A former fashion intern has detailed her decision to leave the industry in 2017 after 18 months of unpaid work. She recounted living in £12-a-night hostels in London and taking on various jobs, such as flyering for gyms and manning a strip club door, to afford her accommodation.
The individual, who was 23 at the time, was technically employed by a major fashion magazine but received no pay as an intern. She stated that she often worked from 9am to 5pm, frequently in the fashion closet, before working other jobs from 7pm to 2am.
She decided to quit after watching an episode of the comedy "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" in a hostel. A character's advice, "sometimes the hardest thing you can do is just quit and walk away," resonated with her. She informed her boss that she had run out of money and could no longer work for free.
The individual has since built a career in film and TV, primarily in comedies.