Here’s What It Really Takes To Make It In Fashion PR
We got the scoop on how to never have a boring work week again. ShoeDazzle’s own Brianna quite literally puts her foot into her job, and is living proof that PR dreams really do come true! Read why internships are so valuable (p.s. they’re hiring), and how a Monday morning to-do list can change your life in this inside look into the electrifying world of public relations :
Tell us a little bit about yourself! What sparked your interest in fashion?
Hi! I'm Brianna, LA born and LA based. I am currently the Public Relations Associate for JustFab and ShoeDazzle, the fast fashion brands here at TechStyle Fashion Group.
Growing up I've always wanted to pursue a career in Public Relations, but it wasn't until college that I realized I wanted to get into the fashion/beauty industry. So I picked up a fashion merchandising minor, where I learned the ins and outs of all things in the merchandising world, which eventually became useful later on in my career.
During my time in college I interned at several beauty and fashion brands, which made me fall more in love with the industry.
When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career doing PR?
I'm such a unique case. I've always been such a planner. I like to know what I'm doing 5 minutes from now. and 5 years from now. So it was only natural that I wanted to pursue a career in PR at a very young age, I think I was 10 or 11? This was mostly because of my aunt, who is a BOSS LADY in the PR world! Growing up I remember seeing her travel to all these amazing places, throwing cool events, and spearheading all these crazy campaigns and I instantly was like "I WANT TO BE YOU WHEN I GROW UP!"
We know no two days are the same, but walk us through a typical week for you.
A typical week in the PR world can vary vastly, so I make a "to-do list" every Monday morning, for all the things I have to do throughout the week to keep things organized and in one place. One week I can be managing and maintaining our talent deals, and another week I can be planning an event, booking car services and couriers, and then sometimes I'm doing both at the same time. In the PR industry things can easily go from 0-1,000 real quick. But I think that's what makes me love it, every day is different so I'm never bored.
What’s one thing that would surprise us about your job?
I think one thing that would surprise everyone about my job is that it's not so glamorous as it seems. Working in fashion PR, it's inevitable that you will work Coachella weekend 1 every year until the day you die. My first year working it, all my friends were so jealous and thought I was going to spend the weekend frolicking in the desert with all these celebs. When in reality I was scouring all of the Michael's in Coachella valley buying all the fake pink flowers for an event we planned/executed in less than 24 hours.
What's your favorite part about doing PR? What's your least favorite?
There are so many "parts" of the job, working in PR.My favorite part of PR is talent management aspect of my job. Working at JustFab and ShoeDazzle I have had the privilege of working on several different celebrity endorsement campaigns and I love it! Getting to oversee various talent deals from beginning to end is a very important side of PR. The least favorite part of my job would have to be the sample coordination. JustFab and ShoeDazzle are fast fashion companies, meaning we get new collections monthly, so over 200 shoes, 50 bags, and 100 apparel items for each brand..aka I am constantly swimming in samples. But this part of my job is useful, because since I live and breathe the product I can spot our product from a mile away which makes my life so much easier in so many ways.
What advice would you give to fashionistas interested in a PR career?
For anyone looking to pursue a career in PR I would recommend a couple things. First, INTERNSHIPS!! Internships in my opinion, are so important in any industry but especially in PR. It gives you the opportunity to learn all the basics of PR: sample management/trafficking, press clippings, and writing skills. We're constantly looking for Interns at JustFab and ShoeDazzle. So if you're LA based, please apply! Second, organization. It's super important to be organized, both in life and in the PR world for so many reasons. I am a huge fan of Bando planners, helps keep me organized and a great place to write your "to-do lists". At times I am working on 4 different projects at once so being organized and on top of everything is extremely helpful and can relieve a lot of stress later on.
Lastly and most importantly, don't think any task is too big or too small for you. Be willing to do anything and everything! This will help you in the long run, trust me. I mean if you don't help stuff the gift bags for an event, what will all the guests take home?!