Sharilynn Speaks... Fashion & PR

From the time that I was a little girl I’ve always had two major passions: fashion and photography. I never thought to pursue either as a career, discouraged because what I’d heard about low pay, fierce competition, and limited opportunities in both industries. What I never realized is that majoring in Media Communications has the potential to put the pieces together and make my dreams come true.

When I heard that my friend Clayton Durant, a third-year student at Roger Williams University, was managing the Public Relations for the Rhode Island School of Design’s apparel program I had to find a way to get involved. I went with him to RISD’s second model call of the semester, took photos that were later used on the program’s Facebook page, and even took a walk down the demo runway. The large turnout of approximately 150 individuals in two hours surprised me, but what I found truly intriguing was experiencing the power of PR first hand. 

I talked to Clayton about what it meant to handle the Public Relations for such a large program, what some of his related responsibilities were, and what he’d learned from his experiences so far. I was especially interested in his feelings and strategies surrounding the projected PR for the annual RISD fashion show that will take place in the spring (yes, the one that Tommy Hilfiger attended last year.) When I asked Clayton how he got involved with RISD, he called himself an “Internship Entrepreneur.” Though RISD apparel did not previously offer an internship program, Clayton created one by simply demonstrating what he could do to increase success of the program. “Companies that lack PR and marketing are skills year for them without even noticing that they yearn for them,” he stated.

There isn’t a definition of an average day managing the Public Relations for RISD Apparel according to Clayton. He has the opportunity to meet with representatives from each class that sit on a designer’s board, get a feel for what they are working on, and visualize it from a PR and marketing perspective. He is faced with breeding the two very different languages of designers and consumers to achieve the most effective form of communication. Because he has the opportunity to work with fashion, and primarily with designers that haven’t developed a brand yet, Clayton has the freedom to use things such as viral videos and creative written articles to market the designers and their ideas.

Public Relations and fashion are two unique art forms; therefore, the two work hand in hand. My experiences talking to Clayton and attending the model call were perfect examples of how important it is to take advantage every opportunity that you possibly can to see your field of major in action. I learned PR has the potential to make my dreams of a career in fashion or photography; I just have to take the right steps and risks.  Anything is possible if you’re willing to seek the necessary experiences, or to create them if they don’t exist yet.