Loved In The Kingdom Of Beauty

6.

As part of the curriculum, final year students had to participate in an internship with the designer of their choice for a period of three months, after which they were required to write a full report of their observations and recommendations and present it orally. It would be graded and counted towards the student's year mark.

During that time they were attached to a sponsor and needed to learn as much as possible about the practical application of their theoretical knowledge, as well as prepare them for the pressure and the madness which lay ahead.

"Jacky, Jacky," she heard Rose's breathless voice as she was lying on her back on freshly cut grass under the shade of a tree. These moments were rare for Jacqueline and she treasured it, and when she indulged, she made the most of it. She looked into the blue sky, admiring its clear flawless beauty. She wondered that if it had been a piece of fabric, how many people it would clothe. She smiled at the thought of dressing everyone on the planet in a blue outfit and the image in her head made her smile even wider.

She turned her head at her friends' approach and sat up.
Rose's eyes were wild with excitement as she flopped next to Jacqueline.

"I did it. I got in.”  Rose almost screamed in disbelief.

She expected Jacqueline to bombard her with questions, but when Jacqueline simply stared at her, Rose couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

"Pasquale! Pasquale accepted me. I'm doing my internship with him. Imagine that! Before he didn't know who Rose Huntington-Chase was, but now… oh! I'm so happy. Tonight, by way of celebration, I'm going to throw the biggest party ever, and you have to come."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I politely decline," Jacqueline answered.

"Don't be such a spoilsport. This is my last party, and I want to end my stay here at Bollinger's with a bang. I need my best friend to enjoy it with me."

Jacqueline smiled while she remembered her one and only visit to Rose's parties.

"You enjoy yourself, Rose, and congratulations on getting accepted by Pasquale. I hope you will enjoy your time there. You do realize that if you do good work, it could lead to a permanent job."

"And that's exactly what I want. He dresses celebrities and that is my future client base. He has a huge following. You should see his social media pages. People buy anything and everything he designs and they can't wait for him to post. I intend to make so many powerful connections that by the time I'm ready to set up on my own, his clients and followers will come running to me."

Jacqueline listened to her friend's enthusiastic plans for her future. She was aware that that's how the game was played. The field of haute couture was small and the patrons fickle. Sometimes, in order to increase exposure, designers dressed celebrities and socialites for free, and that seems the road Rose wished to travel.

When her friend finally took a breath, Jacqueline asked, "Suppose Pasquale offers you a permanent job, what do you hope to learn from him?"

"Everything about how to be at the top of my profession."

"Isn't that what college was for? To prepare you for that?"

"Yes, but there's so much to learn."

"That's what the internship is for."
"Wouldn't you take a great internship like that if it was offered to you?" Rose asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"There's nothing more any designer can teach me. Although one never stops learning, at some point one should start doing, and that's what I'm ready for."