unsurmountable.  The fashion industry will always look to employ interns for their convenience and flexibility.  With the new outlines to be introduced with regard to payment of at least the minimum salary, free fashion internships will be a thing of the past in the fashion industry and righly so, a lot may say.

Fashion courses

These courses enable you to find the knowledge you’ll need, in a much shorter period of time, thus allowing you to start your own business within months rather than years.

Some of the many benefits of registering with a fashion course online include the fact that you would be able to follow your normal job, whilst at the same time, preparing yourself for a new direction in life.

For even more preparation for working in the fashion industry, you could consider taking on a fashion-related job while you are studying online. This would be excellent fashion experience that could only enhance the knowledge you’ll gain with your online fashion course.

Another reason for doing such a course is that you may be a person who has to stay at home with young children or have other family responsibilities.  Perhaps you are a person who has already worked  for many years, yet has always had a dream of owning your own clothes  business.

Even though there are many fashion colleges that you could attend, some of these may be too far for you to travel, and would mean spending a long time doing do, each and every week.  Let’s not forget the added cost of travelling expenses plus the discomfort of travelling in the cold and damp winter months.

With a fashion course online, just as with any of the other fashion courses in the community, you would gain knowledge in all areas of the fashion design business from manufacturing, buying, marketing, and promotion of your garments, through to how to retail them in the various avenues available. You’ll also gain experience on the different textiles which you could use for your designs.

In the majority of cases, you should be able to find a course which includes helping you to create your fashion business plan so that when the course is complete, you will have all the tools you need to be in a position to gain financial support for your fashion business.

If you want to become a fashion designer and start your own fashion business then The Fashion Business Formula is one such online fashion course which addresses all of your needs to be successful online.

This course is created by someone who wanted to start a small business and took her own designs, created on her kitchen table, out to buying offices and then to export them around the world.

Discover how you too can start a fashion business with a fashion course online.

Designer shoes are a luxury item which every person should have the experience of owning, at least once in their lives.  Having them made to your own measurements is even better.  The sheer luxury of slipping your foot into a soft leather shoe which fits like a glove, is something you never forget!

Red High Heels … and other fabulous shoes!

Stiletto designer shoes bring back many memories over the decades from the fifties with the silk stocking to today with the ever growing length of the stiletto.

Designer shoes have always had a fascination for both sexes and there will always be a market for them.   High heels actually date back to 1500 and were introduced to prevent the horse rider foot slipping through the stirrups.

There is a very interesting article on the history of the high heel here …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-heeled_footwear

What do you think of Britney Spears wearing socks with high heel shoes?

Read the article here … http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1234764/Socks-AND-high-heels-Britney-Spears-shows-got-clue-dress-stylishly-winter.html

Designing shoes was not something I particularly wanted to do in my fashion career but maybe it’s something you could like to do.  Click the following link, to get more information on starting your own fashion business