Born to be fabulous.

Byline: Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Staff Reporter

Fashion internships are rarely fabulous - just think of the painful experiences endured by the stars of Gossip Girl and The Devil Wears Prada. Just remember poor little Jenny Humphrey - the Gossip Girl character who nearly has a meltdown working under a tyrannical fashion designer - and it's clear that an intern's life can be quite harrowing.

Even in less dramatic scenarios an intern's first few weeks are mostly about fetching endless cups of coffee for the boss and picking up their laundry. But 23-year-old fashion graduate Naznin Akter is an exception.

The winner of Maybelline NY's Born To Be: Fashion Forward competition - a talent hunt for local designers - is privileged in every sense. Akter's first working day with her boss - the quirky Dubai-based designer Buffi Jashanmal - did not begin with a sprint to the nearest coffee joint. Instead, she was welcomed into her boss's quaint studio in Jumeirah Lake Towers and was given an update on the patterns in progress. In addition to a three-month internship with the Quiet-riot designer, Akter will accompany Jashanmal to New York Fashion Week in September.

"Nazin is way better than our average coffee-fetching intern. And for the record - I fetch my own coffee," Jashanmal says, glancing down at her over-sized mug.

"She has a good sense about construction, sewing and can read patterns really well. I think of us as a team and not [of me] as her boss."

Jashanmal's recent experiences with temporary assistants seem to have worked in Akter's favour, too. "The other day, my friend came over to help me out. But it didn't work out as I had imagined. She was talking a lot and we didn't get much work done. Finally, I had to remind her that this was 'work-Buffi' and that we were not in a bar catching up."

Akter needed no such reminders. The fashion graduate from Preston University Ajman is determined to make the most of her internship. "I think of this as a turning point in my life. I am getting to learn so much from Buffi. She is so good and so kind. She made me feel at ease from the very first day," Akter gushes.

The Bangladesh-born, Dubai-bred designer heard about the Maybelline talent hunt contest when she was wrapping up her course in fashion design. One application and one bubble dress (in the theme "Uptown meets downtown") later, and Akter was among the top five finalists.

"Sometimes I feel all this is too good to be true. I have never been to New York and the thought that I will be backstage and helping out with the models' co-ordination is unbelievable. There is so much to learn in 12 weeks," says Akter. Loose ends

In the run-up to New York Fashion Week, Akter will be shadowing Jashanmal and tying up all the loose ends. Nearly a month into the internship, Akter is now hunting for fabrics in the local market.

"The best thing I like about Naznin is that she doesn't pussyfoot around me. She gives her opinion freely and that has convinced me that I can rely on her to choose right. I have even given her the freedom to choose some of the fabrics. She has earned that on her own," says Jashanmal, who is working towards making her first-ever lap around New York Fashion Week a runaway success. Her collection, Portobello Princess, pays homage to rocker chic girls.

"We are in this together and I think we are learning a lot from each other as we go," says Jashanmal. Did you know?

There was an element of luck involved in Naznin Akter winning the Maybelline Born To Be: Fashion Forward competition. Akter replaced the original winner Aleyna Amil. Amil opted out as she could not devote three months to the internship programme. Beauty essentials

Buffi Jashanmal and NazninAaAkter dish out on their latest must-have beauty product:

Maybelline NY's Volume XL Seduction Lip Plumper: "I just can't have enough of it. Not only does it plump up my pout and make me feel like a 'pouty Megan Fox', but the tingling sensation is so much fun that I keep applying and re-applying all the time," says Jashanmal.

Maybelline NY's Volum' Express Colossal mascara: "Since I discovered Maybelline NY's Volum' Express Colossal, I am addicted to its tremendous volume and zero clumps effect," says Akter.

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