About a month ago, I embarked on a brand development internship at Faire Leather Co., armed with only my passion for writing and my admiration for the ingenuity behind the creation of Faire’s signature functional luxury product, the Bond Travel Briefcase.

Being a girl, foraying into Faire Leather Co.’s male-centric products was an experience I took on with some amount of uncertainty. Even though I was apprehensive about whether I would be able to fully understand the expectations men would have of functional leather products, Ryan provided immense encouragement by meticulously explaining Faire’s design philosophy and day-to-day operations, giving me time to familiarise myself with the spectrum of Faire’s products and checking in with me at intervals on how I was coping.

How I joined Faire as an intern is something worth mentioning, I believe. I remember chancing upon their call for interns online — what turned out to be the cherry among the mass of advertisements. The tone of their advert really appealed to me, as I felt that this was a company that seemed to have an amiable work culture and a clear creative vision. I sent my application, unsure if I would receive a reply as I was not able to commit to an internship immediately as the advert stated. To my surprise, Ryan replied me soon after, telling me that we could have a chat close to May when my university semester ended. Most companies do not even make the effort to respond if applicants do not meet their requirements on the commitment period. So I thought, “This company is different”.

True enough, I have found that Faire is different from the saturated market of start-ups. Faire is supportive of everyone chipping in on ideas related to all aspects of the business, regardless of their background. As a brand development intern, I write for Faire’s blog, conceptualise blog content, research on market trends and write advertisement copies. This is my first time dabbling in copywriting, something I have always been keen to try out, and I hope I haven’t done too shabby a job (right, Ryan?) :)

Joseph and Ryan are also all ears whenever I have a product suggestion or design inspiration to share, despite me lacking any training in designing. Everyone gathers for product meetings, and my creativity is constantly sparked and stretched with the rigour of Faire’s engagement with its team. At the weekly Monday meetings, which focus on topics relating to Faire’s branding and marketing, I have the chance to present my findings on market trends and marketing toolkits. The opportunity to present to a group of people outside of my university course is one I did not get during my prior internship, so I greatly appreciate and value it as another step towards being ready for the working world.

At the point of writing, I am exploring how to push myself further; to venture into terrains that will enable me to further my self-development and discover a more dynamic, resilient version of myself. And I know that Faire will be here to catch me if I fall.

Cheers,
Eunice