Granted I wasn’t sure until end of January if I was going to attend this year. So I was a little late on sending out RSVPs. But I ended up attending 3 shows and showcased… More
Getting Your Designs on Celebrities
Are you looking for free press or for that extra boost on social media? Then dressing a celebrity might be your next big move. But how do you make that critical connection? You can try to contact them directly with a DM but from my experience, this has never worked. Not because celebrities aren’t interested but simply because they receive way too many messages to filter through what’s legit and what’s not. It’s more effective to contact the person in charge of dressing them, usually their stylist or assistant. Most celebrity stylists list their email address or agent’s email address on their social media profiles. If you can’t find an email you can DM them briefly asking professionally for an email address to send your latest look book or work sample. If you don’t have any luck with your DM or email you can always try to get in touch with the celebrity stylist’s assistant, as most experienced stylists have a team of other stylists around them.
The most effective way to get in touch with celebrity stylists is to simply be in the same space as them. Many celebrity stylists attend fashion events, host workshops, or speak on industry panels. There is no better way of initiating contact than in person so bring your business cards, wear one of your creations and introduce yourself. Boom! The first contact has been made.
Now it’s time to cement the connection. Don’t let more than 72 hours pass before following up. Introduce yourself, remind them of how you met and include a message about your interest in collaboration on upcoming projects by providing garments (bonus points if you know what project or event you would like to help with). Include one strong photo in the body of the text and then attach your look book. If your look book is too large try to compress it or create a Google Drive or Dropbox link instead.
Make sure to do your research about the stylist’s clientele and style. Don’t email an exclusively female wardrobe stylist a men’s look book or pitch winter clothes in the summer time. If you know that a particular celebrity loves to wear very fitted dresses, I wouldn’t propose a wide-legged oversize pantsuit.
Remember timing is of the essence. What are some events your collection could be leveraged for? Any award shows, galas, premieres, or product launches coming up? Get on the stylist’s radar weeks before or create a special design for the celebrity if your chances are high for being pulled.
Now that you’ve got the stylist’s interest here are some important things to remember before facilitating the pull:
1. Make sure your garments are dry-cleaned and cleanly sewn (cut off any loose threads, tighten up loose buttons and beads, etc.)
2. Have the stylist fill out a pull request form with all his info, credit card, ID, which items pulled, when they will be returned, etc. (A stylist pull request form is a legally binding contract that documents every detail of the pull)
3. I highly recommend charging a refundable deposit at least the first time. I had an incident where I received a pull request form and when the stylist didn’t return the garments, the credit card declined because I was given an invalid card number. I definitely learned my lesson. Most legit stylists receive decent budgets from their clients so a deposit shouldn’t be a big deal. If it you get any pushback, I would consider this a red flag.
4. I always ask for a shipping account number if the stylist doesn’t come to pick up the garments
5. Follow up to see if garments have been received and if they worked out. If they so, ask for pictures for your personal portfolio.
6. When you receive the garments back verify, they are in good condition before refunding the deposit.
If you’re more interested in celebrity pulls, need a sample stylist pull request form, a sample email, or more info about fashion events to attend to connect with celebrity stylists. Sign up for my upcoming Fashion Marketing Class “Elevate your Fashion Business in 60 Days” in collaboration with Fashion Mingle. You will receive an email you when the class is live.
Please comment and share!
XOXO,
Dynamically Branded.
Must-Haves for Moms this Summer
It’s another hot summer and as a new mom I want to be stylish yet practical at the same time. Anything that saves me time and makes me feel great will become my top picks. Below my top three Must-Haves this summer:
- Fanny Packs are simply amazing and much more practical than purses. As moms, we mostly only have one hand free because we are either carrying a baby, pushing a stroller or doing something else. Fanny Packs make it so much easier to search for essentials. Whether it’s a chapstick, baby snacks, or credit card. On top they don’t make your back hurt or mess up your posture. These mini bags accessorize most outfits and are en vogue at the moment. You can find really cool ones at Missguided just search for Fanny Pack and you’ll find different options. Use code “Have50” for 50% off EVERYTHING$!
2. Mink Eyelashes are super durable, high quality and give you that Wow Factor at a blink of an eye. Another undoubted advantage is that you won’t have mascara running down your face in this heat. As a supporter of Women-Owned Businesses I love and recommend the Mink Lashes of the 400M Diva Collection created by Track Star Natasha Hasting. In the pic below I wear the style “Anchor Leg” for a natural look with a little drama. My followers and readers receive 15% off with code “June15”.
