This summer, Maddie interned at Moda Operandi, a luxury fashion e-commerce site based in New York City. She’s previously interned at fashion designer/house Carolina Herrera and before that, the then-start-up e-commerce Zulily.
“The delicate balance between art and business plays such a pivotal role in the luxury fashion industry, and this dynamic tension fascinates and intrigues me,” says Maddie, who sees a deep connection between her interest in the fashion world and her studies in the field of art history.
At Bryn Mawr, she is learning the critical fundamentals of great art and gaining an intellectual understanding of the artistic disciplines that will help her translate great design aesthetic elements into a successful business.
This summer, Maddie was able to draw directly on her academic studies when she was asked to produce several editorial layouts for the Moda Operandi website.
“Rather than approaching this assignment as a process of creating beautiful groupings of garments and accessories,” she explains, “I tried to approach the assignment from a broader perspective; taking into account line, color, texture, scale, and thematic elements of each piece to create imaginative and cohesive collections.”
Maddie’s main job at Moda Operandi has been to create editorial looks for the company’s website, which involves not only curating ensembles using pieces from different collections and complementing accessories, but also developing mini collections that represent the Moda Operandi brand and yield the desired sales results.
“I’ve really connected with this element of the business, which involves both ‘imagining’ and then technically producing individual fashion ‘vignettes’ that feature a particular product or line that the company wants to highlight in order to drive sales,” she says.
Looking towards the future, Maddie is already working to create meaningful opportunities for next summer to add to her previous successful internships, as well as looking into formal post-graduate internship programs within the industry.
“Working at Moda Operandi helped me gain an even better understanding of the day-to-day intricacies of this industry and furthered my appreciation for the skills needed to successfully manage the business end of an artistic venture,” she says. “Equally important, this experience left me even more excited at the possibilities ahead and how I can best leverage my talents and education in the luxury fashion e-commerce industry that I love.”