‘The Devil Wears Prada’ gave many of us a very specific life plan: fashion, the big city, iconic outfits and mild emotional damage. Despite it? It was worth it.
I’m Maria, twenty-two, and I’ve just started my internship in communications and press at the Berlin label #DAMUR. This is my first real step into the industry. And I’ll be honest: I was expecting more runway and less “Why is this portfolio a Google Drive link that requires approval?”
Positions in design, marketing and creation seemed within reach. I also felt this attraction. I prepared, learned and built skills. I imagined my big appearance as Andrea or Emily. But fashion is not about talent. It’s about intuition and attention.
Big words like creativity, innovation and sustainability are often used in the fashion industry. But most applications do not fail due to a lack of creativity. They fail because instructions are not read. They fail at the simplest thing in the world: reading.
The fashion industry has no shortage of creative people. She lacks attentive ones.
What really sets an applicant apart is not raw talent. It is consistency, understanding and the ability to notice what everyone else ignores. This starts with the first email.
To explore this reality, I asked Damur, founder of #DAMUR, what really sets a person apart. Because with more than a thousand applications, you have to know how to choose and avoid chaos.
What distinguishes an applicant for an internship?
Damur: The basics. A professional resume and a clean portfolio. And please send it in the format we require. If we ask for a PDF, do not send a DOC.
What mistake do most people make at the beginning?
Damur: You don’t read. Some send applications in Spanish or Italian, although we ask for English. Others simply send a portfolio without context. Some don’t even know which brand they applied to. They think they are applying to FashionUnited, not #DAMUR. That’s not ambition. This is the mass sending of emails without any real intention.
How can you tell within ten seconds that someone hasn’t read the assignment?
Damur: “I add a specific question or task. If it is ignored, I delete the application.” It’s brutal, but fair. If you can’t read a paragraph in the first step, you will definitely miss a deadline later.
What counts more in the first round: proven thinking skills or simply claiming to be creative?
Damur: The sentence “I am very creative” is a warning signal. Creativity is not just talent. It is not a personality trait. It is intuition, experience and problem solving under pressure. We need people who can implement.
Do young applicants care or do they simply not understand the importance of details?
Damur: Most people don’t spend their time on the simplest but most important things: reading and writing. Using AI is not the problem, but copy-and-paste is. Use tools, of course, but read, revise and personalize the text.
Is the problem with experience, attitude, or both?
Damur: Both. Some interns have years of experience and still take it personally when they are asked to revise a task. Being here is a choice. Ignoring rules shows a lack of respect. Taking work seriously is not optional.
What is the biggest myth young people believe about working in fashion?
Damur: That fashion is all about creativity. It doesn’t. Fashion today is research. It’s not a nine-to-five job either. The work only ends when it is really done.
If you had to name one rule to stand out, what would it be?
Damur: Follow the guidelines, respect the rules and show real commitment. This may sound boring, but it is the cheat code. Everyone wants to say they work in fashion. But few are truly willing to do what is necessary. This includes: reading carefully, delivering properly and revising things without taking it personally.
So if you’re applying for an internship in the fashion industry, here’s the truth: you don’t have to be a prodigy, you have to be reliable. Be attentive, keep promises, and complete each task with care. Because in fashion, the slightest mistake spreads faster than your talent.
And yes, you can be creative, but you should be responsible. Just don’t attach a portfolio called “new new new portfolio FINAL”. That’s not fashion. This is chaos.
