Photography Class of '20 Jamie Finnegan on Working for Prada
In summer 2018, Photography Class of ’20 Jamie Finnegan worked for Prada’s New York City office interning in the Press, Events, and VIP departments. Find out about his experience!
“I am extremely lucky to have gotten the chance to work for a brand that truly inspires me, and a creative director [Mrs. Prada] who is constantly innovating. This summer was the first time I worked for a brand whose collections I always loved, season after season. When I started the internship in May, it was a bit overwhelming at first, as a company like Prada has a ton of moving parts and offices around the world. As time progressed, I began to see how my departments functioned within the company as a whole, and how the New York office worked with the Milan office, Paris office, and more.”
Jamie worked for three different branches within the Marketing Department: Events, Press, and VIP. Can you talk about your experience within these three branches?
“The cross-disciplinary nature of the internship was one of the first aspects that attracted me to the position. It was a really rewarding experience because I got to see how these three branches functioned, both separately, and together within the Marketing department, and also how these branches affected other departments within the New York office.”
“Working in Events, Press, and VIP also meant that I had the opportunity to have three bosses, all international women from Cairo, London, and Taipei. This international aspect is something I search for in every part of my life, and is one of the main reasons I loved my experience at Prada. Like my internship, Paris brings together people from all around the world and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
You are currently pursuing a BFA in Photography, yet you’ve been working in Fashion. Can you talk about your motivations for working in fashion during the summer and in photography during the school year?
“Photography and fashion are very similar to me because they are both forms of physical and visual expression within the art world. Fashion inspires me in a similar way that photography does. Clothing can be simple and abstract, or political, referencing past generations, etc similar to the functions of photography. All fashion is a social documentary of sorts, looking at the influences various items have on the current generation. Photography and fashion are also universal. With the invention of smartphones with cameras everyone has the chance to be a photographer and as a generation we are constantly bombarded with imagery through the internet, advertisements on the metro, and more. Fashion is also universal because each of us make a conscious choice (or perhaps not) when we decide what to put on before leaving our homes, and our personal fashion can influence others around us. That being said, I’m at a crossroads of sorts, and I’m not sure if I want to pursue a career in fashion or in photography. Both inspire me so perhaps I will search for a career in both.”