12 Fashion Internships in NYC for High School Students
Internships are one of the best ways for high school students to turn their interests into work experience. Doing an internship helps build a stronger resume, develop professional skills, and understand what it’s like to work in a field you’re curious about. Fashion internships for high school students offer a firsthand look at how creativity meets business, from design studios to marketing offices and retail spaces. You’ll also gain teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills that stand out on college applications.
New York City, known as one of the world’s fashion capitals, has many opportunities for high school students who want to learn from fashion industry professionals. Whether you’re drawn to styling, design, photography, or fashion marketing, there is a program that matches your interests. To make your search easier, we’ve put together a list of 12 fashion internships in NYC for high school students. Along with traditional internships, we’ve included fashion programs with meaningful work-learn components.
1. Belk Internship
Location: Various locations in the U.S. (company-wide; hybrid/retail)
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship (specific stipend amount not publicly listed)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly specified; highly competitive for high school to early-college interns
Dates: 10-week program (typically summer)
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the location and year (not specified)
Eligibility: Students roughly at high school to early college level interested in retail, business, or fashion careers
The Belk Internship Program offers students practical insight into the retail industry through experience with one of the country’s leading department store chains. Interns take part in day-to-day projects, team collaborations, and professional development sessions that reflect the true realities of working in fashion, beauty, and home retail. Each participant is paired with a mentor and manager who provide support and guidance throughout the program. While most roles are in person, interns also engage in virtual meetings, workshops, and networking events. The program offers a true understanding of how a large retail business operates while helping students build their professional and collaborative skills.
2. Ladder Internship - Fashion Track
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. Design Hive at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Location: New York, New York
Stipend: $2,000 (paid in two $1,000 installments)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: November to May
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors based in New York City
Design Hive is a unique opportunity offered by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, which is the only museum in the U.S. devoted entirely to design. As a participant, you’ll explore how creative ideas evolve into final designs while working with professional designers on hands-on collaborative projects. You’ll attend weekly sessions, access the museum’s exhibitions and collections, and gain inspiration from a wide range of design fields such as fashion, textiles, and jewelry. Throughout the program, you’ll also receive mentorship and guidance from experienced designers, helping you grow both creatively and professionally. Sessions are typically held for 2 hours every Tuesday, so keep an eye out for application announcements.
4. The Met Museum’s Costume Institute Internship for High School Students
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Cost/Stipend: Free (paid opportunities may be available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the year
Eligibility: High school students passionate about fashion, history, or museum studies
The Costume Institute Internship at The Met offers a unique opportunity to work closely with one of the world’s most renowned fashion collections. As an intern, you’ll assist museum staff with research, cataloging, and the preservation of garments that span different cultures and eras. The program also features workshops, talks, and behind-the-scenes tours that show how fashion and art connect within a museum environment. It’s an enriching experience for anyone interested in fashion history, offering a thoughtful look into the care and scholarship that goes into maintaining such an important collection.
5. This Way ONward
Location: Remote or your local Old Navy store
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round, with two-hour workshops from Monday to Thursday
Application Deadline: Ongoing (year-round)
Eligibility: Students aged 16 - 24 years
If you’re ready to take on your first job and gain real-world practical skills, This Way ONward is a great place to get started. Run in collaboration with local Old Navy stores, the program helps young people, especially those from Black and Latinx communities, to build confidence and workplace experience. You'll be paired with mentors who guide you through training, leadership activities, and the hiring process. It’s a practical and encouraging way to learn what it takes to succeed in retail and start building a solid foundation for your future career.
6. Abercrombie’s Freshman Forum
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Week-long during summer (specific dates released in spring)
Application Deadline: Announced in the spring semester
Eligibility: High school seniors (incoming college freshmen)
The Abercrombie Freshman Forum is a week-long intensive online program that introduces students to the corporate retail industry. Throughout the program, you’ll work on a real case study, analyze customer insights, and develop business solutions while learning directly from Abercrombie & Fitch leaders. The sessions combine classroom-style learning, hands-on experience, and talks from industry professionals, which is ideal for students curious about discovering the business side of fashion.
7. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) High School Summer Live Program
Location: FIT Campus, New York City
Cost/Stipend: $550 for one 10-day class (includes all fees)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: March - June (10-day sessions or 4-day workshops)
Application Deadline: Classes posted in January
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 - 12
The FIT High School Summer Live Program gives you an opportunity to experience different aspects of fashion, art, and design in the heart of New York City. You can choose from a variety of courses in fields such as fashion, marketing, photography, media, and interior design. With options ranging from 4-day workshops to 10-day classes, you’ll learn directly from FIT’s renowned faculty and industry professionals. It’s an engaging and inspiring way to develop your creativity and get a glimpse of college life in one of the world’s leading fashion hubs.
8. LIM College Fashion Academy
Location: LIM College Campus, New York City, or virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: Varies depending on the course
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
The Fashion Academy at LIM College focuses on the business aspects of fashion, exploring areas such as merchandising, marketing, styling, event management, and sustainability. You’ll gain practical hands-on experience through short, week-long credit and non-credit courses. Whether you attend on campus in New York or participate online, you’ll gain insight into how the fashion industry operates while getting a preview of college life at LIM.
9. Parsons School of Design Summer Intensive Studies
Location: Parsons’ Greenwich Village Campus, New York City
Cost/Stipend: $4,675 plus fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Session 1: June 12 - 30 | Session 2: July 10 - 28
Application Deadline: Session 1: May 15 | Session 2: June 8
Eligibility: Students aged 16 – 18 years
The Parsons Summer Intensive Studies program offers a 3-week immersive experience in art and design at one of the world’s leading design schools. It combines challenging coursework with creative projects, helping you refine your skills in drawing, design, and portfolio development. Taught by renowned faculty and guest artists, the program also lets you experience what it’s like to live and learn in the center of New York City’s vibrant creative community.
10. Banson NYC Fashion Summer Camp
Location: Banson NYC Campus, New York City
Cost/Stipend: $2,075
Acceptance rate/cohort size: First-come, first-served basis with a maximum of 20 participants
Dates: Session A: June 23 - 28 | Session B: July 14 - 19
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 - 12
The Banson NYC Fashion Summer Camp gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion industry. Created by industry veteran Holland Grumieaux, the program combines classroom learning with exclusive tours of showrooms, design studios, and retail spaces. You’ll meet designers, merchandisers, and executives while understanding how the fashion world operates. Students also stay in dorms with fellow participants, making it both a learning and immersive experience in the heart of NYC.
11. The School of The New York Times: Style & Fashion Reporting
Location: New York City
Cost/Stipend: Residential program is $7,695; Day program is $6,195
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: July 5 - July 17; July 19 - 31
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the program cycle
Eligibility: High school students interested in fashion and design
In this program, you’ll build key journalism skills such as researching stories, interviewing, and news writing, all through the perspective of fashion media. You’ll discover how photographers, editors, and writers bring fashion journalism to life and explore how print magazines are evolving in the digital era. Industry professionals from leading publications will share insights on what defines great fashion and how trends are shaped. Students will study standout articles from The New York Times' Styles section and analyze how fashion reporting reflects culture and current events. You’ll also get the chance to venture into the streets of New York to discover and report your own stories. It’s an immersive introduction to the fast-changing world of fashion journalism.
12. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Pre-Collegiate Program
Location: Providence, RI or Virtual
Cost/Stipend: In-person: approximately $10,850 (includes room & board) | Virtual: approximately, $1,340
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly specified; cohort size has hundreds of students worldwide for in-person; virtual size is not listed
Dates: In-person: typically ~6 weeks in summer; Virtual: 4 - 5 weeks (online)
Application Deadline: Upcoming summer applications open November 5
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (or ages ~16 - 18 years for many tracks)
The RISD’s Pre-Collegiate Program is designed for high school students who want to push their creative boundaries and experience what it’s like to study at one of the world’s leading art and design schools. The virtual track offers a mix of live and recorded lessons led by RISD faculty, giving you the flexibility to learn from home while staying connected to a global creative community. You’ll explore core design principles, experiment with new materials and techniques, and develop your own artistic style through projects and critiques. The program mirrors the experience of a first-year RISD student as you’ll learn from teaching artists, participate in group discussions, and receive a final review of your work. By the end, you’ll have improved your portfolio, built confidence in your creative ideas, and joined a network of peers who share your passion for art and design.
Image Source - Belk Logo