Everyone’s professional journey is different and it’s always fun to trace the career trajectory of successful fashion PR Pro’s. For Chris Detert, CEO and owner of American Rebel PR, an early start in entertainment marketing led to VP of Marketing for PR for Von Dutch and then launch of his own agency, American Rebel PR. Now, those passions have come full circle through a new joint clothing venture between English Laundry and friend Scott Weiland (yes, that Scott Weiland).
“PR is a challenge because it is constantly evolving and you have no choice but to evolve with it.”
What is your background?
I graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA with a degree in communications. From there, I worked at The Firm, which was the premiere entertainment management firm of its time. Then, I got my big break in fashion PR when I started working as the marketing assistant at Von Dutch. The company exploded when I got there and went from $2 million to $35 million in the first year. After the first year, I was promoted to VP of Marketing and PR and the company doubled it’s profits again to $70 million. The company success was 100% attributed to celebrity product placement and I was in charge of that, so from there, the offers started pouring in. I realized that there were so many brands that I could help, so instead of going in-house at another company, I decided it was time to start my agency, which began 5 years ago.
Why Fashion PR?
Fashion PR was a happy accident for me. I was always a music guy, previous to working in fashion. I was the lead singer of a rock band in college and that’s what I wanted to do with my life, so my first job out of college was at The Firm. After doing that for a few years, I got tired of the state of the music industry and went for the interview at Von Dutch. I had always liked fashion, but never really thought of it as a profession. Once I started working at Von Dutch, it came very natural to me to style celebrities and do fashion PR. I never really planned it, but things have a funny way of working themselves out.
What is a recent success story that you have been a part of?
I created a clothing line with my client, English Laundry and my friend Scott Weiland, famed lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots. This is actually a project 5 years in the making, as we planned to do the line together when I was working at Von Dutch, but it didn’t work out at the time, and in retrospect, it was all for the best, since English Laundry’s designer, Christopher Wicks and Scott are on the exact same page stylistically. The reason that I point to this as a recent success story, other than it being a cool venture, is because we just got the line sold nationally at Nordstrom and Dillards. Nothing makes me feel more accomplished in this business as when my efforts directly lead to increased sales for my clients.
What challenges are attached to your job?
PR is a challenge because it is constantly evolving and you have no choice but to evolve with it. In the 5 years that I have owned American Rebel PR, I have seen vast changes, most notably with the emergence of the internet and social networking as new mediums for PR. With many magazines folding and print media on the decline, the web has become a hugely important part of PR, with celebrity sites like TMZ and Perez Hilton and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook leading the way. Changes like this make it a constant battle to always find new contacts and adapt to the changes in the industry.
Additionally, keeping clients for the long term is a challenge. In PR, you are only as good as your latest press or celebrity placement that you have garnered for your client. This makes it a constant challenge to continue to perform for your clients every month and consistently meet or exceed expectations.
What is exciting about internships at American Rebel PR?
Our internships are exciting in the fact that there are so many facets to what they do that each day is vastly different from the last. Also, we have a lot of celebrities come by the office and our interns get a chance to be up close and personal with some of the world’s most recognizable people.
What is an example of a typical day in the office?
I can’t say that there is really a “typical” day, per se, though there is one constant: emails. I get about 300 emails a day, so much of the day is responding to and sending out emails. The rest of the day can be a number of things including meetings with clients, potential clients, press, or celebrities.
What are your responsibilities?
As the CEO of the company, I am involved in every aspect of it. This includes the daily operations of the company, client relations, new business procurement, and hosting celebrities and stylists when they come into our office.
What aspects of the job requirements were a surprise to you?
I would say that the biggest surprise was the amount of time that goes into this job. I am literally working around the clock, 7 days a week. I love it though, so that helps make things easier.
Photo by David Heisler
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