Home City: Darjeeling, India
Program: Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management
Please tell us about the internship you’re currently completing.
I am the Merchandising and Buying Intern at Valentino, NYC. I work closely with the Buying team while coordinating with HQ in Milan. I assist them in creating reports, feedback, look books, buy books, pricing analysis, and transfers. I support the Valentino stores in US, Mexico, and Canada. It is a challenging internship, but I have been learning and growing since day one!
How does this internship connect to your graduate program?
My internship aligns directly with my field of study. My core classes have been Advanced Merchandising, Retail Management, and Merchandising Metrics. It has been very exciting to implement what I have learned in my classes and to get insight into how the luxury fashion industry operates.
How have your LIM classes prepared you for your internship?
My classes have been monumental in preparing me for this role. From building technical skillsets—like advanced spreadsheet modeling, merchandising metrics, and creating buy books—to staying up-to-date with current business trends, the classes at LIM have helped me grow and step into the industry with confidence and ease. Being an international student, I am particularly grateful for all the store visits and field trips our professors took us on. It was a nice introduction to the fashion world in New York City!
Can you also tell us about being selected for the Women@Dior program?
Women@Dior is a program by Dior and UNESCO that aims to create programs that empower women. They select 25 women to work with a professional from Dior, and each pair has to produce a program or project that will help women and create a difference in the world. By the end of the apprenticeship, Dior and UNESCO will choose the 10 best programs, which will be presented in the Dior Paris Headquarters! I’m one of the selected mentees from the Americas for 2023. Women's empowerment is something I am deeply passionate about, and I have done similar projects in the past. I am grateful to have a platform like this, and I hope I can create something that helps empower young women and girls.
Why is taking advantage of CPT (Curricular Practical Training) important for international students?
Our CPT benefit gives international students at LIM an opportunity to experience and learn not just about the fashion industry in New York but also about the work culture here.
What is it like to go to school in New York City?
Earning my master's degree in NYC has always been a dream! I feel grateful that I got the opportunity to pursue it and even more grateful to have a strong support system back home who believed in me. It’s not easy coming halfway across the world into a completely new environment, but ever since the first day, LIM has guided and supported us!
What are your career goals?
My immediate goal is to be a Luxury Buyer, since I am now interning as a Buyer/Merchandiser. A buyer has to be part of so many different elements within the industry, and it is a good way to know the industry and how it functions. My long-term goal is to get into Product Management, and eventually to start my own brand!