Hasta luego Starbucks

The thing that has surprised me most about work is the attitude in the office. Although I have heard that Spaniards are generally much more laid-back about work than Americans, describing the work environment as such does not give it justice. It is true that my co-workers have a much more relaxed work style, yet they are still productive and diligent in getting things done. Desigual truly does combine fun and profit, true to its office motto.

Our office, Carrer del Bruc 49 (Desigual headquarters)

The three of us Intrax interns work in a division of HR called Point of Sale. Althought it was not the area in which I would have originally chosen to work, I now understand why we were placed here, as our bosses handle hiring and performance evaluations for all Desigual stores all over the world. As Americans, we bring value to the company because Desigual has recently been expanding into the American market, opening stores in Las Vegas, Miami, and New York, with plans to soon open in San Francisco. We each have been assigned individual projects, which is good because it gives us plenty to do each day. My project involves determining the ideal staffing composition for Desigual stores based on the type of store, determined by size as well as annual budget. It is perfect for me because it incorporates my analytical skills and inherent strength with numbers as a finance major.

One of the UK Desigual storefronts

So far, it has been interesting for me to gain firsthand exposure to the retail industry. Although I work more on the business side, I am still surrounded by the creativity of the fashion world, which is pretty cool. Our first day, our boss gave us a tour of the entire office, so we got to see downstairs where the clothes are actually made. Everyone was running around with patterns and cutouts, sitting around sewing machines, just like an episode of Project Runway. She also showed us the "button box" - out of the millions of buttons Desigual uses on the various clothes, no two are the same.

Desigual clothing is a little out there, unlike anything I own personally, but it has grown on me. I definitely appreciate the creativity and the company attitude. Desigual marketing and advertising campaigns are truly remarkable. For example, one of the stores in Barcelona, as well as one in Madrid, has an annual "Semi-naked" sale. The first 100 customers who show up wearing only underwear leave with a free outfit of their choice. While the company has been criticized for being too scandalous at times, no one can argue that their willingness to take extreme and totally unique measures is not effective in obtaining attention from the media as well as from the public.

Scene from the Paris "Kisstour" party in June 2010

These "trixis" can be seen driving passengers all over Barcelona.

One of my favorite things about work is the Cantina. This is the cafeteria for employees. Everyone else has to pay, but they treat us interns to lunch every day. This is where Kristen, Kindall, and our other intern friend, Nahied, and I have lunch every day. The food is way better than your standard American cafeteria, too. I'm also a huge fan of the coffee machine at work. It is pretty essential for waking up so early every morning. Coffee here is way better than at home....I haven't even been to a Starbucks since I've been here because the coffee shops are amazing.

The cantina