Design Disaster

By Erin Edison and Brooke Hagel

Chloe is learning more about fashion at her New York City internship than she ever thought possible. Rotating between departments is exciting and exhausting, but manageable. But when roommate issues and a new relationship get added to her already hectic life, will Chloe be able to handle both the fast-paced life of a designer and the drama of being a teenager?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Dec 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496539557

Erin Edison

Erin Edison has written dozens of nonfiction books for children. She holds a BA degree in English from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis.

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Dear Diary,

I can’t believe two weeks of my Stefan Meyers internship have already passed! I still have six weeks to go, but if it’s anything like the past couple weeks, it’s going to fly by. There’s always something new to learn, especially since I’ll be changing departments soon. I can’t say I’m thrilled about it — working with Laura in knits and denims has been amazing! But apparently it’s something Stefan does so interns can get experience in more than one area. And I don’t want to complain, so… tomorrow I start in dresses with Taylor.

But there is some good news! I’ll get to keep working with Laura! She needs help with a last-minute addition to the line Stefan is showing at Fashion Week — a small art deco collection. The tricky (and stressful!) part is going to be splitting my time between two departments — I’ll be with Taylor on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and with Laura on Thursday and Friday. I’ve heard rumors (mainly from Madison) that Taylor can be hardcore. I’m a little anxious about having to prove myself again.

Speaking of Madison… she’s still not my biggest fan. I don’t really know why. She’s had it out for me since we met.

She’s convinced I only got this internship because I was on Teen Design Diva. Yes, the internship was the grand prize, but I’m also a good designer. She acts like all my successes are a fluke. You’d think she’d be psyched about everyone changing departments so she doesn’t have to work for Taylor anymore, but you’d be wrong. As soon as she heard I was looking forward to working with Taylor, she stalked out of our suite. I guess she didn’t want me working in that department either.

Thankfully Bailey and Avery have both been really supportive, and staying in the dorms at FIT has been completely surreal. Living here now gives me a taste of what it could be like if I were a student. I wish my mom or Alex were here so I could vent about the Madison stuff. I talk or text with them every day, but I haven’t wanted to share any of the downsides of this internship. No need to worry anyone back home. I’ll figure the Madison stuff out on my own.

The truth is, it seems like Madison will only be happy if I fall flat on my face. But, newsflash: I’ve waited too long for this opportunity to let that happen.

Xoxo — Chloe

Monday morning, the skies rumble and lightning flashes as I try to keep my umbrella steady. The walk from my dorm at FIT to the subway is a short one, but the wind kicks up, and in seconds, my hair gets drenched. Great. Now I look like a cat that got sprayed with a hose. What a way to begin my first day in my new department. I take a seat on the train, which thankfully isn’t too crowded yet, and pull my raincoat tighter around me. At least my outfit is still dry!

I take out my sketchpad, which never fails to calm me, and glance around the subway car, hoping to see something inspiring. Unfortunately, thanks to the rain, everyone is wearing some sort of jacket. Their features are hidden by

hoods or wet hair that’s plastered to their faces. I focus on a woman wearing an oversized hooded rain cape in a bright, neon yellow. The fabric appears to be lightweight and water-resistant, making it the perfect garment for today’s warm but crummy weather. The cape could look shapeless, but the woman has paired it with tight pants and tall boots for a chic, wearable — and more importantly, dry —