A career in Fashion PR is one of the most popular within the fashion industry. But what does really mean to work in fashion PR and how can you get your foot in the door?
The general purpose of those working in PR is promoting the brand, which does not only mean organizing an event when launching a product but taking care of the whole image of the brand and so how clients, industry insiders, editors, and in general everyone, perceive the brand.
What Is Fashion PR?
PR professionals are key players for any fashion brand. An exceptional PR strategy is necessary for brand positioning: is it a luxury brand or a fast fashion one?
Depending on the brand and its values, the PR strategies change to ensure that the world outside the company has the correct perception of it. Of course, the end goal of a PR is taking care of all the communications of a brand to grow sales. A bad PR strategy can ruin the image and perception of the brand despite the products being exceptional.
In order to promote the brand, the main task of a fashion publicist is to develop relationships with fashion editors, celebrities, influencers, models, and stylists to leverage those business relationships and secure media coverage.
The day-to-day activities of those who work in Fashion PR include:
- Pitch stories to the media
- Write Press Release
- Organize events: product launches, press presentations, and fashion shows. A PR takes care of the event from the idea to the day of the event: from making lists to sending invitations, choosing the location, welcoming guests, taking care of the social media during the event, and sending photos of it to the publications the following day.
- Get clothing to the stylists in charge of red-carpet event dressing.
- PR Samples: pack, dispatch, and receive back clothing from editors for editorials. When you see a beautiful Valentino dress in a Vogue editorial, behind all this huge work, there is also a PR manager of the brand who had to coordinate with the stylist and the magazine to dispatch the clothing or accessories for the shooting. The fashion PR takes care also of the returns and prepares everything to send to the next fashion magazine.
- Maintain existing and new media lists and databases.
- Conduct research and tracking of all daily newspapers, print, online, and broadcast press coverage for the brand.
- Monitor all outlets for brand mentions and inclusion.
- Coordination on Press Day: Press Days are organized by the brands or PR agencies to show to the press (editors, journalists, bloggers, influencers) the preview of a new collection before the official launch.
The skills of a Fashion PR
If you want to get a job as a Fashion PR, of course, the main skills you need are strong written and verbal communication. You’ll need communication skills to impress the editor enough to encourage him or her to write an article, a stylist to use your products for a celebrity, and of course, communication skills are necessary for relationship building. Building as many relationships as possible is crucial for a PR to get brand coverage. It is therefore essential to be an extrovert who manages to have a conversation with anyone.
Already having a wide network of people in the field can benefit your career and a company can hire you for the relationships you have with people within the industry especially editors, influencers, bloggers… Obviously, it’s important to know the media landscape which doesn’t stop at only the most famous magazines such as Vogue.
There are two main options when working in Fashion PR: working at a Pr agency or working in-house. In general, the tasks are more or less the same. Most large fashion houses keep their PR in-house. They may contract out for any assistance during fashion week. When you work in PR in-house you are the brand so you work together with other departments, while a Fashion PR agency takes care of different brands at the same time and oftentimes in different verticals (fashion, beauty, fitness …).
How to become a Fashion PR
Studying Fashion PR is not necessary; a bachelor’s degree in communications, literature, journalism, marketing, psychology, or business would be fine. You just need to write great and know how to express yourself.
What matters the most for a career in Fashion PR is the work experience. The first thing you need to do to get your first job in PR is interning, even better when you’re still in school during the summer holidays for example. You can either do an internship at a fashion PR agency or get an internship at a fashion brand; they are both good and if you still don’t know what you prefer, you can try both. At the beginning of your career as a fashion PR, get ready for more operational jobs, like adding sample labels, bringing coffee, and making lists. Someone even has to clean up after an event.
Working in PR means you are often behind the scenes watching the glamorous happen while you work, but as an intern or entry-level starter, the exposure you get in doing so is what really helps make a career.
How To Find Fashion PR Jobs
The first thing you can do to look for a fashion PR internship or entry-level job is to go to the official website of the fashion brand or Group to see if they have any open vacancies. Another option is LinkedIn, which is the most popular and best social media platform to look for fashion jobs.
At Glam Observer, we make the job search process easier by featuring the latest (PR) fashion jobs and internships every Friday in our 365 days of fashion newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
So these are the official ways to apply. But there is an unconventional strategy to get a job or internship in PR: emailing the companies directly. See, you don’t want to waste time and opportunities by waiting for brands to post PR jobs online. Be proactive and cold-email them instead and submit a spontaneous application with a strong resume and a customized cover letter. Companies love that; they appreciate people who think outside of the box.
I teach more about emailing companies directly as well as other unconventional strategies inside this free masterclass, so you can learn how to differentiate yourself and stand out during the job application.
I hope that you have a clearer understanding by now of what a fashion PR does. If it sounds like a dream career, start practicing the commonly required skills you might be lacking. Look for an internship at your favorite brand or PR agency, and get prepared for an exciting career as a fashion PR.
