Honors Student Challenges Herself in the Bridal Fashion Industry

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Laney Poling, a third-year Kent State Honors College fashion design major, recently had the opportunity to intern with Dress Haute, a Pennsylvania-based bridal and special occasion boutique, during the 2020 Fall Semester. Laney first heard about the position at Dress Haute from Millie Ott, the Internship Liaison for the School of Fashion, one of the fashion school’s many faculty members regularly notifying students of relevant opportunities. At first, Laney says she was hesitant to apply to the internship position because she already worked part-time, was involved with the sorority Chi Omega, and was a full-time student. Despite her reservations, Laney decided to apply, submitting her resume and portfolio, and soon Laney had been accepted as one of Dress Haute’s Bridal Interns.

Looking back on the experience, Laney is glad she challenged herself to submit her portfolio, saying, “I definitely thought it was going to be more daunting, but my supervisor was incredible and I felt highly respected as a designer and a valued team member.” She also appreciates how much hands-on experience the internship afforded her with the fashion industry. Throughout her internship, Laney collaborated with her fellow bridal interns, developing designs for various assignments, receiving feedback from her supervisor through remote meetings, and ultimately creating gowns to fit customers’ specific needs. Because of the many responsibilities of her internship, Laney says she feels more knowledgeable in “designing for a specific market [or] customer, and being conscious of their needs while designing.” In addition to work experience, Laney’s internship also helped her learn about herself as a professional. Interning with Dress Haute showed Laney that she enjoys working on a team, and submitting different designs to her supervisor trained Laney always to present her ideas with a confident demeanor.

Having successfully completed her internship, Laney’s advice to her fellow honors students is to capitalize on any relevant internship opportunities they find. Laney knows from experience that applying to an internship can feel daunting, but she encourages her peers to “just go for it.” Laney explains, "Any experience is good experience,” mentioning that her work with Dress Haute helped her realize “that while bridal is fun, [she] still want[s] to explore an accessory focus.” Bridal gown design may not be the career that Laney plans to pursue, but her experience with the bridal shop allowed her to narrow her list of jobs to consider after graduation.

Laney concludes, “[I am] proud of myself for putting myself out there in the industry,” and she is excited to continue gaining experience for her career in fashion design.

If you would like more information about internship opportunities, please contact the Department of Career Exploration & Development.

 

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PHOTO CAPTION 1: Laney Poling, standing in downtown Cleveland, Ohio with a mask on.

PHOTO CAPTION 2: Laney, standing outside at Monroe's Orchard in Hiram, Ohio.

Media Contact: Stephanie Moskal, smoskal@kent.edu, 330-672-2312