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Fashion PR: The Newest Trend

Posted At: March 26, 2012 2:45 PM
by Ashley D. McDaniel

Mentioning the names Cameo Public Relations, Alison Brod and KCD PR does not spark the same name recognition as Cosmopolitan Magazine, Chanel and Victoria Secret PINK would. Although fashion public relations firms work with brands such as these regularly, the actual brands hold the recognizable identity while the firms stay in the background.

Fashion public relations has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Many job descriptions indicate that fashion PR professionals will have a wide range of duties, including writing press releases, making media contacts and even styling. With many brands turning to fashion PR firms to assist them in brand development, these jobs are becoming some of the most sought after in the PR field.

Because of fashion PR’s busy lifestyle, a passion for this industry is a must. Many professionals were involved with fashion or a related field prior to becoming a PR professional, including Polina Raygorodskaya, founder of Polina Fashion LLC.

“I have always loved fashion and marketing. Prior to starting Polina Fashion, I worked as a fashion model in NYC and developed a lot of contacts and experience in fashion shows and how the business works,” Raygorodskaya said. “Then I went to school for business and got a deeper understanding of what is needed to develop a brand and how to make it appealing in the eyes of consumers.”

The demand for fashion-related PR jobs has increased with the help of social media. Many social media profiles are now being mandated by PR professionals on sites such as Twitter and even blogs. These intimate encounters with fashion PR professionals have put a spotlight on the industry. Also, daily tasks and assignments are open to the public, giving them real insight on the day-to-day duties of fashion PR.

With more than 5,200 likes on Facebook and 27,600 Twitter followers, PR Couture is one of the most popular websites to find more information on fashion PR jobs and opportunities. Crosby Noricks, the founder of PR Couture and author of Ready to Launch: The PR Couture Guide to Breaking into Fashion PR, discusses how social media is changing fashion PR.

“The fashion industry has evolved greatly in the last five years, particularly when it comes to embracing digital media,” Noricks said. “To me, the most exciting thing is looking at how digital tools have changed not only fashion week, but the way fashion brands engage with customers daily.”

Many fashion PR professionals have bright views on the state of fashion PR. Raygorodskaya noted the pleasant aspects of fashion PR.

“When we get positive reactions from editors, celebrities and consumers, we feel like we are really making an impact,” Raygorodskaya said. “It is amazing working with new companies and really seeing them grow and develop into strong brands.”

Melissa Davis of Ruby Press, a boutique PR agency in Berkely, Calif., also receives gratification for her work.

“The satisfaction of helping businesses that you believe in, grow. That’s what keeps me going,” Davis said.

She added, “Fashion PR is evolving very quickly — I’m curious to see what the future will bring.”

Fashion PR is a field that is rapidly growing and becoming a more favorable area for professionals to enter. From fashion shows to fashion magazines, this engaging industry atmosphere is bringing in an entire workforce filled with determination and drive. With millennials finally figuring out their niche market through social media, fashion PR is a high energy industry with few limits.

Opinions

  1. Post comment

    I definitely agree with Kayla on this one. PR is a fast-paced, exciting and relationship driven field to work in. I’d say the same about fashion. Everyone at some point or another has thought about hauling a suitcase up to NYC to see if they can make it at Vogue.

    That being said, I think that this article brings up some great parallels between the PR field and the word of fashion that may have been overlooked. For instance the constant changing of trends and methods of working. What’s “in” in fashion this season may not be next year, and the same can be said for communications strategies. A few years ago, Twitter didn’t even exist, not to mention a social media press release.

    I think fashion PR could be a fun, exciting way to merge these two fields that are actually much more similar than one might think at first glance. This was a great article that definitely made me think about looking into jobs in the field. Thanks!

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  2. Post comment

    The fashion industry is one that has always been considered glamorous and sought-after by many girls. I really enjoyed reading more about fashion PR specifically as it has always been one of my dreams to work in fashion. Many girls believe they can’t go into fashion because they’re not majoring in fashion retail or merchandising. However, it’s become commmon and even beneficial for students to major in something unrelated to fashion and still obtain a job in the industry. As this article illustrates, it’s the experience in the industry that’s important. My cousin majored in finance and she went on to work as the head retail buyer at Barney’s New York and Brown’s in London. This article shows how you can get involved with the fashion industry, even as a PR major.

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  3. Post comment

    I think, secretly, fashion PR has been everyone’s dream at one point or another. Anyone who has ever seen The Devil Wears Prada, that is.

    What an exciting opportunity it would be to work in a field that is so incredibly influential and that is literally necessary to life.

    If you think about it, those who work in both the fashion and PR fields have the same goal. Fashion helps people express their individual identity, and we do the exact same thing! Why not work together?

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    I am currently a junior majoring in public relations. While browsing through Platform Magazine’s many articles, this one really caught my eye. Although I like to think that I am familiar with the fashion industry, I had no idea that this was still a relatively new department to the PR field.

    A few months ago I accepted a summer internship at a boutique PR firm in New York City. This firm includes clients in the fashion industry. After reading this article, I am thrilled at the opportunity to expose myself to the PR world of fashion. I am excited to assist in creating brand image as well as experience the ever changing social media approaches that were touched on in this article.

    Popular TV programs, such as MTV’s The Hills or The City, followed around women who worked for well-known fashion PR firms. I am curious to see if the spike in the fashion PR industry, within the past couple of years, had anything to do with the success of those shows.

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  5. Post comment

    I found this article interesting because some people would say that the PR profession is a dying field. The company I will be interning for this summer placed me in a social media position because “social media has replaced public relations.”

    On the other hand, I have a friend majoring in fashion who will be interning in New York, N.Y., this summer. Ironically, the position she interviewed for in her industry was defined as fashion PR.

    It is a relief to see an industry that still values the PR field.

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  6. Post comment

    This is a great article, and I really enjoyed reading it.

    I’m a junior majoring in public relations, and I recently started a fashion internship with Rent the Runway, which is based in New York City. I’ve always been interested in fashion but haven’t had any experience with it in the PR field until now. I definitely agree that it is an evolving field with a strong emphasis on digital media. The main way we communicate with our key publics is through Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

    I’m also glad you included examples of fashion PR firms. I’ll definitely be looking them up on Google for more information.

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