3. Black Girl Sunscreen is a sunblock made for pigmented skin. Unlike popular belief, YES black people need sunscreen as well. Your melanin might protect you from some UV rays but not all. Also, exposure to the sun will leave your skin dry and increase the chances of wrinkles. Since I’m all about ingredients I checked them out and the Black Girl Sunscreen is Fragrance, Parabens, Oxybenzone, and Octinoxate free and uses natural ingredients such as Avocado, Jojoba, and Sunflower Oil. Just rub it in like lotion and it dries clear, no nasty white residue anymore! We’ve been waiting for an effective sunscreen that doesn’t make us look like we took a dive into white power. Another plus is they have Black Girl Sunscreen for kids now too!!! If you sign up for their newsletter you’ll receive 20% off your first order.
What are your thoughts? Do you have any Must-Haves this summer? We would love to hear from you. So send us a message or comment below!
XOXO,
Dynamically Branded
Hallo, we’re back! With Exciting News!!!
Hey guys, what’s up? I know it has been a while since I last posted on here. But a lot has happened in the past 11 months. If you follow me on Social Media you might know that I have had a beautiful baby boy. Khai was born Sep 6th, I essentially only took off 3 weeks and was back to handling Press, VIPs, Run of Show, Sponsors and Talent on Nov 1st for one of my client’s fashion shows. All while still trying to figure out my new role as a working mom. I was honestly overwhelmed at times and felt as if I was losing myself in being a mother. I wanted to quit everything at one point but one of my dear friends advised me to just maintain what I was doing for the next 6 months and that things will level out. Thank God they did eventually! Now I’m at the point were I can finally grow my business again. I’ve learned to work more efficiently and to not stress myself out on those days I don’t get much accomplished. I have some really exciting news!!!
I will launch an Online Fashion Marketing Class this summer which will help fashion businesses reach the next level whether it’s sales, targeting, social media presence, dressing celebrities etc. There will be assignments, Q&A’s, as well as personal one on one consulting sessions with me. As an added bonus I will share my resources and invite Industry Experts such as celebrity stylists, fashion show producers and magazine editors to the class to share first hand what they are looking for when working with fashion businesses. This class is for fashion designers, stylists, fashion bloggers, fashion photographers, fashion marketers etc. We have also received many requests in regards to fashion shows and how to plan and organize them. You asked and we’ve answered with a Fashion Show Check-List which is available for sale right now! This resource will guide you from start till finish, ensure you meet your deadlines and guarantee you won’t forget anything.
Stay tuned for announcements and give aways. Please share and comment!!!
XOXO,
Dynamically Branded
Why Brands don’t want to work with you
Over the past 10 years I have worked for and with several brands such as Curls, Shea Moisture, Swarowski, Google, Uber, Hennessy, NYFW, Coca-Cola, Omni Hotels, Stila, Covergirl etc. I’m always being asked the question of how to receive sponsorships from brands. Some people wonder why brands don’t want to work with them or what they’re doing wrong with their pitching approach.
Here some pointers why brands don’t want to work with you:
- You don’t bring anything to the table: Whenever you approach a brand you have to make yourself interesting to them. What’s special about you? How will you help them make a sale or increase their popularity? Do you have an engaged audience? Do you create original or creative content? Do you have a unique perspective or a one-of-a-kind look? Are you involved with an event that could touch many potential customers in one sweep?
- You don’t target their target demographic: Let’s say for example you want to approach a premium brand but have only been promoting and working with lower end brands it’s very unlikely you will get a deal with that higher end brand.
- You’re unprofessional: The first impression counts whenever you are trying to contact brands. Always approach a brand with professional pictures, a media kit, highlights of what makes you special, and your specific value proposition. Also, clean up your social media since these channels will be the first ones they will check out. No brand wants to see an endless collection of selfies, you turning up in every other picture, or captions with foul language. They want to see that you will actually represent a brand and make them shine in the best light.
- You’ve been going hard for their competition: Even if you approached a company professionally and did everything right your proposal might still be rejected due to prior strong advocacy of a competing product. So you either have to let some time pass between the competitor and the new brand or take those posts off .
I hope this helps if you don’t know how to create a media-kit or a value proposition in your pitch feel free to send me an email sschirru@dynamicallybpr.com and I will give you advice.
XOXO,
Dynamically Branded
