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SXSW StyleX Adds Three Free Educational Fashion Panels + Local Boutique ShopHop

March 14, 2011 0 Comment written by Crosby
Photo: Lindsey Garvey for Cake Plate

Photo: Lindsey Garvey for Cake Plate

If you are lucky enough to be at SXSW, don’t miss StyleX, the inaugural SXSW fashion showcase featuring emerging designers that will take place on Friday and Saturday, March 18-19 in the Austin Convention Center.  If you needed more of an excuse to check out this free, no wristbands required event, the official 2011 Style X Lookbook is now available and co-founders Joah Spearman and Ari Goldberg have organized three educational fashion panels covering music, technology and of course, how to break in to the business of fashion.

To kick things off, Style X will host their first-ever Shop Hop on March 17. Sponsored by the City of Austin’s Music Division and Small Business Development Program, the traveling shopper event is a chance to introduce visitors to Austin’s “buy local” culture with a tour of some the city’s most unique and fashion-forward boutiques. In addition, participants will have a unique opportunity to meet and greet with boutique owners in addition to several designers. And lest you get thirsty, there will also be a reception at City Hall with delicious beverages from Austin companies Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka and Sweet Leaf Tea. The tour starts at the convention center at 5:30 p.m.

Once StyleX officially kicks off on Friday, attendees will have the opportunity experience present dozens of up-and-coming brands through retail pop-ups and runway shows and sit in on three educational fashion industry panels.

The panels are as follows:

Music and Style: Force Amplifier

Friday, March 18 at 3:45 p.m., Austin Convention Center

  • M. Brady Clark: designer, former men’s designer, Billabong
  • Ericka Herod: designer, DJ I Wanna Be Her
  • Thomas Nauls: owner/lifestyle curator, Tipping Point [Houston]
  • Kerri O’Connel: creator/owner, GoodWoodNYC
  • Kent Zambrana: musician/filmmaker, Letting Up Despite Great Faults

The Difference Between Fashion & Style and How to Break into the Biz

Saturday, March 19 at 1:30 p.m., Austin Convention Center

  • Moe Boualaphanh, new faces, development & imaging, Marilyn Modeling Agency
  • Bradley Carbone: lifestyle/sneaker editor, Complex Magazine
  • Chloe Dao: fashion designer, Project Runway winner
  • Allen Onyia: founder, UpscaleHype.com
  • Amal Safdar: runway show coordinator, OneKick Productions

Technology is Cool, but Technology+Fashion is Cooler

Sat., March 19 at 3:45 p.m., Austin Convention Center

  • Indiana Adams: blogger & co-founder of Texas Style Council
  • Marissa Evans: CEO/founder, GoTryItOn.com
  • Kelly Framel: creator/designer, TheGlamourai.com
  • Devin Hunt: co-founder, Ly.st
  • Syuzi Pakhchyan: author, Fashioning Technology
  • Morris Panner: CEO/founder, GroupFlier.com
  • J. Erik Schaeffer: CEO/co-founder, RetailrApp.com & DoubleStereo.com

Please tweet along so we can live vicariously through you – and enjoy the first StyleX

Filed Under: News & Events, PR Couture Tagged With: , ,
kellogg

Twitter Royalty: How To Land an Internship at Glamour and Fashion Week Tickets to Herve Leger (or Something Like That)

March 8, 2011 8 Comments written by PR Couture

By Elizabeth Kellogg

The first time I heard about Twitter was in the fall of 2008. I was taking a public relations course at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (after following my fiancé to the Big Apple just as the economy tanked). Jobs were scarce and I figured that if I couldn’t get hired, I might as well further my education. I was in the market for a career change anyway. I’d never been satisfied with law.

During class one day, we were discussing how to pitch writers and editors, and a classmate brought up Twitter. I’d heard the name, but never understood how it worked. As my professor enlightened the class, I recall thinking, “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard! What can you truly communicate in 140 characters? This trend will pass, and I’ll never participate.”

