As we gear up to our 5th annual gala, I’d like to showcase one of our most valuable team members behind the scenes at MakeFashion. Mary Yohannes Getaneh has returned for her second internship at MakeFashion, and has been largely responsible for the promotional videos, blog posts, and content leading to our 2017 gala.
It’s exciting to have grown MakeFashion to the scale that attracts exceptional talent like Mary who has brought new skills, ideas, and energy to make our presence stronger than it’s ever been.
Mary is a journalism student at Mount Royal University, but today I turned things around and interviewed her. It’s an ongoing pleasure work with Mary and the talent and enthusiasm she brings every day!
– Chelsea Klukas, MakeFashion Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer
What was it that led you to pursue a career in Journalism?
I’ve loved the act of documentation my whole life, as a kid I was an avid journal and story writer, always taking in and verbalizing on paper the world I saw around me. I’m a quiet person, but also a nosey person. I’ve always been interested in learning new things about people and listening to them so journalism seemed like a good fit for me. It combined all my passions- people, travel, culture, fashion. I really just love to tell captivating stories through video, audio, words, and photography.
What has drawn you to MakeFashion?
I went to the MakeFashion gala in 2014. It was the first runway show I’ve ever been to and I was so captivated by the entire experience. That summer I was feeling like I needed to be beefing up my portfolio so I thought about what kind of internship I’d really want for myself, MakeFashion came to mind and I just reached out to them.
I’m just drawn to the way MakeFashion operates. It’s successful because you have a bunch of different people with different backgrounds working together to create truly remarkable pieces. The designers need the tech people the tech people and vice versa.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned or seen while working with MakeFashion?
I think the most interesting parts for me are learning about the dresses- the concepts and how they are actually built. I’m not the biggest tech person, so kind of being able to see piece by piece how everything comes together has been so cool.
What is something that you’ve achieved or created that you are the most proud of?
I worked on a three part podcast on love and age called “Wrinkles in Love” (get it??) and it was such an amazing experience. Telling stories strictly through audio was kind of challenging because I am such a visual person, but I am so proud of the work that my team and I created. It was a very heartwarming piece that we got a lot of positive feedback on.
Do you have any advice for other young women interested in pursuing journalism, fashion, or tech?
My biggest advice is to just go for what you want and talk to people. I wouldn’t have gotten involved with MakeFashion if I hadn’t just reached out to them.
What’s next – where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years- the dream is that I get to work for a company where I get the opportunity to tell stories through video. I also hope to have started working on a documentary- the topic I’m not sure of yet!
To see Mary’s work, check out the rest of our blog, or take a look at her videos on the MakeFashion YouTube channel.
