Closet Assistant Q&A

Blair Waldorf seems to be buckling under the pressure in her new job at W, so we decided to catch up with real-life assistants Katy Younger-Hadwiger and Lacey Lennon to see what working in the W fashion closet is really all about.

W: What is an average day like? Lacey Lennon: BUSY. I come in usually at 8:00 am to get organized for the day. The closet is extremely fast-paced: Katy and I, on average, receive at least 100 emails per day from the editors, PR firms, and designers. Katy Younger-Hadwiger: If we are lucky and no shoots are going out, we come in at 9 a.m. and leave around 8 p.m.. On a crazy day, or when a shoot is coming back, Lacey and I come in to accept the delivery around 7:00 a.m., unpack the trunks and try and return all of our urgent returns, which is always like 20 showrooms demanding all their stuff back! Eeeekk!

How many items come in and out in an average day? LL: Hundreds of samples! KYH: And the day before a shoot goes out, maybe 200 samples?

Does it ever get really crazy? KYH: When doesn’t it! [Laughs] LL: Yes it can get very crazy when we have to pack for a shoot. KYH: Accessories take forever to pack because everything needs to nicely tissued and wrapped. LL: Since W does so many amazing editorials, we often send out a lot of samples for these shoots. Sometimes it feels like a race against time to make sure everything is packed up properly and with care, cataloged, and in the truck by the deadline time so it can be delivered to set the next morning!

Any crazy stories? LL: Yes, I remember when I was an intern we sent out a very large shoot, about 20 large duffel bags! Our messenger service that came to pick up the shoot sent someone driving a mini-van and we all thought that there was no way the duffels would fit. To our disbelief that driver made magic happen and everything fit! KYH: I think when we did the January cover with Emma Stone and we were pulling all the fetish wear. One of the editors sent me downtown to this place called The Baroness to pull [samples] and I had to refer to the owner as The Baroness.

Any tips for people who want to get into the industry? Any intern tips? LL: Work hard! Intern as much as possible and treat an internship like it’s your real full-time job. Don’t miss any of your scheduled days, and always volunteer to help anyone that needs assistance because it can really go a long way. Know designers and be familiar with the different markets. KYH: Just have patience and a good work ethic. We work long hours, but have fun in the closet. I love working with the interns and seeing how their taste changes when they learn a lot about fashion via W.