Former Intern Sues Harper's Bazaar; Why some people shouldn't work in Fashion

Harper's Bazaar: The magazine when millions of girls would kill to work.

I'm not sure if anyone's heard, but news broke yesterday that 28-year-old Xuedan Wang plans to sue Hearst publication Harper's Bazaar. She allegedly interned in the fashion closet from August to December last year to gain some experience in the industry, but is extremely upset because she was -- wait for it -- not paid. She also had to work 'long hours' doing 'boring things' like sample trafficking.

I don't even know where to start on this. Let's just talk about the fact that this girl is twenty eight years old. Now, not to discriminate on anyone based on their age, but at 28 years old, and with a college degree, you should be further along in your career than this. I've interned with others as old as 25, but at least they had a good attitude.

Also, if she has already graduated from college, how did she even get an internship at any Hearst publication to begin with? I'm currently interning at Elle (owned by Hearst), and school credit is absolutely required for all interns. Its how they are compensated for their work, and if that's not okay with you or you're 'above it', don't get an unpaid internship. Period.

Even if she wasn't comfortable with an unpaid internship, why did she stay at Harper's for five months? I'm pretty sure they told her in her interview that the position was unpaid. And, if she did decide to stick with the unpaid gig, why not consider getting a job for when she's not in the office?

As far as the 'long hours', she claimed that she worked 40-50 hours a week. Um, that's only 8-10 hours a day, AKA an average work day. There are some days when I've been at Elle for thirteen hours, but as an intern, you stay for as long as you are needed. End of story.

She also complained that she was forced to do 'boring' and 'unimportant' tasks such as sample trafficking. As a closet intern, the largest part of your day should be sample trafficking, and it is extremely important, as this is how the stylists have options, the showrooms get their samples back, and the closet does not get overflowed. And, if you see being surrounded by the couture that graces the pages of Harper's Bazaar as 'boring', I'm curious as to why you want to work in fashion at all. I'm also pretty confused as to what this girl actually thought she'd be doing as a closet intern.

Just for comparison, here's what my daily life is like: I'm a full-time student, taking 21 credits Mondays, Fridays, and online. I intern at Elle Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for approximately ten hours a day. And, I work at a Clinique counter on Monday and Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays. Altogether, that's approximately eighty hours a week that I'm working. But, have you ever seen me complaining? I may have to cut back on the blogging at times, but I am beyond grateful for all of my experience.

Overall, if the only thing Xuedan Wang can think of doing after five months of interning at one of the world's most successful publications is suing them, maybe she isn't cut out to work in this industry after all. I mean, if she actually lands a job in the industry after all of this bad press, does she honestly think it'll be any easier?

Prabal Gurung for... Sephora?

Classic Prabal Gurung style -- Red and black. Inspiration for Sephora uniforms.

For fragrance junkies and makeup addicts alike, Sephora is the one-stop fantasy-land for any beauty need. There are higher end brands like YSL and NARS, classic department store staples like Clinique, and smaller, lower-priced brands like Smashbox and Too Faced. And, the fragrance wall[s] seem to be endless.

Needless to say, Sephora is single-handedly reinventing the beauty industry. And, as the high-low collaboration trend is slowly becoming over-saturated, it was only a matter of time until a new format of designer collaborations evolved. And, Prabal Gurung seems to be the forerunner.

Last month, it was announced that Prabal Gurung was to design new uniforms for the Sephora beauty advisors. Even though the uniforms won't be seen in stores until April, an image of the models has surfaced:

A candid shot taken during the first promotional shoot for Prabal Gurung x Sephora.

Chic, right? There are three different designs: Black and red-accented separates for men, a women's pant suit with a bow-tie collar shirt, and a women's trapeze dress. And, of course, the beauty advisers will be 'encouraged' to wear red lipstick to match.

Of the designs, Prabal has stated, "If my design, for that one particular moment when he or she is wearing it, looks at themselves in the mirror and feels, 'you know what, I feel better. I look good. I want to do my job better'...that's what fashion is about."

“My intention was to reflect the style and playfulness of shopping in a Sephora store, but to also make sure [the uniforms] would be functional in such a fast-paced environment."

“The dress incorporates one of my favorite design elements, offering a flash of vibrant red, while the women’s pant suit and the separates for men give a sleeker, more tailored look.”

So, will this become the new collaboration - High end designers creating pieces for employees, instead of low-priced retailers? Only time will tell.

Clinique Almost Lipstick Launches

Ever since I began working at Clinique, I've pretty much become obsessed with all of the products and the brand itself. After all, I'm living and breathing Clinique for about 25 hours every week!

So, imagine my surprise (and complete and utter joy!) when I came across a post about Clinique's newest product launch on my favorite beauty site, Temptalia. Of course, I already knew all about Almost Lipstick, but it was still awesome seeing it.

