Few can claim to run a fashion empire like designer Max Azria, but even fewer are hired by one before they finish their undergraduate degree. Ryan Auld, textile, apparel, merchandising senior, was hired by a branch of Azria’s label, BCBGeneration, while completing an internship last summer in Los Angeles. BCBGeneration is a newer branch of the Max Azria label which began about four years ago and is targeted toward teen and college-aged consumers.”[My job at BCBGeneration] started out as an internship, but they found out I had a great background in graphics,” Auld said. “The [BCBGeneration] recruiter offered me a position on the spot.” Auld worked closely with Joyce Azria, Max Azria’s daughter, and the two collaborated on a T-shirt line for BCBGeneration. Auld designed about 70 T-shirts and said about 16 designs will debut in Dillard’s and Macy’s stores nationwide in November. The shirts will retail for $30 to $50.”[Joyce] would give me inspiration and just tell me to run with it,” Auld said. For Auld, an average day at BCBGeneration included sketching graphics for the shirts on the computer and by hand, working with pattern makers and creating “spec packages.” Auld gave the pattern makers the physical measurements for the T-shirt graphics and provided information about color and placement of the graphics.BCBGeneration sends college recruiters to campuses across the country to promote possible internship positions. A BCBGeneration recruiter will return to campus Sept. 29.BCBGeneration hired Auld full-time, but he decided to return to the University to complete his degree. “We have a relationship with their corporate office, so there is a broader range of internship positions [for textiles, apparel, merchandising students],” said Yvonne Marquette, supervising textiles, apparel, merchandising professor of summer internships. “[BCBGeneration] likes the type of students that LSU produces.”Five University students completed internships this summer with BCBG, Marquette said.”The contacts that students make in internships are very valuable and often lead to other opportunities,” Marquette said.————Contact Emily Slack at [email protected]