Speaking of money, the jacket actually was only $148, and if you order now, you’ll get 15% off.

Share/Save

I actually came across these rings after seeing my friend Bexo wearing one. She came in wearing one in silver, and I insisted on “borrowing” it – I  borrowed her armor-dillo and she borrowed my 3 finger ring. I wanted to buy my own but she couldn’t remember the name of the store she bought it at, or the name of the designer. A few months later, I ended up accidentally breaking the ring, which was a huge bummer.

Last week I was catching up on my twitter feed, and saw that Melody Ehsani posted a link to some rings that were back in stock for the holidays. Lo and behold, it was my beloved ring! I scooped up a silver one and a gold one. I also sent my brother a link to the chain pow gun ring as a gift suggestion.

Share/Save

“Dos and Don’ts: A Fashion Company’s Guide to Managing a Lawful Internship Program

The fashion industry runs on intern power, or sometimes it seems that way. The U.S. Department of Labor, however, is concerned that unpaid internships are replacing entry-level jobs and is looking much more carefully at what interns are really being asked to do.

Yes, internships are often precious steppingstones for students, providing opportunities to enhance résumés and slip well-shod feet into otherwise tightly closed doors. No, the benefit of résumé lines is not always enough to replace cold cash, at least in the eyes of the Department of Labor, especially when an intern is doing the work of a full-time employee or performing menial tasks. Hazing one’s interns a lá “The Devil Wears Prada” might win you a Golden Globe in Hollywood, but in real life the only thing it will earn you is a hefty fine and orders to distribute back pay.

That said, so long as you play by the rules, hiring unpaid interns can be profitable and rewarding for both companies and students. Follow these simple suggestions and you will be well on your way to avoiding a Fair Labor faux pas:

DO help your interns learn skills they can use at other jobs, whether its patternmaking or memo writing.

DON’T assign interns filing, photocopying, errands, or other mundane tasks (i.e. picking up dry cleaning, fetching lunch and coffee, acting as a courier, etc.).

DO provide close supervision for interns, including the opportunity to shadow a senior employee; a day in the life of the creative director, public relations manager, or graphic designer is a the kind of learning experience that the Department of Labor wants to encourage.

DON’T have more interns than full-time employees working in a single department. If the workload allocated to an intern is that of a full-time employee (or two), then you’re breaking the law.

DO make sure that interns understand that there is no guarantee of a job at the end of the internship.

DON’T rely on the fact that interns receive some benefit in the form of improved work habits while performing repetitive required tasks like clerical work (unless the intern is training to be a clerical worker). In other words, be sure to give more than you get.

Happy and successful interns create a good reputation for the company, and some interns may ultimately be retained as productive and valuable (paid) employees. To show interns that you appreciate their time and energy it’s a great idea to provide stipends to cover expenses whenever possible. An intern shouldn’t have to pay to work. What’s more, working with institutions to provide academic credit to unpaid interns is one way to ensure interns benefit from the internship.

When in doubt, refer to the Department of Labor’s six factors, listed below, to determine whether a worker is a trainee (intern) or an employee for the purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In order to legally employ an unpaid intern and comply with labor laws, an internship program must be in full compliance with ALL six factors:

1. Training should mirror that of a vocational program;

2. Training must be for the benefit of interns;

3. Interns should learn from current employees, supplementing their work but never serving as their replacements;

4. The company must not immediately benefit from the work of interns; instead, the employer’s operations may actually be impeded on occasion;

5. The interns are not automatically entitled to a job at the end of the program; and

6. Both the employer and the interns recognize that the interns are not entitled to any wage earnings during their time in the internship program.

In practice, the range of unpaid internships that meet these guidelines is fairly narrow, and walking the fine line between lawful and unlawful can be as difficult as walking the runway in a pair of twelve-inch platforms. Worse yet, a stumble here will cost you more than a bad picture and a bruised ego; the legal costs and public relations fallout from a failed internship program could be disastrous. Rather than fret about it, follow the official guidelines.

Remember, your interns are the creative directors, executives, and general counsels of tomorrow’s fashion industry, so treat them that way. Go ahead and deliberately distress a leather bag or cut a dress down to size, but never do either to an intern.”

Prepared on behalf of the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law School by Amanda B. Agati, J.D. ’10 and Dean’s Fellow for the Fashion Law Institute; Barbara Kolsun, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Stuart Weitzman; and Professor Susan Scafidi, Academic Director of the Fashion Law Institute.

Share/Save

Share/Save

Share/Save

By way of Chictopia, I got the scoop that Seventeen is looking for chic girls to join their 2011 Style Council.

“Want to appear in an upcoming issue of Seventeen? Seventeen magazine is looking for chic, fashion-obsessed girls with great personal style, to join their Style Council for 2011.

In addition to appearing in Seventeen (and sharing your advice and personal expertise to the magazine’s millions of readers), past Style Council girls have attended fashion week, been invited to cover events, received shopping sprees and gotten tons of firsthand experience in the fashion industry by becoming a part of the Style Council.

Chictopia member Kara loved being a part of the 2010 Seventeen Style Council:

“Before Seventeen’s Style Council I thought I knew a lot about fashion but I ended up learning so much more than expected,” said Kara. “I wrote blog posts for Seventeen.com, attended fashion week, and got to see what it’s like behind the scenes of a photo shoot. The best part was working with the team at Seventeen. Everyone was so welcoming, encouraging and friendly!”

If you’re interested in becoming a part of the 2011 Seventeen Style Council, go to the following link, or send three full-length images of yourself that best represent your individual style and contact and bio information to fashion@hearst.com.”

I suggest you get on this ASAP, as I’m sure tons of girls will be jumping on this amazing opportunity!

xoxo,

Carla Isabel

Share/Save

yankees game

world cup

alejandro ingelmo

lakers

pretty lights

silly bands

yeasayer

Share/Save

xoxo

barry

creative recreation showroom

dinner party

goliath

bread

sex and the city 2 premiere

soho house

aviva

madame

burgundy makes you think of silly things, bordeaux makes you talk about them and champagne makes you do them

frying pan

m15

greenhouse

yankees game

law & order way

Share/Save

Share/Save

Share/Save