When you have a passion, you must pursue it, whether that means researching, getting an internship, or making the right connections. Some start in college, while others start young in high school. Arielle Iwahori, a Hewitt graduate, started going after her passion in freshman year, and is now taking on new heights while majoring in photography and imaging at New York University. Arielle has been involved a great deal in the fashion industry in not only New York, but in Japan, where she was born, as well. Finding an internship in high school and making the right connections can be a challenge, but Arielle found a way,
I had the opportunity to interview Arielle in the “fish-bowl” room in the Hewitt library where I asked her everything from her transformation from Hewitt to NYU, her experience in the fashion industry, and tips for getting an internship.
S: What are you currently doing in the fashion world?
A: I write for Elle Girl Japan. It is one of the last remaining print fashion magazines in Japan. In Japan, most women in their teens and 20s dress younger, so they’re more interested in the Elle Girl aesthetic: American Elle is somewhat conservative and Japanese women don’t relate. Any print magazine is suffering right now and isn’t selling as well in Japan because people buy applications on their phones and get information for free on blogs and other websites. I used to write a column for two years for Cawaii Magazine, which means cute in English, and was similar to Elle Girl but flashier. After two years, the magazine shut down, and I was looking for other opportunities: that’s how I came across Elle Girl.
S: Getting an internship in high school can be difficult. What was your experience like?
A: I started as a freshman in high school interning for Catherine Melandrino. I took pictures at events, for clients, shoppers, and press. As the economy started to get bad, there were fewer parties, and I was getting tired of it. It was interesting since I met a lot of people and learned a lot, but it’s hard to work for designers directly because their public relations people are hard to work with, and they expected a one-hour turn around. After this experience, it made me realize that I didn’t want to be a fashion photographer. Now I am more interested in designing: ideally I want to have my own design firm, anything from graphic to web designs. I suggest that in this economy, students can’t expect too much so you really have to start from the bottom: go on Craig’s List and other sites, because opportunities do come around, you just have to be at the right place at the right time.
S: Who is your favorite designer and what shows have you recently attended?
A: This season, I liked Alexander Wang because his clothes are really interesting. I’ve gone to shows in New York, Paris, and Tokyo. When I was at Hewitt, I asked my mom if she could get me invitations and she first started helping me to get into shows, but then eventually I just registered myself. Since Elle is an international name, it was much easier to get into shows. Once you know how the system works, you just walk right through, and no one stops you.
S: What was the transformation like from Hewitt to NYU?
A: I thought I would get lost because of the size difference. I went to NYU because if I wanted to work in fashion or photography, I would have to work in the city. When I got there, I was surprised because my major is one of the smallest ones in NYU (40 kids in my grade), so it’s not that big of a difference. I moved to Chelsea, and live at home because being in a dorm is too distracting.
It was great getting to know Arielle and learning about her transformation from the “Hewitt Halls” to the real world. Arielle has proved that it takes hard work to chase your passions, but in the end, it’s all worth it.