A Week in the Life of a PR Girl - Interning with POP PR //

Dear Readers,

I'm going to be honest, PR really isn't for the faint-hearted. Nor is it for those of you reserved and quiet types. I guess you could have predicted that though, right?

Encouraging myself to get into LFW any way I could, I frantically applied for internships, work placements and even tickets for just about every show. After not having much success in receiving responses to my emails, let alone my applications, I decided to branch out of the 'Journalist' mould I thought I could only be refined to.  

PR has many similarities to Journalism, so I took the time to find a LFW specific placement which had elements of dealing with the public, organising events and getting up close and personal with the designers. Luckily, after what felt like endless pages of fashion work experience I found POP PR's internship. So, taking a bit more time on my application, I sent off my CV and accompanying Cover Letter in the hope that I could finally work during LFW.

It was such a pleasant surprise to receive a quick reply. My application was accepted. I was heading to London Fashion Week baby!

This fervent excitement was then counteracted by the sudden panic that I needed five distinctively cool outfits which had to be all black.

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Between Friday 16th September to Tuesday 20th September 2016 I embarked on becoming a PR girl for London Fashion Week (LFW).

During my time there I was able to get my not-so-designer foot in the door and network with some of the most influential names in British fashion.

I was allowed to bring my camera in and film the entire week. The inner amateur photographer in me was overwhelmed by the amount of photo opportunities there was. It was a week saturated with designer styles, well-known famous faces and camera-ready models. Not to mention the amount of well-groomed people just walking the streets of London. 

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A Week in the Life of a PR Girl - Vlog //

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David Ferreira

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In many ways interning for a PR company lived up to quite a few stereotypes which have lurked around the fashion industry for years. Although, getting such an exclusive insight allowed me to see a different side to the industry which I wasn't expecting. The most interesting revelation was that, for the most part, being a celebrity was all in the notion of believing that you were someone of high importance. By the final day I wanted to test this theory and so stood against the cameras at Brewer Street in Soho where the main shows were held. I pretended to be someone important and before long the cameras were flashing and my photo was being taken. Result!

It was all about becoming the person I wanted to be through improvised action. This was very similar to my PR internship, as I had never done anything like it before. The entire five days was a continuous act of spontaneity and pretending to know what I was doing. But somehow, it worked. The networking that took place within the PR interns and the fashion influencers was astounding. Just watching us go to the aid of a famous face just proved our willingness to be in this fast-paced spectacle. If social climbing were to be an Olympic sport, then we would have won Gold.

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Vin & Omi

 

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There are 3 main areas within PR which makes for a successful intern:

• Personality -  This is probably the most important area. If you do not show yourself off within the industry, then you will not get anywhere. This industry is full to the brim with loud, flamboyant, bubbly and generally easy going people. You need to show your PR team you have something distinctly different to offer them.

• Patience - It's a hard industry to get used to and I definitely was able to see that from just interning for five days. But, if you are the type of person who isn't put off by a challenge, then you will be able to cope with the idea of slow progress. PR requires getting a lot of underlying tasks done before a real result is seen. During LFW I had to organise the seating plans of all the celebrity guests, getting them to the press area for photographs and then seating them in the right assigned seat with their goodie bags in tow, ready for the show to begin. That may sound like an easy task to you, but wrangling up dozens of celebrities to their seats was like trying to strap a crying toddler into a pram. It was a struggle. The feeling of utter relief and success when I stood against the catwalk and saw all the correctly seated celebrities along the FROW. Patience was key here.

• Persistence - It took time to adjust to the idea of rejection. If you want to do something so much then do not give up after the first, second or even third attempt. Even if you get turned down, find another way to approach the situation. I did this through steering myself in a new direction. Be ballsy.
• In addition to this, you have to expect long working hours. A typical day for me included getting into Central London by 9am and leaving London at 10pm with very few breaks in between. It was non-stop, no wonder everybody in the industry is so damn slim. There really was no time for food.
• Dressing well is also extremely important as you are not only representing the PR company, but you as a brand. As I had to wear black all week, it made it very difficult to dress alongside current trends. However, I made it work with key basics, tailoring and good quality shoes and accessories which helped jazz up each outfit in some way.

  
  

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Ashley Isham

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Fashion International

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Fei Fei Cicada - At the V&A

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I gained so much from these short five days of LFW than ever could have anticipated. I came to appreciate the process of PR more because I was given access to all the behind-the-scenes operations which take place in readiness for the shows. I was also incredibly lucky to have made friends there who will be friends for life. Being able to work so closely with people who feel like-minded about the fashion industry just gave me even more of a buzz. 

To all the ladies at POP PR, thank you!

If Fashion PR is something you are trying to get into, then go for it! 

Also do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions to ask. I am more than willing to help with advice on your applications and with interview tips too So if you are interested in reading a post which aids those needs then let me know in the comments below. Alternatively, comment on my Instagram or send me a tweet: @alice_bradley2
 

Stay Sweet,

Alice xx