1. Visual Merchandiser
Now is your chance to learn what it’s like to run a small business in one of Chicago’s most creative environments. Avant Gaudy is looking for a bright and motivated individual to intern in the Marketing/Retail Department. This person will learn many facets of the business from our on-line shop and storefront operations, to our marketing promotions and customer rewards initiatives. Additionally, you will assist in developing ideas and products for special events and gifts. Duties will include developing a customer friendly layout for our storefront while retaining an organized and cohesive brand image.
Qualifications
- Strong communication and organization skills, and a desire to work with a variety of people.
- Ability to take initiative and a proactive approach to daily tasks
- Experience in visual/store merchandising, gallery curating, or related experience highly desired
- Prior department store retail experience preferred
- Provide 2 samples of well designed layouts, and also explain what you like (or don’t like) about the images they provide.
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 10 - 20 hours per week.
2. Fashion Designer
Avant Gaudy seeks talented, motivated interns to assist in designing products for our private label collection. Ideal candidates will be fashion design students that possess an artistic, high fashion sensibility with a desire to gain hands on industry experience. Responsibilities include creation of an Avant Gaudy label and basic silhouettes (ability to create a size run is important), managing alterations, occasional merchandise sourcing, assistance in maintaining inventory database, and periodic presentations on trend research and design direction.
Qualifications
- Must know how to hand and machine sew
- Must have sewing machine, or access to equipment
- Must provide design samples or portfolio
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 20 - 25 hours per week.
3. Market Researcher
Avant Gaudy seeks a market research intern to manage all research efforts and initiatives to define our customer. Duties will include analyzing provided site and customer data, creating and leading focus groups, and sending email surveys to targeted list hosts. The ideal candidate will be web-savvy and highly proficient in internet research.
Qualifications
- Excellent communication and organizations skills
- Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Familiarity with Google Analytics preferred
- Focus group experience highly desired
- Must demonstrate knowledge of basic statistics, research procedures, and survey methodology
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 10 - 20 hours per week
4. Photo-Stylist
AvantGaudy.com is seeking an intern to conduct our studio photo shoots, fashion editorials, and occasionally capture Chicago street styles. You will have full responsibility for bringing the Avant Gaudy collection of products to life through high quality digital photography. You will use beautiful lighting and a strong eye for detail to improve the shopping experience at Avant Gaudy. The ideal candidate will have a background/work experience in digital studio photography, with some experience in fashion photography preferred. Responsibilities include but are not limited to taking digital images of our products that accurately depict clothing and accessories in accordance with our guidelines, contacting and some styling of models, determining locations and strategy for editorials, archiving images to be easily accessed by other departments, and editing photos.
Qualifications
- High technical proficiency in Photoshop and color correction
- Meet daily and weekly deadlines to prepare images for website
- Retouch digital photographic images, crop images, and maintain file size specification guidelines
- Proven experience with digital cameras and lighting; experience in studio environment preferred
- Must include a sample of portfolio
- Must have own camera and lighting equipment or access to equipment
- Positive outgoing attitude, great communication skills, excellent organizational skills, solid work ethic, and a flexible working schedule
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 20 - 25 hours per week.
5. Business Development
AvantGaudy.com seeks an articulate, persuasive, ambitious, and organized candidate to find new sources and strategies for maintaining quality inventory for our business. This internship is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to work in an entrepreneurial environment and get experience in all aspects of building a fashion business. This role requires strong communication skills, a tremendous amount of initiative and organizational skills, and confidence interfacing with various parties. You will play an integral role in the overall success of the company and our ability to expand. This is a position for someone who loves to connect with people, exhibits outstanding judgment and professionalism, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
Qualifications
- Entrepreneurial with strong analytical, decision-making, and organizational skills
- Some previous sales/fundraising experience highly desired
- Web-savvy and proficient with internet research
- Assist with research/prospecting, securing meetings, and preparing client pitch materials
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 20 - 25 hours per week.
6. Web Assistant
AvantGaudy.com is seeking an intern to assist in web development and maintenance for our e-commerce store. Prior HTML and FrontPage experience is required. A successful candidate will have a passion for and experience with user-focused web development. In addition to having world-class programming skills, you will have a great design and fashion sense and enjoy big challenges.
Qualifications
- Undergraduate or graduate course work/experience in computer science, information systems, programming, web design, or related fields is a plus
- Ability to hand-code HTML required; experience with FrontPage preferred
- Proficiency in CSS, Flash, Photoshop, and Javascript highly desired
- Excellent communications skills and the ability to multi-task
- Must have a laptop and access to web development/design software
- Must provide design samples or link to portfolio
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 20 - 25 hours per week.
7. Social Media/PR Marketing
AvantGaudy.com is seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic social media intern to help us take our brand development to the next level by building awareness and creating demand. The ideal candidate will have an interest in learning social media and fashion PR strategies. You will assist in all facets of outreach from maintaining our social identities and company blog (http://blog.avantgaudy.com), to keeping up-to-date on social media trends. You will also be expected to help increase traffic to our blog and e-commerce store as well as broaden our media coverage through building/maintaining relationships with industry bloggers. You must be web-savvy, a strong writer with a love for fashion. Experience with Wordpress, Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal, and online fashion communities is recommended.
Qualifications
- Maintain daily media monitoring (blogs and mainstream media) and be the voice of Avant Gaudy, posting helpful/relevant comments to our social platforms.
- Conceive and execute interesting, informative PR strategies including events and speaking engagements that reach key influencers in the blogosphere, social media, small business and fashion industries.
- Oversee presence in social/professional networking including Facebook, Twitter, and other similar sites, blogs
- Strategize and oversee email marketing campaigns.
- Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
- Strong interest/background/experience in fashion and social media required
- Must provide two writing samples
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 15 - 25 hours per week.
8. Graphic Designer
AvantGaudy.com seeks an intern to manage graphic design initiatives related to website development. You will be responsible for the “style” of Avant Gaudy, including but not limited to the graphic content for our social media platforms, press kits, web graphics, and formatted electronic communications. Some knowledge of Dreamweaver, Flash, and designing for the web helpful but not required. Experience with Photoshop and InDesign are required.
Qualifications
- Proficiency in Photoshop and InDesign are required
- Excellent communications skills and the ability to multi-task
- Must have a laptop and access to web design software
- Must provide design samples or link to portfolio
- Exact start and finish dates are flexible. We require a time commitment between 10 - 20 hours per week.
How to Apply
Please send your resume and cover letter to hr@avantgaudy.com. Be sure to include the job title in the subject.
