Attracting the right sort of attention from fashion directors and fashion journalists can make or break a label in a heartbeat. But getting in front of the best person at the right time isn't as easy as you might think. Nina Lees investigates how the media can make you famous - and what it all costs.
There are hundreds of them. Thousands, even. And you're probably one of them.
In Australia right now, there are hoards of fashion brands who know they've got exactly what it takes to impress the most powerful fashion directors and journalists in the country; but they don't just have their phone number - or any means of getting it.
So, with the will but not the way, how does an Australian fashion designer, or fledgling label get that all important editorial coverage in the next edition of Harpers Bazaar? Surely it's not as simple as tracking down the number, picking up the phone and offering to send in some samples of your work?
Actually, on a lucky day, it appears it could be just that simple, according to the powers to be at Harpers. The magazine's fashion director, Claudia Navone, says she's always on the hunt for a story on a brand that reflects current market trends. "Twice a year I go to fashion shows in Milan and Paris and everything we cover in the magazine is based on what happens there. I need to come across something that reflects what's on the catwalks; or is right on fashion trend," Navone explains.
"I'm interested in everything because that's my job; and I always have lots and lots of appointments; I'm quite thorough like that. So you've obviously got to have something very good to offer because as you can imagine, I see a lot of stuff."
Navone says labels that catch her eye are meticulously well-made garments with beautiful detail. "I like a designer who has a strong point of view on their work. I really try to support the industry here and not just cover the likes of Louis Vuitton. There have been many up and coming designers making their mark here that I've come across in the past five years or so."
She says Australian designers Kirrily Johnston and Camilla & Marc both caught her eye when the labels first began to emerge on local catwalks. "I remember meeting Kirrily and really believing in her. I knew she'd go places."
Ex-newspaper fashion journalist-turned blogger, Patty Huntington, is another well-known name among Australian rag traders with the power to make or break a label. She reveals that press releases turn her off because "everyone has access to them".
"Certainly, there are cases where everyone covers the same story, but there are plenty of fashion journalists who think a press release is ok; however I'm not one of them."
Huntington says labels need to be strategic with press releases. "You need to remember that media outlets receive endless press releases every day. You need to try and think about what it is that's going to make yours stand out before you send it."
Huntington is a firm believer in the power of a public relations professional, saying a well-connected PR firm can act as a great conduit for a brand, placing stories strategically on their behalf. She says she has strong relationships with the PR world, which can drip-feed her relevant and exclusive stories.
"I've discovered brands by doing their first mainstream story on them. Material Boy was one of them, while Anna & Boy got the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald during fashion week. That sort of publicity can be a God-send for a new label. It helps generate that all-important word of mouth. It's common for a brand to sell out of a particular style after receiving lots of publicity," Huntington says.
Up and coming brands are always on her radar, with Huntington admitting she intends to visit weekend markets more often to see if she can discover the next big thing in the fashion world. "I admit I don't cover enough new and upcoming brands and there are always plenty out there. It's just a matter of finding them."
But it's not just the fledgling brands jostling for editorial attention. The well-established brands still court the media like a clever game of cat and mouse in a bid to secure that all-important fashion spread.
National discount retailer Target lured the media hook, line and sinker when hoards of shoppers cued outside their stores for the release of UK designer Stella McCartney line, among others. Millions of dollars worth of priceless publicity resulted, with television screens, newspapers and magazines filled with images of the furore unfolding down at their local Target store.
Not surprisingly, Target sold out of the designer threads in record time, while the editorial coverage also positioned the retailer at the higher end of the discount market; as was intended.
More recently, Witchery generated some controversial PR with what turned out to be a viral teaser campaign to generate interest in the upcoming launch of its menswear stores. Witchery plans to open the doors to Witchery Man stores in March and promoted the upcoming launch with a campaign to resemble user-generated content on YouTube. It didn't take long for the media to expose the teaser as a fake in what some suggest was damaging PR for the brand. The video featured a young woman sitting on a bed with the jacket in hand; seeking to return it to a man she had had a brief encounter with a couple of days earlier.
But such high profile and prolific media attention in mainstream outlets - while potentially hugely beneficial - takes a fair bit of planning, Huntington says. "There are plenty of great stories out there about a label being discovered. But in reality, big brands don't get to be big brands - except in extremely rare circumstances - unless they spend the big bucks advertising in fashion magazines. These brands also often have humungous PR budgets."
So what will a PR professional set you back? Melbourne-based fashion specialist PR firm Style Counsel's Effie Young says the cost of PR depends on a range of variables; so was unable to give a ballpark figure. But insiders suggest it can cost as much as $70,000 a year for a top PR firm to take on a well-known label. Other figures suggest that a fledgling brand can hire someone to take on their PR for as little as $2,000 a month.
Huntington, who is well connected to the movers and shakers in the PR world, suggests a label should shop around and use the economic downturn to their advantage. "In desperate times I'm sure a young label can find good people who are able to do PR for them for less these days. And if you're concentrating on your own business, the truth is that you don't have time to canvas media outlets. You need a dedicated PR person."
However, Style Counsel's Young stresses the importance of a professional approach. "For those with budgets that have been hit hard, PR can be more effective than advertising. But you need someone who has relationships with the media. There are ways to get attention creatively, but you've got to make sure that the initiative marries back to the strategy of the brand."
Young says the media is likely to be loyal if you're offering them something fresh and different; or; alternatively, shows a label has a conscious.
For example, Witchery raised more than $330,000 for Ovarian Cancer Research through its 'Every Cloud' campaign between August 2007 and June 2008; and attracted significant publicity along the way.
But there are occasions when the PR hype results in a brand not living up to its expectations. Huntington casts her mind back to Australian fashion designer Michelle Jank, whose PR was disproportionate to what she was delivering. "Sometimes the hype doesn't work out all that well. People were clambering to get near her, but this newcomer was selling her dresses for $8000. No-one was going to pay that. She left the industry for a while and came back as a jeweller."
Young says inviting the media to come and look at your products can be a mine field if it isn't done by the book, with lots of politically correct procedures out there that can't be found in a rule book. "It's not going to work if your merchandising is inappropriate for the magazine or newspaper. You need to have your target market in the back of your mind at all times. And you don't want to invite everyone along - you need to be more targeted than that."
Young warns that the inexperienced can land a label in hot water quick fast, damaging reputations along the way. "You don't want to be out there doing stunts that simply don't work. These things can backfire on people. They simply don't work. If you can't do something professionally then don't do it at all," Young warns.