One of Clinique's classic products is a lipstick called Black Honey, which is a dark, sheer shade that is flattering on literally everyone. They relaunched the line last year to include a limited edition blush and Almost Lipstick.

As it turns out, the shade was so successful that the Clinique execs decided to bring back Almost Lipstick in not only Black Honey, but seven other shades as well:

• Black Honey
• Shy Honey
• Tender Honey
• Spice Honey
• Luscious Honey
• Chic Honey
• Lovely Honey
• Flirty Honey

Almost Lipstick is another highly successful, temporarily discontinued Clinique product. Its a lipstick with a more moisturizing consistency. It is extremely sheer, allowing each person's natural lip color to show through, but with a subtle hint of the shade itself. They create an extremely natural look that is completely perfect for spring! 

Another interesting thing I've learned: Clinique's Almost Lipstick has received more credits in Elle magazine's history than any other lipstick! [In case you're not aware, I also intern at Elle, which makes this little fact extremely ironic.]

The new line of Almost Lipstick is now available at Clinique counters nationwide. Will you be buying it?

January Giveaway Winner!

It's about 3 AM on January 7th, and my very first contest has officially closed!!

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that the winner is longtime follower Lindsay LeBoyer! Lindsay is the ever-fashionable blogger behind The Style Child, one of the first blogs I discovered upon entering the blogosphere earlier this year. At age 16, she has already taken classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology, toured the Teen Vogue offices, and is consistently featured on Teen Vogue Fashion Click. Her blog is one of my favorites, and I definitely suggest you check it out!

Lindsay of The Style Child won a 1-year subscription to Elle!

As far as the contest, thank you to everyone who entered. Overall, I didn't get as great of a response as I had hoped for (only ten entries), but its probably my own fault for my lack of updates and posts.

With the new year, I hope to update more often and continue to grow my blog. I'm well aware that this will be a major time commitment, so I have arranged my school, work, and internship schedules to allow for the time needed.

As I have already promised, I will hold a contest beginning the first day of each month, so make sure to check back on February 1st! In the meantime, if you have any suggestions as to how to get a greater response, please comment below. And, if there's anything particular you would like to see in a giveaway, please feel free to let me know. I would honestly appreciate any suggestions you have!

New Years Resolutions + MY FIRST CONTEST

After beginning Mallory In New York in January, I never once thought that it would become anywhere near as successful as it is today. This belief was partly due to the fact that I know knew very little about technology, blogging, and the internet in general. It was also due to the fact that I tend to commit to a million things at once, and then not follow through on them. Or, at least that was true a year ago.

Me, this time last year!

Maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit. In the past year, I went from an ordinary college student who had never interned, lived on her own, or had a job she could be proud of, to becoming an 'over-acheiver', as many have called me throughout the past few months. Since January, I have completed three incredible internships, and I have just began my fourth at a major publication [ELLE!]. Up until April, I was working in a horrible environment [Starbucks], but I finally found the strength to remove myself from the situation and pursue something something I love [Clinique]. And in May, I took the major leap from dorm life to my very own apartment.

Maybe I have grown a little in the past year, but there's always room for improvement. On with the resolutions!:

INTERNSHIP:

Me, a few weeks ago. A few more things have changed than just my hair color!

1. Show your personality. One thing I wish I had done more during my first few internships was show more of my personality. Sure, I was great at churning out snappy blog posts at JoonBug and pitching interesting ideas at Life & Style, but I don't think any of my coworkers or supervisors actually knew me. I've done a bit better this past semester at Nicole Miller. My supervisors know which styles I like from the line, and that I would eventually like to end up at a magazine. Everyone in the office congratulated me when I announced I would be interning at Elle this Spring. It's great to feel included, but like I mentioned above, there's always room for improvement!
2. Make connections. This requires being outgoing enough to remain memorable in a busy industry. I'm an extremely shy person, but I'm gradually becoming much more open.
3. Keep in touch. This is another one of my weaker spots. When I do happen to get along well with someone, I tend to lose touch with them after the internship ends and I'm no longer seeing them on a constant basis. The same thing happens at the end of the semester and with past coworkers. Now, when I meet someone new in the industry, I try to add them on LinkedIn before I have time to lose touch.

SCHOOL:

I'm lucky enough to be at my dream school, but I want to be a better student!

1. Go to class. It may be an obvious one, but I definitely regret the fact that I don't always go to class. I know school should be the number one thing for me right now, but when I spend more time working and interning than I spend at school, its very easy to lose sight of this. My coursework is also extremely simple, so its not like I really need to go to class to learn it. But, attendance is important, so its definitely something I hope to improve on.
2. Buy a planner. With everything I have going on, its very easy to forget about assignments and tests. Like I said, the work isn't too difficult, so I'm usually fine. But, who really needs the extra stress of cramming, especially when it can easily be avoided? Next semester, I'm buying a planner, and I'm actually going to use it!
3. Get more involved.I've been saying since the first semester of college that I was going to get more involved, and, so far, nothing has changed. I want to be a journalist, so next semester, I'm going to make sure to get involved on W27 [FIT newspaper] and ED2010 [the FIT chapter].

