Summer Internship Highlights: Hope Gillan ’18

By Katherine Rohloff ’19
Features Editor
To be a Trinity student on the cutting edge of fashion design in New York City is a dream that became a reality for Hope Gillan ’18. Gillan scored an internship with Xcel Brands as a Business Development Intern this summer. Xcel Brands is a fashion brand management company located on Broadway in the heart of New York City. Beginning from humble roots selling on HSN and QVC, Xcel Brands now owns the licensing to C Wonder, Judith Ripka, and H by Halston, to name a few.
Gillan found out about Xcel Brand’s internship opportunity through Trinity’s CareerLink. After submitting her application, she received an interview offer which was followed by a callback interview conducted in their previous office building located on 10th Avenue.
Throughout the summer, Gillan commuted from her home in Manhasset, Long Island to Penn Station, which was within walking distance of her office.
Gillan worked in the Business Development Department transcribing information from hard copy into Excel and putting that data into a special computer system called Product Lifestyles Management (PLM). “This system connected our designers, suppliers, producers, and everyone else in the company so that our different facilities in America and Asia were able to communicate easily regarding styles, partners, and prints,” says Gillan. “I was happy with how much responsibility my boss gave me and how much trust she put in me”.
There were several other interns from Trinity. “Although we were all in different departments, it was nice to see familiar faces during the day,” says Gillan.
Looking back on her summer Gillan says, “I learned a lot about the fashion industry and it was a good way for me to weed out possible future careers.”