So, the weather is finally starting to get warmer and as a typical girl, the change of seasons makes me want to pack up my sweaters and clear out my closet to make room for a fresh spring wardrobe.  Unfortunately, because I am currently a very broke college student, I would have to decide between fashion and food for the next six weeks… And when floral prints, dazzling metallics, bright neons and dresses with pockets (maybe the best idea ever) are just some of the fashion trends among this season’s collections, spring sales are super hard to resist. While I thought about fasting for the remainder of the semester, I decided it would be better to use this post to discuss fashion events in an attempt to satisfy my craving for spring styles with words. 

Planning isn’t Always Pretty

I’ve always been interested in public relations within the fashion industry, but it’s a lot more than flashy runways and designer clothes. There is a lot of work involved, and it’s a competitive career to get into, so you have to be willing to start at the bottom.  

Fashion PR diva, Kelly Cutrone is a fashion designer and founder of People’s Revolution, a public relations firm, with headquarters in New York and Los Angeles.  Cutrone offers expert advice on the reality of how demanding a career in the fashion industry really is. 

Be a Model for Success

For these events to be effective, PR professionals in the fashion industry need to be capable of multi-tasking and working under extreme pressure to coordinate these events. And from the mascara to the seating charts, every single detail matters. The following are just some of the requirements for planning a fashion show:

• Book a venue
• Hire models
• Schedule fittings
• Finalize clothing and accessories 
• Handle publicity and media relations
• Attain model and designer talent
• Hire hair and makeup artists
• Recruit sponsors
• Stage the event and lighting
• Prepare music
• Manage event staff
• Arrange Seating Charts
• Oversee promotion and production

Recession on the Runway

While the fashionista in me would love to help plan a fashion show someday, from a PR standpoint, I am starting to wonder if all this time and money is even worth it. Hard to believe, months of planning and preparation go into organizing an event that lasts less than 20 minutes.

The economical crisis has impacted all luxurious industries, and fashion is no exception. While some designers have already had to eliminate fashion shows this year, others were forced to be more innovative and strategic when planning shows to decrease spending.

I realize fashion shows are the best opportunity to present seasonal collections to the media and the rest of the fashion industry, but are designers actually going to generate enough sales for it to qualify as a useful investment?

A recent post on the F-Word. made a valid suggestion,

“Taking advantage of the Internet and social media is a great way for designers and brands to bridge the gap between the exposure from fashion week and the lack of communication and understanding to and of their consumers/possible consumers. Although this does not directly equate to more sales, creatively reaching out, listening and understanding your customers/possible customers is always a good thing!”

I just think increasing the use of social media during highly publicized Fashion Weeks would help to reach more audiences, be more cost-efficient and actually have the potential to generate more awareness of the designers and promote sales. 

For all the glitz and the glam associated with the fashion industry, it seems like you’d have to be willing to get pretty down and dirty to get the job done. Do you have the passion for fashion to keep you from crying on the catwalk?