Along with working under “Say Yes to the Dress” stars Randy Fenoli and Dorothy Silver, Spedaliere was on site when a media crew from People magazine came to document “Summer House” reality television star Lindsay Hubbard on her journey to find the perfect dress.
“She came to her appointment with the intention of buying three dresses,” Spedaliere said. “We were tasked with a very hard challenge to find this bride three unique dresses at a high price point while people were recording us and asking us questions.”
This internship opened Spedaliere’s eyes to a new career path. Before the summer, he was considering a future in fashion design, but Kleinfeld gave him a different perspective.
“It locked me into the idea that bridal could be a good future for me,” Spedaliere said. “It was a glimpse of what could happen.”
The growth Dylan had throughout the internship didn’t go unnoticed by the staff at Kleinfeld bridal.
“I saw Dylan completely transform in the months he was here,” said Brandi Hill, who oversees the Kleinfeld internship program. “The brides, consultants, and managers loved him. He was such a gem, and we love to be around him.”
Spedaliere credited not only the fashion merchandising and design program, but Virginia Tech in instilling such a dedicated mindset in him before and during his internship experience.
“Being a Hokie made me stand out because while the students from other schools were great, nobody works as hard as students from Virginia Tech,” Spedaliere said. “The work ethic is what made me stand out.”
Spedaliere plans to return to Kleinfeld this winter to work at the store.
“I would love to have all of the Virginia Tech students after working with Dylan,” Hill said. “We look for people who just have a passion for clothing, textiles, and people.”
Written by Gabby Brown