Fourth-year retailing student Madalyn Hair is helping brides say yes to the dress this fall at Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City.
Most often associated with TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress," Hair is experiencing the behind-the-scenes TV magic of Kleinfeld as a bridal consultant intern.
“On the show, it’s made to believe that absolutely anything can happen at Kleinfeld,” Hair said.
Hair's duties as a bridal consultant intern include sitting in on initial consultations and getting to know the bride's vision for her wedding day. Hair also helps the consultant pull dresses from the salon floor and fit the bride into the gowns. The goal by the end of the session is that "she says yes to her dress."
Lisa Fuhrman, a bridal consultant and cast member of "Say Yes to the Dress," said in an email interview she loves working with Hair during appointments. Fuhrman said though she works with many interns each semester, Hair stands out as "one of the top performers."
"Not only does she assist me with all aspects of each bridal appointment, she keeps me on track and helps maintain my sanity when things get a bit 'wild' as they often do." Fuhrman said.
Daniela Jankovska is the faculty adviser of Fashion Board at USC, and she worked closely with Hair during her time as secretary of the Fashion Board.
"[Hair's] curiosity and her passion for fashion really got her to where she is today," Jankovska said. "Her experience in being the secretary for the Fashion Board really prepared her very well for the internship that she [has] at Kleinfeld."
Though going through the application process and not hearing back from certain internships was discouraging, Hair said she held out hope for the one she currently has at Kleinfeld because she "heard nothing but great things" about the company.
When she heard back from her current supervisor, she was told that all of the summer positions were filled, but rather than give up, she inquired about fall positions and was hired the day she flew to New York for her interview.
Hair is still taking courses while interning. Additionally, she is an ambassador for the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at USC.
Though she's enjoying her internship and living in New York, Hair said it was hard being away from family and friends when she first moved, as she went from seeing them everyday to "seeing thousands of unfamiliar faces." She said she "didn't expect the mental toll it would take on [her]."
“It’s definitely emotional, because we have brides coming in that are making a one time purchase, it’s a big purchase and it’s a very emotional purchase," Hair said. "It’s difficult when you don’t exactly get her vision and it kind of feels like the appointment isn’t going anywhere. But that said, we have to fall back on our customer service skills and just kind of sticking to the reputation that Kleinfeld has."
Despite this obstacle, Hair encourages people applying for internships or looking for a job to "give [themselves] more credit."
“I just thought there was no way that me, little old girl from the South, could work at such a huge company like Kleinfeld,” Hair said.