KyCAD rising senior Rebekah Calhoun had an amazing opportunity to intern this summer with CHRISHABANA, a jewelry and apparel designer based in New York. Bekah was introduced to this experience through KyCAD Fashion Pathway Facilitator Vincent Tiley. During her internship, she lived in a dorm in the Financial District with two roommates. Her schedule consisted of 28 hours a week over four days, giving her a three-day weekend to explore the city. We spoke with Bekah about her internship, and here’s what she shared.

How many interns participated?

The number of interns fluctuated over my time there, but every day there were at least two to three interns in the studio. 

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What tasks/jobs were you assigned while working in the studio?

Most days I had to run errands for the company, usually picking up/dropping off orders or shopping for material. When I wasn't running errands, I was often working on jewelry pieces for the general orders or assisting on custom commission projects. 

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What was the studio culture like?

The culture in the studio was very lively, always music playing and makers at work. It was a new experience for me to be surrounded by creatives in a professional environment, but it was very inviting and easy to feel like I had a place in it.

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What was the culture in New York like?

The culture of New York is something I don’t think I can even properly describe. There is so much life and energy happening all around all the time. I could be getting pizza at 3:00 am and the streets would look as if it was 7:00 in the afternoon. They really mean it when they say, “the city never sleeps.” I was completely infatuated with the people of New York; I could never get bored people watching in a place like that. It truly is a melting pot, full of different cultures living amongst each other. 

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How did you spend your free time?

I spent most of my free time at local old churches and parks. Being from a small country town, I have a big heart for nature, so I always tried to spend some time in the grass and under trees, often reading, writing, drawing, or just observing all the passing faces. In the Financial District, there are two gorgeous old churches not far from my dorm. Trinity church, built 1839, and St. Paul Chapel, built 1766, each had beautiful graveyards that date back as early as the 1600s. Both churches provided refuge from the chaos of the city and were lovely spaces to relax and enjoy their beauty. 

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What was something new you learned that you didn't know before?

This question is oddly hard to answer. I feel as if I learned so much in my experience with Chris, that I don’t even know where to start. Although I was able to greatly strengthen my artistic practice and learn new creative skills, I think what stands out to me most is what I learned about myself as a person. I’ve always struggled with confidence and have feared facing life alone. But when I was thrown into the middle of Manhattan, alone for two months, a new found sense of self began to shine. I found myself taking on adventures that would’ve given me anxiety to even think about doing in the past. Entranced by New York and its people, I was never home except to sleep. I had nothing but a desire to be a part of the city and put myself into the world. Living in the city, exploring, observing, reflecting, and absorbing, I learned that I have what it takes to live the life I want to live. Before leaving for New York, I had felt beaten by the repercussions of life, draining a lot of myself worth and optimism. New York City reminded me of the abundant and chaotic beauty of life, inexhaustibly providing depth, purpose, and love in billions of unspoken ways. 

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How did KyCAD prepare you for this opportunity? 

I would not have this opportunity without KyCAD. I truly am eternally grateful to my family here for providing this experience. I also am eternally thankful for Vincent Tiley, who taught me how to use an industrial sewing machine, which was a vital skill for this internship. Without the guidance of Vincent in both my creative and professional endeavors, I would not be where I am today. I always knew I loved fashion and textiles, but Vincent’s talent, knowledge, and passion for teaching pushed me in the direction of creating the artworks that landed me this job. Saying KyCAD prepared me for this is an understatement. 

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What was your favorite project?

I have a couple projects that were my favorite to work on. The first being our 2024 CHRISHABANA PRIDE collection. This project was in the works when I arrived, so the first piece I created was for this drop. I designed a silver link chain choker necklace with steel safety pins and real human teeth. The piece ended up being the first sold when we were vending at LadyLand, a Pride Festival in Brooklyn. My second favorite would be any project we worked on for Doja Cat. CHRISHABANA has worked in collaboration with Doja for years and I was lucky enough to work on a couple custom outfits for her. I love Doja Cat's music and think she is a phenomenal performer, so it was so surreal knowing I was making clothes for her that she would eventually wear on stage. I also packaged an order for Rihanna once, which was so cool to know the headpiece I was putting in a box would be on Rihanna’s head soon. 

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Ultimately, what will you take away from this experience? 

I ultimately took away a deeper understanding of the beauty of human creativity and connection. Each day I passed a hundred different faces and a hundred different scenes, yet I couldn’t help but see the beauty in every one. Walking to work, riding the train, eating lunch with strangers, or hand stitching leather brought my attention to the beautiful details shrouded within the mundane moments of everyday life. 

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Is there anything else you would like to share about this experience? 

The last thing I will say about my experience is to use it as proof that hard work pays off. As an artist it is so easy to feel consumed by your practice and get lost in a hopeless sea of “will this ever pay off” or “does what I’m doing even matter?”— a thought process I have been all too familiar with. But believing in yourself is the first step to reaching your goals. Passion and love for not only your practice but for yourself will set you on a path of abundant growth and experience only achieved through believing you have what it takes to do what you love. 

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