What Actually Happens When You Intern at a Major Australian Fashion Brand?
Let’s be honest. Fashion internships can feel a bit vague. Everyone talks about “getting your foot in the door”, but no one really explains what that door opens onto.
The Sussan Group Internship Program is different. It focuses on practical experience and real-day-to-day exposure.
Based at the Sussan Group Head Office in Cremorne, the program gives students a behind-the-scenes look at how a fashion business runs. Not just the clothes, but the people planning ranges, working through spreadsheets, sitting in meetings, and making decisions that shape what ends up in store. Interns are part of the team and learn as the work happens.
The Kind of Internships You Can Apply For
The Sussan Group offers unpaid, work-integrated learning internships across most teams at their Cremorne Head Office – and no, this isn’t limited to creative roles.
Interns work with teams across People and Development, Buying, Planning, Marketing, Digital, Visual Merchandising, Finance, and Store Leasing. These are the people coordinating campaigns, planning stock, managing budgets, and keeping the business running day to day.
So, whether you’re interested in fashion, business, marketing, data, or people-focused work, there’s usually a team that aligns with those interests.
The main requirement is that the internship counts towards your studies. It’s meant to sit alongside your degree, not feel like an extra thing tacked on.
So, What Do Interns Actually Do All Day?
This isn’t a coffee-running situation. Before an internship even starts, students are asked what skills they want to develop, and that shapes the experience.
On a typical day, interns support team projects, assist with data or research, sit in on meetings, and help keep things moving. Some days are more hands-on, others are about watching how decisions are made and how work flows between teams.
You start to understand how projects move forward, where decisions come from, and how people actually work together.
When the Internships Run and Who They’re For
Each internship includes 80 hours of work-integrated learning. Most students complete this over around eight weeks, usually one to two days per week, depending on availability and the team.
The internships are designed for students whose courses require work-integrated learning. Degrees like RMIT’s Bachelor of Fashion Enterprise include this, but many other university and TAFE courses do as well.
Students should check with their course coordinator first, then apply via the Sussan Group application link.
What You Need to Be Studying (or at Least Interested In)
There’s no single “right” degree. The Sussan Group accepts interns from a wide range of study areas, as long as the placement counts toward their qualification.
This includes fields such as fashion and business, including marketing, HR, finance, accounting, supply chain, and data analytics. Degrees like a Bachelor of Fashion Enterprise or a Bachelor of Business with relevant specialisations all align well.
Being curious matters more than your exact degree title.
You Don’t Need a Fashion Degree to Work in Fashion
You don’t need to be studying fashion to work in the industry. Fashion brands rely on a wide mix of skills behind the scenes.
Students studying HR, finance, or business can intern in teams that match their degree. An HR intern, for example, might support recruitment, help with onboarding, or assist with wellbeing initiatives alongside the People and Development team.
Fashion careers come in more forms than most people expect.
What If You’re Light on Experience?
Most interns are right at the start of their careers, so experience isn’t the focus.
Curiosity, organisation, openness to feedback, and initiative go a long way. The Sussan Group looks for people who are comfortable asking questions and learning on the job.
Why Internships Like This Matter
An internship gives you context.
You see how ideas move from concept to execution, how teams collaborate, and how fast a fashion business moves. You meet people across the organisation and start to understand where you fit -or where you don’t.
Either way, that clarity proves valuable.
The Skills You Walk Away With
Interns develop skills that extend well beyond the fashion world. Communication, teamwork, and time management improve quickly. You gain confidence in meetings and learn how professional workplaces actually operate.
One thing the Sussan Group consistently values is enthusiasm to learn. The program is set up to support that, without expecting interns to have everything figured out from day one.
Can It Lead to a Job Later On?
It can. When suitable graduate or entry-level roles are available, interns may be considered for ongoing opportunities. Past interns are also encouraged to stay in touch and express interest if roles come up later.
Even if it doesn’t immediately lead to a job, the experience and connections tend to stay with you.
Keen to Learn More?
If this sounds like something you’d want to be part of, you can learn more about the Sussan Group Internship Program and apply via the link below.
It’s a chance to get inside the business, see how teams operate day to day, and work out whether this kind of environment suits you.
