One-third of Kering’s Empower Talents interns have won full-time positions

French luxury conglomerate Kering Group has renewed its partnership with Condé Nast-owned Vogue Italia to prolong its Empower Talents internship program.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Empower Talents program offers internship opportunities within Kering and its stable of luxury houses. For 2016, nine brands under the Kering umbrella have signed on as participants to support the talented interns that apply for the Empower Talents program.

Talent search
Kering and Vogue Italia will field and sort through applications to identify the best profiles in a highly selective process. As of Sept. 21, a hub for the internship postings is housed on Vogue Italia and Kering’s Web sites.

Applications will be accepted until Nov. 30 with candidates needing to submit an English-language resume and cover letter.

“The very fact that Empower Talents has reached its fourth edition testifies to the success of the project,” said Franca Sozzani, editor in chief of Vogue Italia, in a statement. “Thanks to its winning formula, young talents with widely different educational backgrounds can benefit from invaluable first-hand experiences on the ground through tailored internships at some of the most prestigious firms in the fashion world, firms which offer an international and greatly differentiated spectrum of working realities.”

The selected interns will have first-hand access to the creative and production processes of the house they are assigned.

Gucci, cruise 2017

Brands taking part in 2016 Empower Talents as intern incubators include Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Dodo, Gucci, Pomellato, Saint Laurent and Kering’s eyewear division.

While working with these brands, Empower Talents interns will be exposed to the design, product, development, merchandising, sustainability, digital, trade marketing and communication strategies undertaken.

The Empower Talents program has been very successful for Kering, with a third of the interns over the last three editions being offered full-time positions at the host brand or another house within the Group (see story).

“Thus far the results of the Empower Talents project with Vogue Italia have met all of our expectations; not only have the candidates enhanced their luxury know-how with hands-on training, but the brands have also benefited by successfully recruiting some candidates following their internships,” said François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, in statement.

“Providing young talent with opportunities to be creative and imaginative is vital to their future and ours and goes hand in hand with our core values,” he said.