Michael Powell II will intern at Disneyworld
Not many can say they’ve been behind the scenes at “The place where dreams come true,” but for local Michael Powell II, his dream to work at a Disney park has come true. The 18-year-old found out mere weeks ago that he got accepted into a Disney costuming design internship at Disneyworld, in Orlando, Florida.
Powell said that finding out he got into the prestigious program “was like when you put on a shoe and it fits you perfectly; it was those pair of shoes, except for a feeling.”
Even though the initial shock and jubilation has worn off, Powell radiates excitement when he talks about his upcoming adventure.
“Every time I go to a Disney park, I go straight to meeting every character, it’s what I’ve always done since I was five and it’s what I still do now. I’m really excited to make those costumes that I see that make me love the princesses and the characters and to be a part of that and go ‘I made that!’” Powell said.
As a costume design intern, Powell’s tasks will include transporting costumes from one end of the park to the other using underground secret passageways, mending, fixing, washing and creating costumes and helping characters into their costumes. Powell is participating in the “Spring Advantage” internship, which starts in early February and extends into fall 2015.
The paid internship is a part of the Disney College Program, which requires applicants to be enrolled in college to apply. Powell has been taking classes at the Santa Rosa Junior College since this summer. The costuming design program also requires each applicant to have a “Focus on a costume design or fashion design curriculum” and “Proven experience in the theater, film or fashion industry.” Luckily, Powell fits the stipulations. In middle school, he took classes in Windsor to learn how to sew, and he went to the Idyllwild Arts Boarding Academy in Southern California for his last two years of high school where he was a fashion design major.
Powell has been going to the Disney parks with his dad since he was a child. In fact, he heard about the internship while briefly living in Orlando. He had a season pass and would go to the park every day and talk to staff members, who made friends with him and ended up telling him about the internship.
“I really like Disney, I was raised with Disney. Growing up, and still now, a lot of our plates, cups, forks, spoons and knives had Disney on them and all of our Christmas ornaments are Disney characters. Disney is a big part of my life and so when I figured out I could intern and learn from them about sewing and costuming, it was perfect,” Powell said.
Powell’s adoration for fashion and passion for costuming and sewing is a huge part of who he is.
“Growing up I played with Barbies and made clothes for my dolls, and one day I looked up and realized people, well, women, were just giant Barbies who I could make clothes for and dress up,” Powell said. “When I’m sewing it’s kind of like the world melts away and it’s just me and the machine and thread, and it’s wonderful. It brings me peace and it’s when I feel most relaxed.”
Powell credits Barbie for getting him into fashion, and cites three main people as his fashion inspirations: Marie Antoinette, Effie Trinket from “The Hunger Games” film and Nicki Minaj. Charles Frederick Worth, Grace Kelly and Fran Drescher also inspire him, he said.
Upon the completion of his internship, Powell hopes to take classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, which he is currently in the midst of applying to.
“Something in fashion is in his future. He’s already done four fashion shows in high school, taken fashion classes at the JC, he’s got this internship and he’s applying to FIT for the fall. This [internship] is the first step,” Michael’s dad, Michael Powell Sr., said.
