Balancing two – to say the least – collections per year with the business aspect of their companies can most of the time be overwhelming for young designers. This is where PR specialists step in; they are the people who make it all possible, putting their clients’ companies out there. We caught up with Stephanie Veuriot, owner of Paris-based fashion PR company Autrement PR, to discuss the current status of the PR landscape, the challenges of the job and what she looks for in new designers. Aspiring designers/PR professionals, listen up!
Why and how did you start your business?
I started my career in PR in 1998, and I have worked in several big agencies in Paris. In 2010, I quitted my job, and a year afterwards, I became pregnant. I was looking for a new job, but I was not very competitive with a newborn child. A friend working in the music industry introduced me to Sandrine Philippe who was looking for a PR professional, so I started working for her as a freelancer in 2012 – I made my first fashion week presentation for Sandrine with my daughter sleeping in a baby sling. The year after, I reconnected with an Italian designer I met while I was working at Totem Fashion. He was launching a new prêt-à-porter line, and asked me to work for him too. And so, with two clients, my carreer as a freelancer was launched. In May 2013, I decided to start Autrement PR, as I have always wanted to manage my own PR agency. It was also the only way to balance professional life with my baby.
Benoit Foucher Fall/Winter 2015
Octavio Pizzaro Spring/Summer 2015
What do you look for in a new designer?
It is very important for me to be surprised by a designer’s work and universe. I look for talent of course, but also a realistic approach to the fashion market. I need to be seduced by their product and believe in their development.
What is the key for designers to impress buyers and the press?
Creativity, of course, but also technique and fabrics; the way they present their work is also very important. They need a strong image. In order to impress buyers and the press, designers need to master several parameters. On one side, you have communication, talent and image, and, on the other side, the more financial support you have the better you can improve your communication with both of them. It is important for them to have a team of an experienced PR/communication manager together with a sales manager who support their work too; budget is key – the more money you have the more things you can do.
Sandor Lakatos Fall/Winter 2015
Sandrine Philippe on TTT Magazine
How do you bring new brands into your agency?
Thanks to the network I have built, designers are mostly contacting me through my website or thanks to Modem, a fashion guide I am referenced in. I also go to showrooms to meet new designers during fashion weeks. Sometimes stylists or journalists tell me to contact a designer who is looking for a PR. Then I meet them, we talk about their expectations and needs, and I prepare an appropriate strategy for them.
What makes a brand successful ultimately?
Competition is hard, and the offer is huge. The more brands can invest in their image and communication and the more they support their sales strategy the better it is for them. It takes a long time to establish a brand on the market (several seasons, actually, especially if they do not do fashion shows). Creativity is not enough anymore, the financial part is very important to develop a brand.
Yanina Couture Fall/Winter 2014
Sandrine Philippe on OoB magazine
How has the digital revolution changed how you do your business?
Community management is integrated in the strategies we develop for the designers. Internet is the principle medium for building an image and increasing brand awareness; it can connect them directly to their customers. Facebook, Instagram, their website, and the content they share are very important. New online magazines – I am thinking of Deux Homme, Fucking Young, The Kinski, The Talk and so many others – are starting to be very powerful. They are interested in new designers, and it is a pleasure to collaborate with them. Online platforms, like Not Just a Label, are also new sales networks, where new designers can reach directly their customers.
How do you build and maintain relationships with the media?
I meet up a lot with journalists and stylists. I regularly send them information and newsletters; I call them often. Being a PR professional means staying connected with people.
What should anyone interested in PR should expect on the job?
To do many different things every day – from making coffee to managing events, castings and fashion shows; to experience intense moments during fashion weeks or events like the Cannes Film Festival. Being a PR professional is all about building a long-term network, and it takes time.
Sandrine Philippe on Lash Magazine
Bianca Popp Autumn/Winter 2015
Does personality matter for pursuing a job at PR?
Personality always matters when choosing a job, but, yes, I think that a good PR professional is someone who is always nice and friendly with people. You’d better be social and not be afraid of working a lot.
What are you and your team currently working on?
We are working on finding celebrities to dress for the Cannes Film Festival; we are preparing Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June, and Couture Fashion Week in July. This morning, for example, we were at the Embassy of Chile to see the venue where Octavio Pizarro is going to present his new collection during Couture Fashion Week; we are also organizing a showroom to present womenswear Spring/Summer 2016 collections in September.
Benoit Foucher on Aestus
Images © Autrement PR
Featured image: Sandor Lakatos in Juste Magazine
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