The Nomadic Fashion Design Intern

It feels like everyday I am going back and forth over whether or not I want to move to New York to pursue fashion design or if I want to stay in Chicago.  There are pros and cons to both.  Chicago is where I have so many friends and family all of whom I completely love and would miss if I left.  However, New York would be an amazingly fun new adventure and any time I have taken a chance and just packed up and gone somewhere randomly, it has turned into a great experience.

So, the other day I had the opportunity to have lunch with my amazing boss at the Chicago Fashion Incubator: none other then Sustainable Knitwear Designer Lara Miller (her stuff is amazing: check it out at www.laramiller.com) At lunch we discussed what I wanted to do with my future, and I picked her brain about what she thought the best next move would be.

Our Solution and Plan of attack: Taking a year and traveling the country for three month increments and interning at various design companies.  If definitely would not be easy, and probably put more of a strain on my bank account, but it would be an amazing experience (and hopefully lead to a job that I love)  The cities that have made the top of the list are Portland, Seattle, and New York.  I might throw in Philadelphia just because I have a few friend there and it seems like a fun city.  It would be a year of waitressing, subletting, and sewing.  Also, the experiences I have with the internships may help me decide what area of fashion design I would like to work in.

Thoughts anyone?