Intern Carter Crayne takes on the Summer in LA

In the lane of apparel production, I find my work divided almost equally into two parts. Roughly 50% of my daily responsibilities revolve around visiting various vendors like sewing houses, dye houses, and finishing houses in southern Los Angeles (Vernon, Compton, etc.).  The remaining 50% is spent in the office, where my education becomes instrumental in preparing me for success in this industry. During the initial phase of the summer, I accompanied my managers on visits to various vendors. They took the time to mentor me on communicating confidently with the seamstresses and ensuring that the products met the highest quality standards. As time passed, they trusted me to handle these vendor visits independently. I must admit, in the beginning, it felt a bit intimidating. However, as weeks went by, my confidence grew, and I became more at ease driving around the area to different vendors, even though my car was/is often filled to the brim with bags of garments (admittedly, not the safest thing to do).