Ex-Vogue Editor's Blogger Draws Ire Over Unpaid Internships

Plum Sykes, a former personal assistant to Vogue editor Anna Wintour, is facing criticism for her use of unpaid student interns at her lifestyle blog. Sykes, who is said to have inspired a character in the novel-turned-movie The Devil Wears Prada, has reignited the long-standing debate over the exploitation of labor in the creative industries.

Despite her own experience with the arduous and often unglamorous life of a fashion industry intern, Sykes has been accused of perpetuating the same practices at her own blog. The use of unpaid interns, a common practice in the media and creative sectors, has drawn ire from labor advocates who argue that it takes advantage of young workers and deprives them of fair compensation.