Elevate PR has a long track record in fashion PR working with clients such as Design and Crafts Council, Showcase Ireland, Nokia Young Fashion Designer Awards and Kildare Village. This year, Creative Futures Academy (CFA) at The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) launched and delivered a brand-new Professional Diploma in Fashion Communication. The course is led by Irish creative director and stylist, Aisling Farinella, with guest lecturers including photographer, Perry Ogden (Pony Kids, Ralph Lauren, Francis Bacon Studio), stylist, Celestine Cooney (Vogue, Gucci, Nike), and Niamh O’Donoghue, Global Head of Social for Stella McCartney. Elevate sponsored the course fees for one Fashion Communication student, Amine Reda, who over the duration of the course produced photography and graphic design work inspired by his Moroccan heritage, including a magazine titled Ouzel, meaning 'the soul' in Berber.
Speaking about the sponsorship, Emma Kelly, MD and founder of Elevate PR, said: ‘It felt important for us to sponsor a student on this new course in Fashion Communication. Fashion PR is a big part of our business and fashion is increasingly where culture and commerce collide. We are particularly passionate about the resurgence of the Irish made and designed fashion sector, ethical production and the circular fashion economy, we see so much potential here. Irish fashion talent is shining bright on the international stage in the design space from Simone Rocha to JW Anderson, in the global fashion PR arena from Elevate alum Lorraine Larmour at Hermes, to James Deeny at Christian Dior and closer to home Irish grown brands such as Chupi and Nicki Hoyne.’
- Define your brand’s purpose and platforms and build your community on and offline.
- Understand your audience – know their demographics, preferences and behaviours.
- Stay culturally relevant – be aware of trends, cultural moments, topics your target audience cares about.
- Photography and styling - invest in a stylist and photography for both a lifestyle and cut out product shots, all of which will need to be captioned with credits and pricing and shared in a media kit along you a succinct press release.
- Press outreach - target media in traditional print and broadcast along with digital and social.
- Storytelling – leverage storytelling with emotional connections and heritage and purpose.
- Engage with strategic influencer partnerships – long term collaborations build deeper brand association that is more authentic.
- Decide which celebrities and influencers most align with your brand, reach out for gifting and collaboration.
- Stay agile – the world of fashion communication moves very fast, so be ready to react fast to new trends, or viral moments that your brand could align with.
- Plan to participate in pop ups, fashion shows and happenings to grow your market.
