Secrets in the international fashion closet

If you’ve seen The Devil Wears Prada, you’ll have your own ideas about the fashion industry, about this secret world that exists behind the closet doors.

I had my opinion, and I suppose it was similar to what you’ve got in mind right now, until I went to be an intern at a Hungarian fashion company, Makány Márta Fashion.

Márta Makány’s assistant resembled a Greek goddess with huge gold roses fixed in her hair…

I walked to the interview still in disbelief that the company had answered my email about potential internship opportunities. The interview went well, but I found myself realising that the one hour I spent getting dressed that morning was insufficient compared to the fashionistas that worked there – Márta Makány’s assistant resembled a Greek goddess with huge gold roses fixed in her hair.

After this brief knock to my confidence, I was given my first task: I had to conduct research on all the people who liked the brand’s Instagram pictures.

While Márta Makány was not as intense a boss as Miranda Priestly, my day did resemble that of Andrea Sachs’…

As someone who’d never used Instagram before, I had to keep nodding as if I understood what Márta’s assistant was saying about the foreign, sunset-coloured app. All the while I was trying to figure out how to sneakily register without being caught.

While Márta Makány was not as intense a boss as Miranda Priestly, my day did resemble that of Andrea Sachs’. Marta was a quirky but difficult woman who knew exactly what she wanted, so once I had signed over my mobile digits to her, my personal life quickly disappeared.

I realized how professional make-up can do wonders after seeing five young, plain Janes get transformed, almost magically, into gorgeous fashion models…

I was travelling on the tram through the city at 6pm, when I should have gone home four hours earlier. I had four large wedding gowns on my lap, I was writing emails to a foreign blogger, talking to Márta on the phone about the textiles of the new collection and trying to book a table for her German boyfriend in a restaurant.

I learnt so much valuable fashion knowledge during these few months: I was taught how to network, I got to design and sell clothes, and even attended photo shoots where I realized how professional make-up can do wonders after seeing five young, plain Janes get transformed, almost magically, into gorgeous fashion models.

The photographers would always call for more light to the extent that you’d almost be expected to be able to change the weather…

It also surprised me how challenging it could be to work with individuals from this industry. The designer always knew what she wanted and would not compromise her vision, even if that meant working through the night to make just one more dress.

The photographers would always call for more light to the extent that you’d almost be expected to be able to change the weather. The stylists would become angry when the model’s make-up was smudged because I forgot to put plastic bags on their heads during dressing; I mean seriously, this was far from common knowledge.

At the end of the day, I was exposed to some incredibly talented artists…

At the end of the day, I was exposed to some incredibly talented artists. Yes, they could be demanding, painfully stubborn, and even a little crazy but the competitive and ever-changing fashion industry is always likely to attract the biggest, quirkiest characters.

Greta Csernik