I was dead wrong on both counts.

Fast forward one year. Through additional courses at NYU, I became so fascinated with social media that I enrolled in their Digital Media Marketing graduate certificate program. During the program, I interned with a fashion photographer to update her web presence. To my surprise, I enjoyed my fashion duties just as much as my work on her blog, facebook, and LinkedIn accounts, but I remained skeptical of Twitter.

On a whim, I enrolled in a fashion writing course through mediabistro.com. The instructor was a Twitter fan, and encouraged her students to “join the conversation.” This time, I took her up on the offer, and my life was never quite the same!

Internship at Glamour Magazine

I began by following everyone I could find of importance in the fashion world. This included my instructor, who happened to also be the senior style writer at Glamour magazine. A few weeks later, she tweeted about her desire for an intern. I immediately replied, “Are you serious? I’d love to fill that role!” Before long I was hired, and I was hooked on Twitter.

At Glamour, Twitter became my best ally. I found fodder there for many a glamour.com blog post. My editors appreciated the timely and innovative suggestions culled by my conversations and observations from Twitter, and I received four bylines on slideshow features for the website during my internship.

Freelance Fashion Writer

From there, I parlayed those bylines into my current role as a fashion blogger for wetpaint.com’s network-authorized television show fan websites, where I discuss sartorial trends as seen on Glee, Gossip Girl, and The Vampire Diaries. I have secured other freelance fashion writing jobs through Twitter contacts, and occasionally still write for glamour.com. I defy you to find more enjoyable gigs!

Seat at Herve Leger

Beyond professional assistance, Twitter is an excellent source for contests. Last fall, I won a seat at the Herve Leger show during fashion week by retweeting the necessary content. On another occasion, I won a a package of clothes and shoes from Tobi.

Invaluable connections

Twitter also brings less tangible but no less powerful benefits. I keep in touch with countless colleagues, both those I’ve met online and in person, quickly and efficiently. My growing network results in invitations to industry events, including shows during fashion week. These relationships are invaluable.

Feeling motivated yet? Then what are you waiting for?!

My Tips for Maximizing Twitter:

Jump in Head First

  • If you’re waiting to join Twitter, don’t let fear stop you. The twitterverse is kind to newbies, and as Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”

Establish Yourself as an Expert

  • Whether your passion is fashion or trucks, pick one or two subjects and follow everyone who seems relevant. Follow whomever those people follow. Comment on and retweet their best content. Share your own thoughts. Include relevant hashtags, so colleagues can find you. I’ve used “#fashion” more times than I can count!

Make Personal Connections

  • Follow those who follow you, and reply to the musings of others whenever warranted. Go out of your way to build relationships. Assist, encourage, and sympathize with your fellow tweeters, and the results may surprise you.

Be Bold and Be Consistent

  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek out opportunities. Check Twitter constantly, and follow up on leads. Remember: you can’t win if you’re not playing.

About Elizabeth Kellogg

Elizabeth Kellogg is currently a grad student in digital media marketing at NYU; contributor at Glamour.com; fashion blogger at Wetpaint TV fan sites for Glee, Gossip Girl, and Vampire Diaries.  Follow her on Twitter @ekelloggny

Photo: Lindsey Garvey for Cake Plate Boutique

Filed Under: Featured, Jobs & Internships, PR Couture, Social Media, Tips & Strategy Tagged With: , , , ,

A Kick In The Pants: Texas Style Council Brings First Fashion Blogger Conference to Austin

March 2, 2011 4 Comments written by Crosby

We put a lot of focus on networking and inclusion at the Texas Style Council conference for this reason; we don’t want anyone to go home NOT having met new people! – Grechen Cohen

While March in Austin is typically synonymous with the interactive media and music conference SXSW, this year the town is getting a much needed kick in the (designer) pants with two new fashion events, the StyleX emerging designers event at SXSW and the Texas Style Council’s inagural blogger conference, taking place March 11-13.

