International Fashion Internships in Canada

Vancouver has established brands that originated from this very city, such as Lululemon Athletica and Arc’teryx Equipment. John Fluevog Shoes has been named one of the world’s top-10 most innovative fashion companies and suit-maker Indochino Apparel is making a big impact on the fashion industry as well. Womenswear is one of the largest industries the city has to offer, featuring fashion leaders such as Aritzia, Herschel, Oak+Fort, and much more. If you need more convincing, Vancouver is an excellent choice for you to do your fashion internship in because of the young and vibrant demographic – it’s all about embracing the ‘West Coast Lifestyle’.

As Canada’s leading fashion hub and one of the world’s most multicultural cities, Toronto is an excellent choice for an international internship. Often cited as the New York of Canada, Toronto is a hub for internationally renowned fashion labels, not to mention forward-thinking, thriving local designers and brands. A fashion internship in Toronto will land you in the thick of it; you’ll gain international fashion experience while experiencing life in the urban jungle.

What you learn will depend on the industry you enter. For instance, the experience you gain during a fashion design internship will differ from what you learn during a fashion magazine internship. That being said, you will gain the following skills:

• Creativity and artistic sense
• Strong drawing skills
• Detail orientation
• Understanding of texture, colour, and quality fabric
• Strong visualization skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Fashion business acumen
• Ability to work under high pressure
• Teamwork and leadership
• Knowledge of current fashion trends
• And more!

Having international fashion experience can prove extremely useful if you are looking to break into international design, buying and selling, and getting a sense of North American fashion trends and business practices in the industry. A fashion internship in Canada will give you transferable skills that you can apply to a wealth of career paths, such as:

• Marketing Assistant
• Social Media Specialist
• Design Assistant
• Designer
• Fashion Photographer
• Stylist
• Pattern Maker
• Art Director
• Director Of Sales
• Fashion Editor
• Fashion Event Planner
• Fashion Import/Export
• Buyer
• Product Development
• Creative Technical Development
• Merchandise Planning
• Trade Marketing
• Visual Merchandising
• Brand Strategy
• Public Relations & Communications
• Events & Content Production
• Product Photography
• Production-Quality Control
• Wholesale
• Showroom
• And more!

Planning a 2023 fashion internship abroad? We’re now taking applications, so you can start planning straight away.

However, generally speaking, we recommend you give yourself at least 5-6 months ahead of your planned start date. If you’re wondering why you need to plan so far ahead, let us explain:

• You can only apply while the IEC season is open – and it is not open all year long.
• You must secure an internship to apply for your visa
• The placement process can take between 4 – 6 weeks
• Your employer must complete a process with the Government of Canada for you to apply for the visa. This can take some time.
• Your internship visa (International Co-Op) will take at least eight weeks to be processed after biometrics
• Therefore, you should apply between 5-6 months before your desired start date if you want to be sure that you can make it on time.

So, if you want to do a 2023 summer fashion internship, you must be ready to start as early as January 2023, while for 2023 fall fashion internships, start planning by January.