Sophomore Brittany Garrett, a fashion merchandising major, has set a new standard for summer internships.

After completing her freshman year, Garrett decided to pursue an internship with Little Rock Fashion Week (LRFW), an event that happens every July showcasing designers based out of Arkansas. Having worked at the event before as a model. Garrett was familiar with the process, However this time, Garrett found herself behind the scenes working at an internship no freshman in Harding’s fashion department could have dreamed of.

Soon after applying for the internship, Garrett was informed that she would be given the title of fashion coordinator for fashion week.

“I had just finished my freshman year and I wanted to get ahead,” Garrett said. “I had modeled the year before and I told them I was going to be going to college and majoring in fashion merchandising, and they told me I should apply to work with the fashion department. Then I ended up being in charge of the fashion department.”

From choosing the clothing that would walk the runway, to organizing the shows and dealing with the chaos backstage, Garrett was living every fashion major’s dream at just 19 years old.

“It was kind of weird, I’m not gonna lie,” Garrett said. “I had some assistants and they were both older than me, my mom’s age, so it was kind of awkward when I had to ask them for things like tape. I feel like it was good though, because it taught me you need to earn respect, because when I was working with people who were older than me I definitely had to work hard to earn it.”

For Garrett, the fun did not end with her work backstage. In addition to getting herself a foothold in the fashion industry, Garrett got to witness the careers of up-and-coming designers take flight.

“One of the designers went to New York Fashion Week right after Little Rock,” Garrett said. “They saw her stuff and asked her to come to New York, and now she’s working in the big leagues. It’s really cool to say that I got to work with her.”

Garrett is not finished yet; she plans to pursue a career working with fashion shows and is currently searching for internship opportunities in New York City.

“I love the energy backstage,” Garrett said. “It’s pretty hectic and insane and you can never prepare for what’s going to happen.”

Garrett’s work has taken her above and beyond what many students can boast about, which is accredited to her strong desire to make her mark in the world of fashion merchandising.

“Brittany is the exception to the rules,” family and consumer sciences instructor Rebecca Boaz, said. “She had experience with LRFW and she made the most of that connection. I applaud her for her initiative. She is going to go places.”