Rome (in-person / hybrid) · Unpaid Internship · Reports to Kosar Najafi, Head of AIFW Rome
This is an unpaid internship tied to the AIFW Rome flagship show at Satyrus on September 18, 2026. It is structured to fit Italian curricular or extra-curricular internship frameworks; university credit and tirocinio agreements are welcome, and we will sign the paperwork your program requires. You get named credit on the show, a reference letter from the Head of AIFW Rome, and first look at paid roles after Rome.
About AI Fashion Week
AI Fashion Week (aifashionweek.ai) is a social commerce platform where AI-native fashion meets real runways. Designers and models build portfolios, drop collections, and go live; shoppers discover and buy through livestreams, reels, and Jini — our AI shopping stylist. We're a small hands-on team backed by NVIDIA Inception and AWS Activate, headquartered in Palo Alto with our flagship live event in Rome this September.
The Role
Recruit and onboard independent designers and ateliers for the AIFW Rome runway on September 18, 2026 and for the AIFW platform. You work from our 135-brand designer database, organized by Rome neighborhood, and report to Kosar Najafi, Head of AIFW Rome. Every atelier you bring on walks a real runway and opens a real storefront.
What You'll Do
·Research and shortlist ateliers by neighborhood (Monti, Trastevere, Prati, Centro Storico, Testaccio and beyond)
·Run first-touch outreach by Instagram DM, email, and in-person visits
·Pitch AIFW: a live-shopping runway show plus a platform storefront
·Book studio visits for the Head of AIFW Rome
·Walk designers through /apply/designer (instant storefront, Instagram and website only) and get their first products uploaded
·Secure run-of-show commitments for September 18
·Track the pipeline in the shared sheet/CRM
·Collect brand assets (logo, lookbook, sizes, pricing) to our content standard
·Escalate contract and legal questions to the Rome and founding team
What We're Looking For
·Italian native or fluent, with working English
·Based in Rome through September 20
·Fashion school student or recent graduate (IED, Accademia di Costume e Moda, Polimoda, NABA, Sapienza or comparable), or equivalent experience
·Comfortable with cold outreach and walking into ateliers
·Organized: you keep a pipeline honest and current
·Instagram-native
Nice to Have
·Existing relationships with independent Roman designers; retail or showroom experience; basic product photography
What You Get
·Named credit on the September 18 show
·Letter of reference from the Head of AIFW Rome
·First look at paid roles after Rome
·Platform access and a portfolio-worthy launch
Details
·Rome, in-person with some remote
·About 15 to 20 hours per week, August 25 to September 20
·Unpaid internship (see the Rome internship note above)
·Start as soon as possible
How We Work
Small team, high ownership, ship-daily culture. Everything we build is verified before it's called done. You'll work directly with the founder. Remote-friendly; Palo Alto optional.
How to Apply
Email us with your name, LinkedIn, and resume attached — the button below prefills the subject for you.