Want to intern for Oscar de la Renta, Balenciaga, M Missoni, or Valentino? Who doesn't? Want to raise money for Rosie's Theater Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides arts education to New York City public school children? Of course. Do you even need to ask? Got $10,000? Um, we might have to get back to you on that.
Charity auction site Charitybuzz.com has teamed with these revered fashion houses to auction off month-long internships in their head offices in New York City. While we applaud their concern for arts funding — lack of resources for arts education is a pressing concern facing school districts across the nation, including New York City — we wish they would have chosen a more traditional method of raising money, like auctioning luxury items, tickets to exclusive events, or meals at posh eateries.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
On the heels of the former Hearst intern's lawsuit, the fact that the fashion industry is propped up by the unpaid labor of interns has been the source of much controversy. The unintended result of unpaid internships is that only hopefuls who can afford to work without pay — due to family money or, in many cases, second, third, and even fourth jobs — gain the crucial experience necessary to break into the fashion industry. Aside from clearly catering to the .0001%, offering an internship for a cool $10,000 defeats the purpose of providing a mutually beneficial experience. Even the most amazing internship on earth isn't worth that much out of pocket, and certainly not for only a month's worth of training! (Charitybuzz)
Image via Charitybuzz