Ayite Kester Messan-Hilla ’21

The Impression, Williamstown, MA

I was fortunate to be able to spend most of the summer both at home in Boston (albeit stressful) in preparation of a Study Abroad experience in Italy and in Williamstown writing for The Impression, a biannual fashion magazine founded in 2015 by creative professionals Kenneth and Kathleen Richard, because of the generosity of the Class of 1966 and the Alumni Sponsored Internship Program.

When I first met Kenneth and Kathleen none of us really knew what the internship process would be like. I originally had my eye set on an internship experience in New York City, but with soon leaving for Italy I knew I would probably end up feeling overworked and uncomfortable. I expressed my concerns to career advisor Kristen McCormack in the ’68 Center and she handed me a copy of The Impression—in my time of need, Kenneth Richard’s family and business were moving to the Berkshires and a week later, my summer was set.

I was both anxious and excited to spend my summer in the Berkshires. I met Ken and Kathleen at Tunnel City Coffee. I remember Ken wearing cargo pants and how I kept spilling my iced tea on myself. They complimented my green turtleneck. They asked me about my favorite movie, and I didn’t have one. I showed them my art. Their energy toward Williams and the community was really refreshing. I’ve become somewhat of a pessimist since being in school, and their optimism felt like a beautiful challenge. I could already sense that my summer would be a learning experience.

Although I welcome growth and change, the processes through which they happen can feel sometimes weirdly overwhelming for me. Over Winter Study, I spent the month in New York City, and despite how exciting of an opportunity, I felt lost and became somewhat dysfunctional. Experiencing a new location, a new community, and even a new workplace can be unsettling experiences. I didn’t expect this summer to be a time where I’d be contemplating emotional and mental growth in the way that I did.

During my first week, I was working alone. The office space wasn’t set up yet, so I worked out of the Richard’s apartment—with their two beautiful dogs. Ken would show me how the website was run, how the emails were sent, and how the assets were created. I wrote my first piece on a Marc Jacobs campaign. I sat, I wrote, and I listened. When my co-worker Lauren joined, we did even more sitting, writing, and listening.

The Louis Vuitton Men’s Paris Fashion Week invitation was in the form of a kite. Unfortunately, it was not a windy day.

The following week, Ken left for Men’s Paris Fashion Week. Lauren and I were responsible for managing everything while he was gone. We created the email assets, and scheduled it to go out every night. We updated the site as images from the men’s shows came in. I loved completing this task, especially from the comfort of my own bed. Lauren and I were on our own, with all of the responsibility. We knew that the work had to get done by 12:45 a.m. each morning (when the emails go out), but how and when during the day it got done was completely up to us. Being responsible for Ken’s business was a lot of pressure, but I had faith in myself and in Lauren. When Ken returned, we spent seven straight weeks writing like crazy, most of which were campaign reviews or news for luxury high fashion brands.

Each day, I’d write about the fashion world. I wrote 61 pieces in total about Karl Lagerfeld tributes and Dsquared2 underwear campaigns and about Instagram policies and Victoria’s Secret revelations. I’ve loved analyzing concepts from Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton, Moschino, Fendi Pop Up’s, Balmain, and so much more. The work I was doing was infinite. Ken and Kathleen would share stories about their time in the industry living in New York, when Ken was a designer himself. I would read The Impression’s interviews of top creatives in the industry, trying to find some sort of pathway for myself. It’s astounding to have had access to such a network.

Through Ken and Kathleen’s career and academic experiences and advice, I can feel my frameworks of thinking changing. Specifically, I recall conversations with the two of them about the importance of community building and the so called “tribe.” At the end of my sophomore year, I was feeling frustrated that I didn’t have many like-minded thinkers at school. I was at a stage where I only believed in questions. I believed in the question as the answer, and not all Williams students can appreciate a lack of resolution. I guess we’ll see where my community reveal themselves in the years to come, but I am proud that Ken and Kathleen have joined the Williams community.

I thank Kathleen for being as warm and welcoming as she was. It’s important to feel comfortable around the people you work with and for. She made me feel safe and at ease. One of my favorite memories of the summer was driving down Route 2 with Kathleen, on our way to purchase plants for the office. I told her about my own personal garden behind my dorm, and she made sure to buy some soil for me as well.

I thank Ken for challenging me. Although I’ve had to navigate dynamics with supervisors in the past, I’ve certainly learned the most from him. It seems as though his mind, body, and work exist as one. His passion is contagious and made me feel invested in the work and in his family. Along with two dogs, the Richard’s also have two daughters who helped to fill our office with love and music.

Me and Lauren hard at work.

With so much on my mind about the months to come, I wrote Ken and Kathleen a ‘Thank You.’ They’ve been incredibly supportive about what’s to come of my abroad experiences in Perugia and Milan. They’ve given me a boatload of advice and recommendations. At this point, I can say that I trust them. I trusted them with my summer. I trusted them to create a positive work environment where I could explore career options while honing in on skills. I trust them to flourish at Williams, and to give other students the same, if not better, experiences that they gave to me and Lauren. Most importantly, I have learned to trust myself.