It’s been awhile since I have received a pitch that had me excited about each and every one of the designs included. After quickly sending IM’s to the other fashionables in the office of my latest greatest find, I quickly set up an interview to learn more about Shabby Apple’s approach to fashion PR and social media. What I found most striking is the mix of socially responsible, global feminism executed through a hyper-feminine fashion lens – or, to put it more plainly, a really great company who also happens to sell really cute (and très affordable) dresses.

Shabby Apple launches six lines of dresses a year and is a women-owned and operated, socially responsible company. The company designs women’s dresses, feminine fitness wear, a maternity line, a Shabby Baby line of dresses for girls up to eight years old, a preteen line for girls eight to twelve.

Owners Emily McCormick and Athelia Woolley design dresses that don’t require a cardigan or camisole to be comfortable, and are committed to both empowering women through fashion as well as providing women the opportunity to achieve financial freedom. To this end, Shabby Apple donates 5% of proceeds to Unitus, a non-profit organization in the micro finance industry, to help alleviate global poverty for millions of women and their families.

The company launched in December 2006 and at first leveraged Emily’s PR and marketing background to build the brand. Early public relations efforts centered around the local DC market where Emily is based, including events, morning shows and local press. “We started with TV, and then found out that print was more successful than TV, but what has been most effective has been to focus the majority of our efforts online through blogger outreach,” explained Athelia. She cites several recent blog hits that may drive up to 12k hits to the Shabby Apple site in a month.

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Any one who’s started an apparel or accessories line can tell you that building a successful fashion line can be a daunting process; the battle to gain notoriety and competition for exposure is intense. When a designer launches their line, they often find it hard to get their product in boutiques or showrooms unless they’ve received a few pieces of notable press coverage.

So what do designers do? They develop marketing materials and a press kit (complete with whatever kick ass press coverage they have landed) to whet the appetite of boutique buyers in order encourage them represent their product lines. Boutiques want to carry the lines favored by editorial because that drives sales.

But once a designer has “the necessary” documents in place, how does he or she find the proper representation for his or her line? Oftentimes a designer will make the investment and connect with a sales rep,  rather than take on the daunting task of traveling the country and meeting with boutiques in person.

Find Fashion Rep

A new resource connecting designers with sales reps and showrooms across the nation – FindFashionRep.com, aims to make this process a bit easier to manage.

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The indie fashion PR component to top fashion PR blog PR Couture, Show Me The Pretty features 5-question interviews with hand-selected indie fashion labels. PR Couture shares the pretty and then turns it back to the designers to ask questions and get advice and feedback about their own fashion PR strategy from a variety of industry experts. Sound like fun? Email info[at]prcouture.com for more information.

Merritt Charles encapsulates laid-back Southern California chic with wear anywhere and everywhere fashion staples including tanks, dresses and jeans. However, these are not your average toss in the back of your car and throw away at season’s end pieces – fabric blends like cotton cashmere and Tencel jersey have a decidedly luxe aesthetic.

What is your background? Where did you learn to design clothes?

I grew up in Newport Beach and went to high school at Corona del Mar high school. I graduated with a degree in business and communication from The University of San Diego. After graduating I moved up to Los Angeles to start a clothing line with virtually no experience. To make ends meet, I started working with a luxury handbag and luggage line out of Los Angeles and ended up running the internal sales and pr division of the company for a year. I didn’t go to school for design but I did take two classes at the Otis Center for Design in Pasadena, CA.

What was the catalyst for starting Merritt Charles?

In 2008, I left my job to start my own clothing company with the goal to master the niche I discovered in the marketplace for high end and luxury casual wear with style. I wanted to give women the opportunity to buy luxury clothes they could actually wear. I wanted to make top quality clothing with the best fabrics, the best fit, the best construction that were also extremely stylish and fashionable.

Most of the Merritt Charles materials are imported from Italy and all production is constructed in the US under my supervision. I focus very much on the quality of craftsmanship. The Merritt Charles line represents fashionable closet staples with unmatched quality material and construction.

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