When well targeted, internships are an incredibly positive experience for both companies and students. In an interview, Celine Chouard, student at ESCE in Paris and Katherine Edmonds, owner of the brand Wovenplay, highlight the keys of a win-win deal.

Celine Chouard

What are you studying ? I am a master degree student in Supply Chain Management and International Business at one of the leading French business school (ESCE – Ecole superieur du commerce extérieur) located in Paris.

Where do you see you in 5 years ? In 5 years I would love to have created my own company in the children’s wear industry. I have a real passion for this sector. I have always wanted to work for/with children and after a first internship at Little Fashion Gallery as a marketing assistant, I realized that fashion was the best way to achieve this dream.

Why Wovenplay ? I have discovered Wovenplay in an article published in Doolittle magazine. I was looking for a 6 months internship and when I saw the article I thought that it would be a priceless opportunity to work in NYC for a human-sized and very talented company as Wovenplay.

Can you describe your experience with Wovenplay in NY ? It was an amazing experience. As I said before, Wovenplay is a small company. Thus, I had a lot of responsibilities working with the press in France and in the USA, finding solutions to improve Wovenplay’s branding and helping the company to grow. I have also met incredible people there helping me with broadening my communication and marketing skills. Finally, NYC is a great city and it was definitely one of the reasons why I had to seize this opportunity.

What do you do for the brand now that you are back to France ? Now that I am back to France, I am working with the French press so that Wovenplay can be known better here. I also act as a sales representative, which is why I was attending the Playtime show a week ago.

What are your suggestions for young people who want to work in the children’s industry ? The best way to work in this industry is to be passionate. Do not forget this is a fashion industry, thus it is crucial to catch up with the latest news concerning the industry: read the press, get up to date with the specialized blogs, etc.

Katherine Edmonds

Did you have many applicants when you proposed an internship and if so what made you chose Celine? Celine wrote to us about the possibility of an internship during her first year at the Ecole Superieur de Commerce Exterieur, one of the leading business schools in Paris, explaining that she was a marketing student interested in applying for a six-month internship with Wovenplay to support her studies.  We regularly receive applications for internships, but Celine’s resume, personality, communication skills and background experience stood out as an exceptionally perfect match for us!

What can you say in general about welcoming interns in your company?  Is that an easy process?  I have learned how important it is to spend a good amount of time considering the skills, background (both academic and extracuricular) and goals of the internship applicants in order to carefully select the best candidates for the company and to ensure a productive and inspiring experience for all.
What are the areas in which Celine was really able to bring a rich contribution?   Celine was an invaluable support to our marketing, public relations and advertising division.  She was an enthusiastic, hard-working, confident self-starter and quickly formed close working relationships with the advertising directors, market editors, freelance stylists, photographers and wovenplay customers in general.  Celine always followed through on projects in a timely manner and was willing to help with anything necessary.
Do you have plans to hire interns in the future?  Yes of course! We all miss Celine here and we hope to find someone as good as her in the future.