The closest most people will get to fashion designers like Michael Kors, Alexander Wang and Jason Wu is watching them on a television screen.But two local fashionistas attending the Teen Vogue Magazine's Annual Fashion University Programme in New York will have unprecedented access to the couture stars.Yanni DelValle and Juliana Gibbons worked tirelessly throughout the summer as Style Bermuda interns.Their hard work has awarded them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak with some of the fashion industry's best and brightest, including designers, photographers, editors and bloggers.Starting tomorrow they will take part in an intensive, educational weekend geared to give young men and women a boost in their pursuit of careers in the fashion industry.They are among 500 individuals selected to take part in the coveted programme, which ends on Monday.Melissa Fox, the editorial director of Style Bermuda, said the two girls were chosen because of their dedication and eagerness to learn about all aspects of the industry.“Both young ladies always put 110 percent into every assignment, they honoured their commitments and respected deadlines, they worked well with the entire team, and were truly dedicated to Style Bermuda.”She said both girls have continued to work for Stylebermuda.com since returning to university.Yanni and Juliana will spend the next few days taking part in workshops and hearing from guest speakers including Michael Kors, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, Peter Som, Eddie Borgo and Tamara Mellon of Jimmy Choo.Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Amy Astley and members of the magazine's fashion department, including Style Bermuda creator Shiona Turini, will also attend the event.Ms Turini has worked to promote fashion as an art form in Bermuda for the past four years. She said it was challenging growing up with aspirations to pursue a career in the fashion industry and felt “isolated and discouraged” as she worked to explore that path.“I was constantly overlooked for scholarships and grants which were then awarded to students interested in accounting and insurance.“Now that I am in a position to encourage the youth of Bermuda, help educate them, and give them much needed exposure, I am more than willing to do so.“Dedicating my time, energy and resources to help develop their talents is a way for me to invest in Bermuda's future."She believes this experience will also help put the young girls at a competitive advantage in the global fashion industry.“We are thrilled that they will take part in such an exciting programme and are one step closer to achieving their fashion goals.”She said the opportunity would not have been possible without help from local sponsors Digicel and the Tess Group, which owns Cecile, Boutique CC and Lusso.Fashion director of the Tess Group, Julia Currelly, said the company was happy to support an initiative that helps young people gain international exposure.“In a small community it is necessary, in order to remain progressive and visionary, to bring experience back to be shared and developed within the local experience.“We believe that well educated Bermudians are the best answer to the success of Bermuda's future.”A Digicel Bermuda representative added that the organisation was “strongly committed” to supporting passionate young people who were not afraid to work hard to accomplish their goals.“We hope that other young people will become inspired and motivated to not give up on their dreams and equally that more organisations like Style Bermuda will create these kinds of opportunities.”

Juliana's story

Teen Vogue weekend a perfect fit for Juliana

Juliana Gibbons has always been in love with fashion.She's the type of girl to wear fabulous five-inch Louboutin heels, despite getting blisters on her pained feet. Because of this passion she jumped at the chance to become a Style Bermuda intern and learn more about the local fashion industry. She spent her summer running around to collect last-minute items for photo shoots, pinning models into their outfits and producing entire online features herself and did it all with a smile. The 19-year-old was elated to learn her hard work as a summer intern had awarded her the opportunity to attend Teen Vogue's Fashion University.It's an intense, educational weekend in New York City that gives her access to some of the fashion industry's biggest talents, including designers, photographers, editors and bloggers.“It's an absolutely incredible experience, to get the opportunity to learn directly from some of the most influential and talented people from every corner of the fashion industry is definitely an opportunity that doesn't come along everyday.“I'd be crazy not to [want to go].”She is currently a student at Parsons, the New School for Design and is eager to interact and learn from others who successfully made a life out of fashion.Julianna said: “The benefits to learning from people who have established themselves as vital to fashion on a global scale are endless.”The teenager hopes the opportunity will help catapult her into her future career and said she is looking forward to learning about “many different aspects of the industry”.

Yanni's story

[naviga:h2]A peek at fashion's frontlinesYanni DelValle was “really into sports” and “kind of a tomboy growing up”, but watching her mom and sister's love of fashion started to rub off on her.“Now I can't go without buying my magazines every single month. Fashion definitely is addictive,” she said.The 20-year-old decided to follow in her sister Chan's footsteps and applied for the Style Bermuda internship after her first year of university. She has now been working with the online fashion magazine for nearly 18 months.The website's creator Shiona Turini contacted her about the Teen Vogue Fashion University and encouraged her to take part.“I was completely anxious about applying because thousands of applicants apply and only 500 get in, but we definitely beat the odds.“These workshops and seminars are a chance to learn about the fashion industry from people who are successful within it. It's a unique opportunity for us to not only learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry, but to be surrounded by people who are just as motivated as you are.”She said it also gives her the chance to meet different people and learn new things to help further her career aspirations. It is an experience “that I would never want to give up”, she said.Yanni is becoming the talk of the town as more people learn of her accomplishment. She said her parents are “very proud” and have supported her 100 percent. “My friends are really excited for me [too]; they get to live vicariously through me,” she said. She is currently studying women's studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She said she is looking forward to gaining a new perspective of the fashion industry and how to stand out within it.“In university, I don't get to actually study fashion within my degree so this is allowing me to gain knowledge from the people who live this every single day.“Also, I just hope to have a good, fun weekend, meeting new people and enjoying the atmosphere of New York.”She will be in the United States from tomorrow through Monday, meeting and learning from big names in the industry like Michael Kors and Alexander Wang. “This is an amazing opportunity that not many people get to experience, so I plan to take full advantage of this incredible opportunity that has been offered to me.”