Grechen Cohen and Indiana of Adored Austin are organizing the three day event, which has completely sold out on Sunday, though the free events on Friday and Saturday, including a clothing swap and dance party, are still up for grabs (well, at least when it comes to the clothing swap!). If you’re lucky enough to be in town, be sure to bring your boots and business cards, because this is fashion networking, all warm and welcoming Texas style.

Confirmed speakers include:

Grechen Cohen

Grechen Cohen

Grechen took the time amidst all the planning to answer a few question about the event, fashion blogging and working with fashion PR’s. Grechen is a prolific blogger who has maintained professional style/shopping blogger status since 2006 when she began Grechen’s Closet – a blog devoted to outfit pictures and online shopping. She branched out in 2008 with Grechen’s Codes, filled with hundreds of coupon codes for online shopping, Green Grechen, for eco-fashion, free!grechen for fashion giveaways, Grechen Blogs – a blog about blogging & finally, New to ATXher HQ for Austin’s local Fashion Blogger group.

What was the impetus for creating the Texas Style Council Blogger’s conference?

Last year, Indiana organized a very successful new media brunch and boutique crawl during SXSW and we wanted to take it to the next level this year [by] adding more networking opportunities and a learning component. We also wanted to include bloggers from all over the country. [We want to] provide networking, fun, and learning opportunities for style bloggers – and to do it again next year!

What can attendees expect?

LOTS of fun & networking! We really wanted to put equal emphasis on having fun & learning for this conference. And we made sure to schedule the networking/fun stuff before the actual conference so we’d have a more relaxed, informal atmosphere and everyone would know each other already!

What do you think blogger conferences/events/style networks being run by major print pubs?

I haven’t participated in any fashion/style blogger specific conferences, but I do think they can be valuable if bloggers go into them with a plan, and an idea of what they want to GET OUT of them. And honestly with most conferences, who you meet can be just as important (or more) as what you learn. [However], it’s difficult to meet new people because cliques have already been formed and they’re hard to penetrate. We put a lot of focus on networking and inclusion at the Texas Style Council conference for this reason; we don’t want anyone to go home NOT having met new people!

You chose Jennine Jacobs are your keynote – why is she the perfect fit for your conference?

Jennine is an inspiration to ALL fashion/style bloggers and has done so much to create and build a community; she didn’t just sit back and enjoy her success, she figured out a way to help others be successful, which is what I now try to do as much as possible. And I haven’t met her yet, but we’ve been virtual friends for years, so I’ll admit that one reason is that I REALLY wanted to meet her :)

What are three tips for fashion/style bloggers looking to make blogging a full-time lucrative career?

Well…I don’t know how lucrative it is, but being a full-time blogger is awesome :) Right now, I personally make a living only by selling ads and from affiliate commissions, but I started in 2004 and have a highly-developed niche; I don’t think my success is easily duplicated. I don’t always recommend that bloggers follow the route I took today, but I do believe there is value in selling ads and having affiliate relationships on your site – as long as they are RELEVANT and valuable to your reader. Today, bloggers need to be prepared to go offline and USE their blogs as stepping-stones or as one part of their money-making plans. If you’re a photographer, use your blog as a portfolio. If you’re a stylist, use your blog to get jobs [styling].

What are three examples of how fashion PR’s get it wrong when pitching you? 3 ways they get it right?

Ha! The biggest PR Fail for me is spelling my name wrong, but I also find it disappointing to get pitches featuring celebrities (I NEVER talk about celebrities, which is obvious if you read any of my blogs) and ones where it really just feels like they want me to “announce” something, not that they’re interested in working with me over time to promote their brand. The relationship is what’s important, and I work with several PR’s who keep me well-informed by staying in touch. They don’t just reach out to me when they NEED something from me, they ask what I NEED from them. I’m interested in how can we work together.

Filed Under: News & Events, PR Couture Tagged With: , ,
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