Plum Sykes' Use of Unpaid Interns Reignites Debate on Creative Industry Practices
Plum Sykes, a prominent fashion editor at Vogue and a former assistant to Anna Wintour, has sparked controversy by employing unpaid student interns to assist with her Substack blog. Sykes, who is often cited as an inspiration for a character in The Devil Wears Prada, runs a successful Substack with over 20,000 followers, some paying £65 for her content. However, her reliance on unpaid labor has drawn sharp criticism from industry figures and advocates for fair employment practices.
Interns Provide Free Labor for High-Profile Blog
Sykes, who resides in the Cotswolds, utilizes students for various tasks without compensation. These interns help with sourcing photographers in Paris, managing analytics, running social media accounts, generating story ideas, and editing content to match Sykes' distinctive tone. In one instance, an intern reportedly gifted Sykes Hermès gloves valued between £500 and £1,000, highlighting the imbalanced dynamic.
Pandora Sykes, a former magazine editor with no relation to Plum, commented on the issue, stating, "I remember the days of working for expenses only. There is no place – NONE – in 2026 for not paying your contributors, in whatever capacity they contribute." This sentiment echoes broader concerns about exploitation in creative fields.
Legal and Ethical Concerns Surround Unpaid Internships
Employment law in the UK stipulates that unpaid internships are only permissible if the work is part of a mandated course requirement, for a charity, or involves shadowing without performing productive tasks. Sykes claims her interns fall into this category, describing their roles as casual and voluntary, with no set hours. However, critics argue that if interns are engaged in productive work, they are entitled to the national minimum wage.
Carl Cullinane, director of research and policy at the Sutton Trust, emphasized, "Internships are an increasingly critical route into the best jobs, and it's shocking that in this day and age, many employers still pay interns below the minimum wage, or worse, nothing at all." Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, added that unpaid opportunities disproportionately disadvantage young people from working-class backgrounds.
Historical Context and Industry Precedents
Sykes comes from a notable background; her great-grandfather, Mark Sykes, co-drafted the Sykes-Picot agreement, and she is married to multimillionaire Toby Rowland. Despite this, she acknowledges not paying her interns currently but expresses hope for change. Her employer, Condé Nast, previously settled a class-action lawsuit for $5.8 million over underpaid interns, some earning as little as a dollar an hour.
Sophie Sajnani, a university consulting firm director, noted, "These laws exist for a reason: so that workers know what they're worth, can negotiate fairly, and are protected from discrimination. Condé Nast shut down its internship programme when forced to confront the cost of unpaid labour. A decade later, that same model is reappearing – not inside institutions, but through individuals with just enough power to replicate it."
Sykes' Defense and Market Realities
In response to criticism, Sykes defended her practices, stating, "These are work experience people doing a couple of hours of supplementary work experience, shadowing me on fashion appointments, for example. This allows them to gain experience, credits for their courses and help them with their future careers." She highlighted the tough media job market, noting that she received numerous applications from graduates seeking unpaid roles but only accepted current students eligible for academic credits.
Sykes lamented the lack of formal internships at Condé Nast due to bureaucratic policies, writing in a post, "Officially there are no internships at Condé Nast. Interns are not allowed any more. Something to do with HR or Health and Safety or some such bureaucracy." This situation underscores ongoing tensions between traditional media structures and evolving digital platforms like Substack.
The debate over Plum Sykes' unpaid interns reflects broader issues of equity and legality in creative industries, prompting calls for legislative clarity and ethical reforms to protect young workers.