WORK:

I've learned a lot at Clinique, but there's still so much more to learn!

1. Don't be late. Again, this should be obvious, but its something I always have trouble with. And, its not like I'm still at Starbucks where I had to be there at 5 AM. There's just no reason for it! This year, I'm making a conscious effort to always be on time, if not early!
2. Practice applying makeup. I have officially mastered the art of matching foundation, but there's still so much more to learn! I must get a million compliments each day on my own makeup, but I'm still not totally comfortable applying it on other people.

BLOG:

1. Blog more often. Remember how often I used to blog? Sometimes I would post up to eight times a day! Of course, life gets busy, and commitments get in the way, but I truly love blogging and I don't want to lose my following!
2. Increase followers by the end of next year. This goal may seem a little high, but by the end of next year, I want to have at least 1000 followers! If I can continually grow my fan base through consistent blogging, outfit posts, and contests, I definitely believe its possible!

I want to write more about my own style!

3. Create a schedule. This is probably the best way to make sure I still have time to blog. I'd love to outline certain days where I'll post about fashion, beauty, and personal posts.
4. Outfit blog. I've probably been saying this for seemingly forever, but I really do ant to start outfit blogging! But first, I need more shoes. And tops. And jackets. And leggings, tights, and stockings. And, I also ant to get back don to a Size 0 or a Size 2, depending on when I feel comfortable.
5. Get more active on Tumblr. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but I created Tumblr! I'm still learning more about the community and the platform in general, so any tips would be great. Pretty much, it'll be more up to the moment posts, which my blog will remain  more journalistic. Check it out here!
6. Hold more contests. It seems like everyone is holding contests on their blogs, and it seems like a really great way to attract [and hopefully retain] readers! So, I will begin holding contests once a month. I'll announce them on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, and right here on my blog. They will end the first Friday of each month. And, of course, once I reach 300, 500, 750, and 1000 followers, the contests ill be bigger and much more often! Scroll down for instructions on how to enter to win a free subscription to Elle.

MYSELF:

1. Develop a signature style. Nicole Richie's signature style is boho-chic. Blair Waldorf's is preppy. Bebe Zeva's is eclectic goth. And Elle Ribera's is pastel. But, what's mine? That's what i want to figure out next year.

Even as little as a weekly trip to Central Park would help me relax!

2. Set aside more time for friends. It really should come as no surprise that I'm extremely focused on my career. But, I would also love to have a social life. Unfortunately, that will always come second to me, but I want to dedicate more time to be with my friends, and hopefully make some new ones.
3. Exercise more. I eat pretty healthy, but I'm not as thin as I should be. With my eating habits and body type, I should look like Elle Ribera, but I don't. And why not? Because I don't exercise nearly enough!
4. Cook more and eat out less. Since college began, my boyfriend and I became notoriously known for going out for sushi five (!) times a week. By anyone's standards, that's A LOT. And, even though we had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our paychecks, we were left with nothing until the next paycheck came. We've cut down on the eating out considerably within the past few months, but there's still room for improvement. Besides, cooking is not only healthier and less expensive, but it can be a lot of fun!
5. Be more outgoing. As I mentioned above, I'm naturally an extremely shy person. Becoming more outgoing is one of my biggest goals for 2012!
6. Learn to relax. I'm 100% a Type A personality, so I tend to have a lot of trouble hitting the OFF button [as far as work, school, and internships] when I finally have free time, which I don't have a lot of to begin with! Do you know I've only been to Central Park three times since moving to New York last August?! No that I'll be uptown at Elle three days a week, I definitely ant to take more time to explore the area, even if that only means lunch in Bryant Park once a week.

-------------------------------------------------------

MY FIRST CONTEST

Win a free subscription to Elle!

Now, onto the fun part! In honor of my new internship at Elle, I am giving away a FREE one-year subscription of the magazine! Here's how to enter:

Required [Same comment, counts as one entry]:

1. Tell me why you LOVE Elle.

2. Follow me publicly via Google Friend Connect. [Leave a link to your blog]

Extra Entries [Separate comments]: 

3. Follow me on Tumblr. [+1]

4. Follow me on Twitter. [+1]

5. Like my Facebook page. [+1]

Simple enough, right? Just remember, all entries get separate comments, except for the first two which must be in the same comment! Please do not forget to leave me a link to your Tumblr and Twitter pages -- It's only fair I follow back! And, let me know where you live. I want to make sure I send you the right edition of Elle!

The contest closes at 12 AM EST on January 6th. Winner will be notified via Twitter and Email (so don't forget to leave me one!) GOOD LUCK!