Jason Wu Resort Collection 2010, Ed Kavishe

Designer clothing and fashion design without images are hard to imagine…and visualize. If a picture speaks a 1,000 words, imagine what not having them will say about your collection. The combination of a well-written and informative press release, along with professional images or video can help to create a powerful media story.

PR Couture spoke with world-renowned fashion photographer, Ed Kavishe of Fashion Wire Press to get his take on the importance of having quality images for the media. Kavishe’s work has been featured in top publications including Marie Claire, The Daily Front Row, Vogue UK and Elle.com, and he travels the world covering major Fashion Week events, fashion shows, red carpets and award ceremonies. Here’s what he had to say:

How often should a designer have pictures taken of his/her collection or new line?

Designers should have their collection photographed whenever they have a new line out at least twice, in a runway/presentation for the press and a studio look book format for advertising.

Is it necessary to have professional pictures when pitching to the media?

It’s absolutely necessary to have professional images. What media wants to print images that are out of focus or blurry or not balanced correctly in light and color? That’s the same reason magazines and newspapers hire their own photographers to ensure they have the highest quality imagery possible.

Who owns the rights to images? Why is it important to be granted permission from the photographer to use images, share images online, share images with media, etc. – even if they are photos of a designer’s collection?

US Laws grant the photographer 100 percent copyright to the photos. All media usually have to sign a license agreement with the photographer granting them the right to publish his or hers photographs for a certain period of time. Designers do not own the copyright to photographs. Designers do have the copyright to their designs which are in the form of the garment, sketches etc.

How important is it to use a real model in images versus a model form/mannequin?

That’s a model’s job, to present garments. Real people also connect to real models versus a mannequin. Clothing on a real model allows you to see the contour of the clothes and movement.

What do you think media reporters prefer to see when looking at designer collections? What captures their attention?

Clean presentation, articulate not sloppy, and plenty of attention to details. That’s what garners the most media attention.

Don’t forget the power of images. Truly great pics of a designer’s collection can actually speak for itself and require few words. Even so, taking the time to craft an entire package (words and images) will provide the most positive impact for your collection.

Edelman Chicago’s senior VP for consumer brands social media, Danielle Wiley (via Advertising Age)

• …when we’re coming up with a list of bloggers to work with for any one particular program, we look through the list of bloggers that we know; we ask bloggers we know for recommendations; and we don’t ever work with anyone, or reach out to anyone, until we’ve read back at least three months to get a sense of what that blogger’s like so that we do know that they’re sane, that they’re disclosing, that they are doing things in a way that fits within the ethics of our company and of our clients’ companies.

Everyone should read Laura Jane Faulds Magnum Opus  (via nogoodforme)

• If you are reading this, chances are, you know who I am, and are interested to hear what I have to say…Chances are, this is based on your having read things I’ve written in the past, and liking them. Chances are, some of the things that I’ve written and you’ve read (and liked I hope!) were written between July of 2008 and April of 2009. Every single last word of that bulk of writing was written by a human being who was fatally ill, completely insane, and dying of starvation.

It’s been a big week for PR Couture! Crosby was interviewed for Alix Rose’s quirky fun Snap Shot series and in the IRL Hayden Harnett Newsletter

• The lovely Crosby of PR Couture is one of the most hard working ladies I know. She is constantly on go, busy being a foster mom to a array of kitties, hosting events and keeping her fashion pr website fresh and updated.. I wonder how she does it all? Also where did she find the time to answer these questions?

Taking on the Total Beauty Crisis from beauty blogger, TB member and fashion/beauty social media professional Dina Fierro (via Eye4Style)

• As both a blogger and a social media professional, I have a pretty unique perspective and I disagree with Kovacoglu.  At Attention, I work with some of the leading beauty brands in the business and consistently, we counsel them on the value of building relationships with beauty bloggers and on the importance of continuing a conversation once it’s begun.  On the other hand, Total Beauty’s Sneak Peek program sends bloggers (there are well over 100 that are part of the network, though fewer participate in this program) packages of products (with no regard for whether they’re a good fit for that blog), no press materials to give context to the product and no contact information for anyone at the brand. That isn’t relationship building, it’s one way communication (or as I prefer to call it, the antithesis of social media.)

WWD takes note of fashion companies using social media (via Guest of a Guest)

• Fashion companies and designers are on YouTube, MySpace, Facebook. All great exposure for the brands, large or small, and a good way for interested parties to check out new products, lines, and promotions. But does everyone really want to know what their favorite designer is eating for lunch? (Hm, maybe). Or be bombarded with sales messages every other day?

Polaroidki-02 by Marta Lamovšek

With traditional media struggling through its reinvention and the voice of the consumer growing exponentially through social media channels like blogs and Twitter, the influence of fashion bloggers as powerful allies in the quest for online PR is a growing component of fashion PR strategy. Now the FTC is proposing blogger regulations around disclosure and eyes are refocusing on just what goes on between brands, PR and blogs. More on that later, this post is about the changing expectations for both PR agencies and bloggers when it comes to sending out client samples.

Fashion Street by SideLong

From a PR perspective, there are several key benefits to developing relationships with fashion bloggers and including fashion blogger pitching as part of a client’s strategic plan. “I love print, but we are witnessing a paradigm shift to the web,” said Matt Meyerson, RPRT Communications and Management, who spent years working in product placement for fashion brands. “When you think about it, a blogger covering your client is doing you more of a favor than Vogue in a lot of ways, they are spreading the word immediately and to an international audience,” he concludes.

Positives

The immediacy of blogs can mean instant coverage as opposed to the much longer lead times required by print publications, passionate fashion blog readers find product reviews on blogs more credible than those from traditional media, blogs aren’t limited by their circulation so a blog hit potentially extends awareness to an international audience, and finally, inbound links from a popular fashion blog to your web site can provide powerful SEO benefits.

Top fashion blogs can drive significant traffic and awareness for fashion labels, and email-powerhouse Daily Candy has been known to launch more than one brand with their signature cheeky copy and monstrious database of trend-seekers. Fashion bloggers are regularly featured in Vogue, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire and Lucky, both on and offline. The L.A. Times has recently written several pieces on fashion bloggers, including one specifically about fashion designers working with bloggers for PR.