GEN I
issue 1
The global phenomenon of unpaid labor is becoming increasingly used tool as part of the business strategy among the fashion industry. Seeing a full phrasebook of euphemism for internships like work placements, voluntary positions, intangible rewards in a form of gaining valuable knowledge and the chance to network seems to be replacing paid work. Nonetheless, the fashion industry looks to be highly attracting new entrants, which results in exceeding the labor market supply. Having already caused a wave of lawsuits in the US and UK against creative agencies, the issue does not seem to be addressed directly in Denmark. Instead of just moaning about the problems facing young fashion creatives, a talented collective of up-and-coming Copenhagenbased writers, photographers and graphic designers in collaboration with Copenhagen Fashion Summit and The Danish Association of Professional Technicians have joined forces to devise, produce and unleash GEN I magazine, a print-based magazine on a quest to make a positive change.
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From here, you are setting yourself onto a journey, a visual and informational universe, which unfolds its structure through satirical exposes, finely-honed gossip and mockery, yet still suggests practical ways to make work placements fairer and mutually beneficial.
intern unknown
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the intern handbook
stitch, bitch!
intern unknown Words & Images Eliska Muchova
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The excess supply of labour, the system allowing companies to hire and fire interns as they like and the willingness of creative workers to work in unpaid positions equally fuel a continuing cycle that contributes to the phenomenon of unpaid work. The interns often just glorified coffee gofers who don’t earn or learn anything. Or they’re de-facto full-time workers who hope unpaid work will be their gateway to paid jobs. This editorial explores the irony from the intern’s perspective on how is it to be ‘one of many’.
THERE IS ALWAYS A POOL OF YOUNG AND TALENTED ARTISTS WAITING FOR THEIR BREAKTHROUGH, WHICH IN MOST CASES DOES NOT HAPPEN.
‘the intern handbook’ Chasing broken dreams Creative Direction by Abitivera Words & Images by Eliska Muchova
Creative direction from a fashion student Abbitivera has been sharing the grim and exploitative nature of internships, which so often are unpaid and lack any valuable experience. In her concept, she collected experiences from fellow fashion students past and present, which then she posted on her Instagram account and allowed people to react and repost as they like. Overall the messages were very negative and some of them she could not even believe. Messages contained stories of working for free for over 6 months, being told to work long hours for free and threatened if they refused. Running errands they had nothing to do with the offered job position. Following editorial shows and mocks the exploitative nature of fashion internships.
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unknown name Copenhagen’s office getting us, the interns, to hand wash soiled underwear from a unknown magazine shoot. When we asked for gloves they huffed, roller their eyes and said “No one else asks for this. You know this is your job right. Don’t be so extra”
Not much of an argument, problem is that so many people cope it and do 3+ months slaving around the big companies, which do not give a fuck about you or helping you learn. Also universities and the system drilling into young people that it’s NORMAL not to be paid for you labour. Keep pushing this man!
‘I was traumatized to the point of repeatedly waking up thinking about how I steamed 100s of pieces of clothing to send out.’
...How do they expect young people to eat, pay rent, travel and also just live if they don’t pay expanses, lunch, travel or even minimum wage. If you expect people to work overtime, at least pay them for food...
UNPAID UNPAID UNPAID UNPAID UNPAID UNPAID Please note, you may be required to work on the weekend of Jan 5 & 6.
In a rush on set, my boss often grab the clothes off the hanger, removes the hanger and throws the hanger in my direction and often hitting my face. When I was dressing the model, she often shoves the clothes at my face + been asked to tape 32 pairs of shoes 2 hours before the show started.
They are fucking horrendous, I worked full time over summer unpaid no lunch or travel fees whilst living away from home. My boss is so rude to some of the otger full timers and confiness in me about her relationship dramas like I give AF. She’s so unprofessional she would crumble without us all. She allows us all to dress however on set but is such a bitch to her UNPAID full time assistant who she tells how to dress and do her hair and she pretty much is the person keeping the mag going. They are on their arses I can’t wait to grad and finally see some money coming in for my work.
stitch, bitch!
For issue 1, GEN I spoke to a selective group of young fashion ethusiasts based in London to talk about their print-based magazine zine on a quest to make a positive change towards equality and better working conditions. Combining carefully researched historical references with contemporary themes, the debut issue of focuses on fashion industry exploitation. This is explored through a range of hardhitting undercover investigative features, satirical exposes, finelyhoned gossip and piss-taking, as well as witty cartoons -- unpaid fashion work placements and teenage fashion models living in unsafe squalor, among other subjects, are all scrutinised under the Stitch, Bitch! microscope. There’s even a handy Charter for Interns, which suggests practical ways to make work placements fairer and mutually beneficial.
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What do you feel are the most vexing and pressing issues facing today’s generation of young fashion writers and communicators -- particularly those not from a wealthy background? What initially prompted the team to launch Stitch, Bitch!? Stitch, Bitch! was born when a group of us making disparate zines and newspapers brought our stories together, realising they shared the common theme of exploitation -- namely, in the form of unpaid, exploitative internships.
Being unable to live in London, unpaid, while being expected to work the hours of a full-time, paid employee.
MThere’s a strong feeling of satire and spoofing -- why is it so important to you to use humour? Tell us more about the core theme of the debut issue... Exploitation comes in all shapes and sizes in the fashion industry, unlike its models! But we’ve homed in on unpaid internships for the first issue f because it’s so important, but secondly, because it seems to be on public conscience at the minute. In order to make change, we wanted to strike while the iron’s hot.
The publication has a very specific look and feel, through its use of newsprint and illustrations... We were inspired by Punch magazine’s December 1843 issue. It published Thomas Hood’s poem The Song of the Shirt, about the rag trade’s mistreatment of garment workers. You’ll see illustrations from Punch dotted throughout the magazine -- many of them frighteningly relevant to now. It was a triumph of investigative fashion journalism, and a torch we were eager to carry forward.
What would you say to those who believe unpaid internships are a ‘necessary evil’ on the ladder to success? In an ideal world, it’d be mutually beneficial: a paid apprenticeship or training scheme. As we’ve said in our charter, it must be a two-way interaction. But that’s just not the case with most internships. So what happens to a large portion of young talent who can’t afford to work for free? It’s the industry that’s missing out, really. It’s going to become more insular; less diverse.
The fashion industry is a goldmine for satire; it can be so insular and ridiculous, which sometimes takes an outsider to point out. That said, we wanted it to be funny without being facetious -- these are serious issues we’re covering. Something like Punch really struck the right balance between humour and investigative reportage. Hopefully we’ve done that too.
How can someone undertaking a work placement within a fashion design company or fashion publication ensure they get the best from this experience? Squeeze as much out of it as possible -- ask questions, take everything as a learning opportunity. Be aware of your rights and call out anything you think is unfair.
Younger designers are perhaps not yet in a position where they can adequately pay interns. What could they do, from their end, to make the situation fairer to those who are providing their time and energy often for little or no money? We understand that many young designers can’t pay their interns. What we’re trying to address is the culture that dictates that in order to get a foot in the door, you must work for months -- even years -unpaid. For those designers who can’t pay, interns should be taught and mentored in exchange for their work. Expenses -- food and travel -- should be paid, especially when working late into the night, as is common practice. The individuals we’ve targeted are either financially lucrative businesses, capable of paying, or those who exploit their interns through ill treatment. It’s a cycle that needs to be broken.
needs to be
broken.’
‘It’s a cycle that