Internships in certain industries-- namely media, fashion, and art-- are many times unpaid and, generally, for people who don't need real jobs anyway. It's a well-known paradox. Elite companies give "real-world experience" to those don't need to learn about the inner workings of a fashion magazine or design house--people who, because of their boyfriend's lineage, professional hockey contract, or lucrative hip-hop career, can get away with the lack of "real-world experience" that so hampers a plebe's resume.
It's all good, though, because we think the likes of Kate Middleton and Sean Avery add value to already-glam brands. It's cute--we bet they enjoy the novelty of interning--and now Kanye West is reportedly in on the fun. In December rumor was that Mr. West wanted to learn from Louis Vuitton or another lux house, but he opted for the chute over that ladder and designed his own LV sneakers instead.
Now Us Weekly has reported that Ye is "interning" for a less-than prestigious, albeit iconic, American brand-- the Gap. "He works all the time," said Us Weekly's source, according to The Cut via Jezebel. "One Friday night recently, he stayed until 12 am. He's learning the fashion business from the inside and trying to do it quietly."
We'd love love LOVE to see this play out-- how does one wrangle Kanye's ostensibly outsized ego? What happens when the boss needs caffeine? Do they send Yeezy or the mousey FIT student? And is working in the back of the Gap different from being patted down in the back? Perhaps Patrick Robinson, who editors fawned over last year for reinventing the ailing brand's clothes, is teaching Kanye what it takes to make a megabrand relevant again.
And we imagine that, in return, Kanye is showing Patrick Robinson how he cooks up summer in the winter.
