Milan Fashion Week Interning: Interviewing Ashli Ma and Tierra Cherelin

By Alice Adams

This September, two Marist Italy students were selected to participate in a world-famous tradition of the fashion and design industry calendar: Milan Fashion Week. The show takes place twice a year, calling designers and models from all over the world. Every Fall and Spring Semester, a pair of lucky students have the opportunity to travel to Milan and get a taste of the industry.

Ashli Ma, from New Jersey, studies Fashion Merchandising with a concentration in Business. Tierra Cherelin, from Upstate New York, majors in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Studio Art. The two students, both third-years in the Marist Italy BDP program, spent five days working with designer Francesca Liberatore, assisting with preparations behind the scenes of the catwalk show.

What were your biggest takeaways from the experience?

Ashli: Everything was very fast-paced, and you had to throw yourself in there and figure out what you were doing. So… understanding how to work in a fashion environment, especially during fashion week, when it’s one of the busiest times of the year.

Tierra: I think that it really matters that the designer cares about their team and the models, because I really saw the environment that Francesca fostered throughout the whole week, and it was really important to her. That made such a difference in how everyone worked together and how the show went.

It was a great opportunity to meet people from all over and learn how people with a bunch of different paths are all working towards the same goal.

What were your responsibilities while assisting Francesca Liberatore?

Tierra: On the day we did fittings, I was in charge of photographing every look that each model tried on, so we could document it and look back later and decide which model looked better in each look. Overall, I was covering social media content and… creating a bunch of content for Francesca. It was really important to her that we captured the environment of everyone working together, and not just the clothing and the show, but the atmosphere. I also helped to make the model cards for the show. O; once we’ve made all the final decisions, we have to put it all together in one card for each look, so the dressers during the show know exactly what the models need to have and how their garments need to be placed.

Ashli: We took part in the castings, so all the models that she was interested in came into the showroom, and together we decided which models would be in the final show. We chose their final looks and at the end of the day, we pieced together the final lineup for which models would walk the show and what looks they were going to wear. We made model ID cards – so for each look, we put together a PDF so that when the show came, we would know what they were wearing. Sunday was the final show. We got there early and helped with the models set up, getting their makeup and hair done. We also did social media content, so filming behind the scenes.

What did you find to be the most interesting or surprising part of being there, of the whole process?

Ashli: Being thrown into something like that… you expect the unexpected. Anything could happen, and you just have to jump at it and volunteer to help. Going into Milan Fashion Week, I thought I was going to be told the exact time I have to be there, what I have to do each time, and my role. But I got there and they said, ‘Okay, there’s this, this, this, you could do any of it,’ and then all of us would jump into something.

Tierra: Everyone was really nice, which shouldn’t be surprising, but you just hear so much about the fashion industry and how it’s cut-throat, but everyone was helpful and open and understanding, which was good to see. And the models were really great… They loved to talk to everyone. And I just wasn’t expecting any of that.

What does fashion mean to you?

Tierra: It’s a way to express myself and feel good and comfortable in my skin, and it’s also a great opportunity to connect with people. It’s a really important creative element of my life. At least now for me, it doesn’t have any pressure on it. Growing into myself and knowing who I am, fashion becomes more fun.

Ashli: Fashion is definitely a form of art and a way of expressing yourself. I mean, fashion is involved in everyone’s lives, whether you’re thinking of it or if you’re not. Fashion impacts daily life.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to be in the same position?

Ashli: Take advantage of every opportunity you get. You never know where it could lead you – apply for anything and everything. Look into all the possibilities – get your foot in the door.

Tierra: Be open to doing anything and be ready to jump at any tasks asked. All of it is a really great experience. Taking pictures didn’t seem like it would be the most interesting thing, but I got to observe everything that was going on. So just be open to doing anything and connect with the people who are part of the team, because I made some really good friends. It’s a great way to make connections.

Any final notes?

Tierra: It was cool that we were part of the creative decisions for the show. I didn’t think we would have any say, because we were just interns, and she hadn’t even met us before. But she would ask us questions, like which model looks better in this look… which shoes look better with this outfit? While those seem like little decisions, they’re really important when it all comes together. That was really cool to be a part of.

Ashli: I didn’t want to do it just to put it on my resume. I wanted to do it for the actual experience and for personal growth. And I feel like that was achieved for sure.

This interview has been edited for length and/or clarity.

Photos Courtesy of Ma and Cherelin.