I have a feeling a lot of Toronto’s fashion community is cramming this weekend reading Kelly Cutrone‘s novel “If You Have to Cry, Go Outside” in preparation of the author and owner of the People’s Revolution‘s visit to the Eaton Centre’s Indigo on Monday, March 15 at 7:00pm. Loved that book! And love her reality show, Kell On Earth – which for someone outside of the US, finding viewable links is like the search for “Holy Fashion Grail”. (The first episode can be found here – watch it while you can before it gets removed.) The show gives such a great glimpse into what it’s like working in fashion PR and I couldn’t image the number of calls and emails that People’s Revolution receives on a daily basis from wannabe interns since the launch of the book and the TV show.
I wondered what it would be like to work in that office, so I turned to someone who would know: Nadia Ali – who interned recently at People’s Revolution. After getting the approval from People’s Revolution’s office (Thank you Andrew!), Nadia shared with me some insights about interning in New York’s fashion industry, working with Kelly Cutrone and her team, and gave some great advice for people wanting to get into fashion PR.
Nadia started at People’s Revolution in mid-September last year, where she stayed for a month and then returned this past New York Fashion Week to work with them again. “I was in New York and had just finished [an] internship at Stella McCartney and wanted another internship under my belt before I had to come back to Toronto, so I did my research and e-mailed my resume,” says Nadia on how she scored one of the industry’s most sought after intern positions. “For me [the interview process] was really quick, I was interning during New York Market Week for Showroom Seven/Seventh House PR, when I got an e-mail from Andrew Mukamal inviting me for an interview. I went to meet with him the morning after I received his e-mail. We had a quick and pleasant meeting and [I] was invited to intern at People’s Rev on the spot. I started the next day.”
On Kelly Cutrone:
“Kelly Cutrone definitely is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. She has a great sense of humour and has a very nurturing presence. I had the divine pleasure of working in her New York office and got to see her in action, which was never dull. I will have to admit, the night before my first day at People’s Rev, I was a nervous wreck. A few interns I had met throughout my time in New York had warned me that I was walking into the “lion’s den” and that I should be afraid. I even heard outrageous rumours about how she is with interns. But after meeting her and seeing her around the office, she couldn’t be further from the ‘mean bitch’ that people perceive her to be. I can’t express how fortunate I feel to have been able to spend time learning from her and her staff.”
On the people at the People’s Revolution:
“Andrew Mukamal (Kelly’s assistant) is amazing. You can’t help but me mesmerized by him. Andrew’s love for fashion just oozes out of his pores and it’s incredible to hear him talk about pieces he loves. His sense of humour is on a level on its own. Andrew has been very kind to me and I appreciate it more than he will ever know. Stefanie Skinner – I am in awe of. She’s one of the most hard working, determined people I have ever met. I have a great deal of respect for her, she’s not one to beat around the bush, she’s brutally honest and I admire her for that.”
On the filming of Kell On Earth:
“When I began at People’s Rev in the fall, they had already been shooting for a while. It was a bit awkward for me at first because I didn’t want to get in the way of the cameramen, but you really just have to pretend they’re not there and go about your business as usual. You’re always aware of their presence but you get used to them very fast. To say I’m disappointed the show hasn’t aired in Canada yet is an understatement, but I was able to catch up on the episodes while I was in New York for Fashion Week last month and loved it! It’s a realistic, glimpse of what goes into working in Fashion PR, in New York City and its fantastic.”
On Cutrone’s book:
“If You Have To Cry, Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You is exactly the type of book I have been searching for, for years. As someone trying to get my start in fashion PR, Kelly did a wonderful job providing insight on her experiences and advice for people like me. I have told everyone and their aunt about this book and I will continue to recommend it, this book is too inspiring NOT to read.”
On getting into fashion PR:
“Interning isn’t what you see on The Hills, you’re not going to be offered trips to Paris to attend a fancy ball and have some designer dress you. It’s not all glamorous – you’re running around the city with boxes sometimes, heavy garment bags for delivery, and if you’re smart you’re not wearing stilettos while doing so. You need to be tough, you’re going to get yelled at enough, don’t cry and certainly do not yell back or make excuses. When you’re an intern, taking things personally isn’t an option, I have had terrific moments of success and I have messed up and felt like a complete moron, but you have to be strong enough to keep going. If you don’t have the type of personality to work with strong personalities without losing your cool, this isn’t for you. You’re going to have opportunities to meet high profile people – keep your cool, it’s not okay to be snapping pictures with your Blackberry or freak out if they talk to you (scream in your head, or wait until you get home). This industry is tough, people are abrupt, egos are big and dreams get squashed. To survive you need to be tough, confident and a go-getter, you can’t wait for opportunities to fall in your lap – it’s not going to happen. You have to work hard to make it, it’s not like you can go to school, study communications then think you’re ready to take on the fashion pr after graduation; chances are you’re not ready. You have to want it more than anything, and you have to work at it, everyday. I’m up at night sometimes until 3-4am sending out resumes, researching companies, applying to volunteer doing anything that has to do with fashion PR. No job is too small or too insignificant if it means it will get me that much closer to my goal of working in Fashion PR.”
On living in New York City:
“I have fallen madly in love with the city of New York, from the moment I landed at Laguardia I felt this incredible surge of electricity run through my body. I ended up in a magnificent apartment on West St and Battery Place, right across from Battery Park (in the Financial District). And it surprised me how soon I felt at home, I felt at peace in New York. I was interning at amazing companies, learning about my dream career and meeting all kinds of wonderful people. The friends I made in New York last summer, I will cherish forever. We all met interning and really had each other’s back (which is hard to find under any circumstance) I can’t thank them enough for showing me the ropes and welcoming me with open arms.”
On finding internships in Toronto vs New York City:
“Toronto’s fashion scene is much, much smaller than New York’s (obviously). In my opinion it’s much harder to get a foot in the door in Toronto than it is in New York. Which is why I left, I was applying for internships all over Toronto and wasn’t hearing back, I sent out a handful of resumes to companies in New York and had much more success. Which is sad, when you have capable, passionate people who are willing to work for free, and you’re not giving them the time of day – obviously they will try a different approach and if that approach is leaving for different cities/countries – there’s a definite problem. Toronto is a great city, but I found it incredibly difficult to find opportunities here.”
On what she learned from her experience:
“I learned a lot during my time in New York. I learned that fashion PR is what I want to do for the rest of my life. It’s definitely going to be a challenge to break into the industry but I’m up for it. Like anything worthwhile, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I learned that I’m going to need a thicker skin (I’ve made progress, but I could stand to be tougher). Organization is key – one of my superiors at Stella taught me the importance of organization. In such a high stress, fast paced environment, it’s easy for important things to slip through the cracks –and it’s not okay. I learned that not everyone has your best interest at heart, people are going to try to bring you down and it’s up to you to stand your ground. From intimidating superiors to ‘prima donna’ interns who think they’re god’s gift to the world, you have to stand your ground and speak up. Being in New York taught me a lot about myself, I learned volumes about this fascinating industry, but I really feel like I came into my own skin while I was there. I had the experience of a lifetime, and it changed me forever – and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Original post: Fashion Magnet, March 10, 2010
