I recently interviewed Cat Janky, a recent fashion design graduate of the Academy of Art University. During her time here, she obtained two internships which provided her with invaluable industry experience. They also helped her figure out what direction she wanted to take with her major, as well as her career. Here is a little glimpse into the life of a successful alum, and how her time at the university served her well.

Why did you choose the Academy of Art University? What drew you to this particular art school?

I looked at multiple schools for fashion design, mainly schools in NYC. What attracted me to Academy of Art University’s curriculum was the flexibility with picking classes. At the time, I was unsure of what direction in fashion I wanted to pursue. I liked that I could intermix both fashion design and textile design classes into my program. Also, what attracted me was the high quality of design work that students were producing.

What was your major while you were at the school? What were your career aspirations?

When I first started, I enrolled in fashion design. Through taking fashion design and textile design classes, I decided textile design was the best career path for me. When I first started school, I had a dream to start my own label – this is something that I am still interested in down the line, but I know I need to learn a whole lot more before starting something like this.

Tell me a little about your Diane von Furstenberg internship. Why did you choose it? What, specifically, did you do at the job? What were the best and worst aspects of the internship?

My portfolio and the work from my collaborative graduation fashion collection helped significantly with being offered an internship. At DVF, I created artwork by hand, and worked primarily on the computer in Photoshop putting together repeats for the brand. I also made swatches of fabric manipulations through processes like dying, printing, felting, and sewing fabrics. The best aspects of the internship included learning from and meeting my fellow interns, and seeing how a successful higher-end brand like that approaches design.

How did your DVF internship and your time spent at the university help you in getting the career that you have now?

School prepared me on how to think creatively and work independently. With this knowledge at school I finished with a wonderful portfolio that was a huge factor in being offered jobs. DVF enhanced my creative problem solving abilities, showed me an eye for high-end design, and gave me a well-known and respected brand on my resume – also a HUGE factor when recruiters and the like are searching through a massive pile of resumes.

Why did you choose Macy’s as the company with which you wanted to work?

After my internship experiences with DVF, and also Abercrombie and Fitch, I decided that the thing that was most important to me while I sought out a first job was that I needed to be working with kind people and I needed to be in an environment in which I could continue to learn and grow as a designer. Macy’s struck these chords within myself and I am very happy to be working for them.

What is your job title at Macy’s? What specifically do you do?

My title is “Assistant CAD Designer” for Alfani woman’s wear line. My main duty at work is to create both artwork and proper repeats for the line. I work directly under the CAD designer, and help her out with the job of trend research, and the creation of boards and presentation materials. I also attend meetings for things like concept and line development.

What is your favorite part of your job? Your least favorite?

I love how much my computer skills have developed since starting at Macy’s, I’m feel like a Photoshop expert now. The people I work with are incredibly friendly and willing to show me new processes and ideas – it’s a great atmosphere to be working in. If I could change anything, I would love to be painting and drawing more at work. I am doing a little of each; so hopefully I will get to incorporate that more, as time goes on, into the creation of prints.

What inspires you in your day to day activities? What enables you to keep a creative edge in your job in these uncertain times?

New York inspires me on a daily basis, the city is alive with energy. I’m so excited that I get to live here and experience different cultures and people. If I’m feeling that I’m lacking creative juices, I just try to relax and take inspiration from my surroundings, this always gives me new ideas and fresh perspective on a design challenge.

Do you have any advice for fashion students who are trying to make it into the big, bad world of fashion?

For anyone interested in working in the fashion industry, the best advice I can give is to start now. While I was in school, I found an internship with a small local children’s t-shirt line. The job didn’t pay much, but I learned a TON about manufacturing, design, selling, and basic skills like working with other designers and getting your point across in a meeting. I owe a lot to that job. It solidified my interest in fashion and grew my curiosity to learn more. The second piece of advice I can give is to keep an open mind and take all opportunities that come you way. My first internship – Abercrombie and Fitch – isn’t exactly my style (actually it’s pretty much the opposite of my style), but the opportunity to have an internship with them was right in front of me. It’s not a product I would wear, although I have a great amount of respect for it – but I learned so much from them about design, presentation, selling ideas, and working in a corporate environment. Again, having this experience played out to be a big determining factor to receiving job offers. Also, I would say be true to yourself, and keep a positive attitude! From all experience that come your way, yes, you’ll learn about fashion, but also about yourself. The things you like, dislike, etc. What’s great about internships is that they are usually short, so you get to sample a small area of fashion, and then once that’s done you can change your focus completely and try something totally different. No matter what you learn, just keep going, you’ll find something you like. Oh yes – be nice to everyone you meet – including your classmates. Fashion is a SMALL industry, especially in New York – everyone knows everyone else. You NEVER know when you’ll run into that person you met seven years ago in Fashion Design 1.

Written by: Morgan Pickens