New York seems to be the hub of everything that falls in the category of hip and modern.

When it comes to fashion, New York is the place to be. It is one of the hottest spots for designers to show and sell their collections. New York is also home to designers like Carolina Herrera, Betsey Johnson, Vera Wang and Marc Jacobs.

An insider’s experience is the best way to understand the New York fashion scene, and an internship can open doors into a well-rounded resume and provide experience to anyone starting off in the business.

Jenn Reicherts, senior in apparel merchandising, design and production, got her big opportunity working as a creative designer for Marc Jacobs this summer.

Last year, Reicherts studied at North Carolina State and went on to the London School of Fashion where she met Brittany Craiger — who had a connection to Marc Jacobs. It was a surprise to Reicherts that she was chosen for the internship.

“I had never thought about Marc Jacobs for an internship,” Reicherts says. “When I was in London, I was sending out my resume and calling tons of places, but I never heard back. I sent my resume and had a 15-minute phone interview, and they asked me when I could start. It really was as easy as that.”

She says she specialized in the line Marc by Marc Jacobs, which is a less expensive line that is more street wear than couture.

In September, for New York’s famous Fashion Week, Reicherts was asked back to help with the Marc by Marc Jacobs fashion show.

“For the fashion show, I helped behind the scenes, finishing up with final things and just helped with the show in general,” Reicherts says. “It was so much fun, there were celebrities and models everywhere. I saw Kate Hudson, the Olsen twins, J. Lo, Donald Trump and his girlfriend and Gisele. It was a surreal experience, I just felt lucky to be there.”

Reicherts says the experience she earned is priceless and valuable to her career in the fashion industry.

“Most internships are unpaid, but it shouldn’t matter about the money,” she says.

“If you love what you’re doing and happy to work 15 hours a day for free, then it’s worth it. The best things that I took away from the internship is the networking and the people that I met.”

Reicherts says working for Marc Jacobs was a positive experience and the workplace was calming, even though some days could get hectic.

“Everyone was laid back and down to earth,” she says. “None of my experiences there were negative. I think the worst part was being restless because there is only so much work an intern could do. Besides that, it was a great environment to work in.”

Going from Ames to a large city like New York can seem like an overwhelming experience, but Reicherts says apprehension about subways and getting lost was easier on her because of her previous experience in London.

“Because I had lived in London, it was easy for me to adjust to a large city like New York,” she says.

Living near New York was also a plus for Reicherts because she plans on living there after graduation. Being in the city re-affirmed her choice.

“I lived in Brooklyn with a 20-minute commute, and it was fine,” Reicherts says. “The rent wasn’t too expensive, and it was easy to commute on the subway. New York is where I will be moving after school. When I was there, it felt like home to me.”