Field Work Term Spotlight: Julie Gargiulo ’27
Julie Gargiulo '27 studies Costume Design at Bennington. She spent her winter Field Work Term in New York interning with local seamstress, Mery Fernandez.
At Bennington, students spend six weeks every year taking their skills and knowledge out of the classroom and applying them in the world of work. They use this annual work-learning opportunity—known as Field Work Term—to deepen their studies, challenge and test new ideas, and hone their direction for the future.
What was your day-to-day experience in the job?
Every day I had the opportunity to learn and refine my tailoring skills. Throughout the experience, I immersed myself in learning how to complete many different types of alterations on various types of clothing and materials. In the garment industry, there are specific machines and stitches used to uniformly finish garments, as well as standards for the types of buttons and sizes of zippers that go on certain items. Mery taught me how to identify these specificities and replicate them when altering clothing. Frequently, clients came in for fittings and consultations. Sitting in on these meetings allowed me to observe Mery not only as a capable seamstress, but also as a cunning businesswoman.
What was the most enjoyable part of your experience?
In addition to what I was learning, I enjoyed the connections I made with the people I met along the way. Although I came into Mery’s life as an intern, I feel like I left as an adopted part of the family. During Field Work Term, I was there listening, supporting, and helping Mery, her family, and even her clients through transformative parts of their lives as I went through a new chapter in mine.
What was the most challenging?
As with any new job, there was an adjustment period navigating the new place and people. Due to the nature of sewing, I found it could be challenging working in a small space with little lighting for many hours at a time, but we made it work! I brought in an extra lamp, and we did a bit of cleaning and clearing.
How do you expect that the work you did or the skills you learned will impact your Plan?
The experience reaffirmed my concentration in Costume Design at Bennington. It was invaluable to be able to get a better understanding of how to construct clothing through the act of deconstruction. This Field Work Term also allowed me to see sustainability differently and furthered my interest in learning about entrepreneurship and business.