So, you may have seen my picture and been thinking – Who is this fabulous girl? And why don’t I know more about her? Or quite possibly you just have an interest in alternative fashion and would like to know more about internships with Jed Phoenix. I’m going to assume it’s the first.

Anyway, my name is Michelle but you can call me Holliday, and I participated in a two week internship alongside Jed in April 2011. I have always been interested in fashion and from an early age decided that my calling in life was to be a fashion designer. At 16 I took an evening class in garment construction, before going on to take my A-levels and a BTEC Diploma in Art and Design. I then studied a three year degree in BA(hons) Fashion Design at the University for Creative Arts. And then suddenly I had to get a job. Reality check! A year later I got my first break in the Fashion Industry working as an Assistant Buyer. I worked my way up until eventually I was in charge of one Buying department with an assistant myself. Now on paper this all sounds wonderful, however the hours were long, the pay was BAD and the office was a dump. (Please don’t read this and feel despondent, I promise it gets more positive later!). I have always been drawn more towards alternative and fetish fashion, and whilst living and working in Brighton I became further involved in the alternative scene. My interest in fetish fashion continued to grow through attending Brighton Torture Garden and I came to realise later that I was not happy working for a company which supplied ‘mature womenswear’ (ie: old lady embroidered jumpers), and I also was unhappy knowing that the company I worked for was most likely exploiting cheap labour abroad. So I decided to do something about it - get a new job, and start looking at interships and work experience based more in the alternative fashion industry.

The internship with Jed seemed perfect for me, so I sent across my details, and luckily Jed was happy to take me! The internship was an amazing experience. I helped Jed with design work, pattern cutting, sewing, fabric choice and the website amongst other things, and it was a great opportunity for me. I learnt a lot in my short time, mainly about how to create and develop a brand, and how to identify with your customers and create a good service. Jed is also brilliant when it comes to internet promotion and making use of new technology, so it was interesting to see how she develops her brand and moves forward. I now feel like I know what I want know with regards to a career within the alternative fashion industry, and have regained my passion and interest within fashion. I am still working with Jed on a freelance basis, and am currently in the process of trying to set up my own Fashion line. I will be working Infest alongside Jed and can’t wait! I guess what I was trying to say with all of the above is, if you are passionate about fashion and have an interest in the alternative scene, then an internship with Jed is definitely for you!

Marketing work experience with Jed Phoenix

My short but sweet marketing work experience with Jed Phoenix of London was one of the most valuable things I ever did for my career! I was studying fashion marketing at the time, which provided me with all the methods of marketing practice, but didn’t even touch online marketing.

What did I learn?

During my marketing work experience with Jed Phoenix I learnt how to use search engine optimisation for online marketing (I’d never even hear of the term before). It’s one of the most important ways to make sure your website is on top of the search engines. I learnt how to write copy for the web, making sure it was both readable, relevant and included key words and phrases.

What did I do?

I wrote articles for a couple of Jed's websites using certain keywords. Articles included product descriptions, event reviews, BDSM terms and even a kinky dictionary… I would check areas of the website to see their position on Google and make amendments, and scout out the competitors. It was great having been taught new marketing techniques, then just handed a website to use them on!

Where am I now?

A few months after my marketing work experience with Jed Phoenix, I got my first web marketing role at Coffee Cake and Kink. Jed helped me prepare for my interview, suggesting that I check over their website and look for areas that I could improve on. Turns out that they knew little about online marketing and I was able to introduce new methods to their marketing strategy. My only real marketing work experience on my CV was with Jed Phoenix, and they even gave me a reference!

Jed Phoenix is a fantastic place to get valuable work experience, for both fashion and marketing. Even though I have moved on, Jed has always been there with answers to my marketing questions! THANKS JED!

Want to apply to come and do work experience with Jed Phoenix of London? Just contact us by email or phone (details on the top right of this page) and we'll be happy to help.