The Fashion Network talk working life for a graduate in the fashion industry with the the Founder of Manchester’s Label PR, Lee Bloor and his Junior account executive Stephanie Marston

A head of the start of our Future Generation events, TFN looked back at the success of last year. Grabbing five minutes with Stephanie Marston and Lee Bloor from Manchester based Label PR, we asked how Marston gained her PR role, what day to day activities consist of and what advice they would give to people starting off in the industry. 

Lee Bloor and Stephanie Marston

• TFN: Steph - How did you get your job at Label & tell us what the interview process was like?

Stephanie Marston: I was browsing through The Fashion Network Website one day and read about the Making it: in Marketing & PR that Lee had spoken at. I got in touch with Lee and was asked to send over my CV, along with examples of my work including some pieces that I’ve written for The Fashion Network. 

Lee had a read through to get a feel for my writing style and was highly impressed. I was then invited for an interview at the Manchester office and offered a two-week work experience trial. Then, only after two weeks, I was offered a full time position as a PR assistant and I’ve been working at Label PR for 5 months.

The Making It Event

• TFN: Lee – what made Steph stand out?

Lee Bloor: Stephanie particularly stood out because she shown a true interest in fashion and proved that she was very committed through doing things in her own time such as writing for TFN,  managing her own blog and having an active twitter profile.

Her CV impressed me because she also had experience working in the fashion departments of top magazines in London, therefore she had work experience relevant to the position she was applying for.

• TFN: Steph -What do you do day-to-day what’s it been like working at Label?

SM: The working day is always busy. I am responsible for managing accounts of four brands so therefore I have to divide my time evenly. On a general working day I start by looking on the internet and through latest magazines & newspapers to spot if any celebrities have been spotted wearing our clients clothing or features a mention about the brand we manage.

I then have scan through the celebrity stories and read features on emerging fashion trends. I create look sheets with products from our brands and send this, along with products to press in order to generate an interest. Through-out the day I do general office duties including responding to emails and enquiries, phoning journalists and resolve any problems that may arise.

Some of Label PRs Clients 

• TFN: Lee - What do you look for in an employee?

LB: I look for candidates with a genuine passion for fashion. The CV’s which I read all indicate their love of fashion but what stands out is how they are getting involved in it. Anyone can send an email to me and say they love fashion because they love wearing nice clothes but it’s not all about wearing nice clothes, it’s about having the commitment.

One way to have that commitment is through blogging. Every girl that works at Label PR has her own blog and twitter. To me that shows that there going that extra mile to commit to fashion, to talk about fashion. Especially on the social media arena. Were the social media generation because we have grown up with it and seen it develop into the phenomenon that it is today.

• TFN: Finally  Lee and Steph what would you say are top tips to getting into the industry?

Social Media

Be a regular user of social media by writing for your own blog and post regular tweets on Twitter to generate interest with readers about fashion. This shows to employers that you are genuinely interested in fashion and the industry and that you are able to manage your own time to be involved in fashion outside of work/studies.

Experience,

Gain as much experience in fashion as possible, whether this is writing for external blogs, fashion websites such as The Fashion Network, etc. The more experience you gain, the more employable you become.

Knowledge,

Have extensive knowledge of fashion and a desire to learn more about designers, current and emerging trends, and business development. This knowledge can be generated through reading articles on fashion websites, reading regular fashion publications and attending events.

Time management,

This is important working in the fashion industry. As you may have different projects to complete through the working day, it’s important to divide your time evenly and according to the tasks which have a higher priority. As well, time management should also be applied outside the office, ensuring you update your blog on a regular basis and catch up on the latest news in the fashion industry.

Interview conducted by Anna Taylor + Matthew Cooper, images courtesy of Label PR.

To find out more about 2012’s Future Generation series visit our Events page here.

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