August 01, 2019

Fresh off her return from a semester studying in London, Marisa Battiloro ’20 immediately set about finding her summer internship.

A search on LinkedIn yielded an opportunity that fit perfectly with her luxury brand marketing and management major — the summer internship program at Tapestry, a global house of brands that includes Coach, Kate Spade New York and Stuart Weitzman.

“Finding an internship within the fashion industry is not easy,” Battiloro said. “I knew this opportunity could only lead me to many others, to making great connections, and would be another step along my career path.”

A typical day for Battiloro, of Oak Ridge, New Jersey, is a long one. She rises at 5 a.m. to get to the train station by 7 a.m., followed by a 90-minute commute to the city and a 10-minute walk to her office.

Battiloro is working specifically for Coach, where she has been examining weekly and monthly sales reports for sunwear and watches, noting which styles sold best globally for the brand. She also creates briefs of sunwear and watch trends to help Coach and its creative team gain new ideas for their next designs.

“A typical day for me is different — completing projects, pulling samples from the brand closet for photo shoots or attending meetings to go over designs,” Battiloro said. “Every day I learn new things, while I continue to grow during my experience.”

Tapestry also holds weekly intern days, at which summer interns learn more about the company and hear from industry professionals about their post-graduate journeys.

Battiloro was mentored through her application process to Tapestry by alumnus Bridget Richter ’11, senior communications manager at Tapestry.

“Marisa reached out and the timing was right,” Richter said. “Networking is crucial to landing your first job and making connections for future opportunities. I’m happy to be a resource for students that are studying subjects that I can provide advice or counsel on.”

Battiloro hopes to pursue a career in the fashion industry after graduation, perhaps back at Tapestry.

“Having this internship has taught me to be my own brand as I continue in my future,” she said. “I have learned through this experience that when an opportunity comes knocking, take it. No matter what point you are at in your life, do not say no. You never know where these opportunities could lead.”