Lia Alessandra is a student at California State University Long Beach. Her earliest involvement in the fashion world came at a young age when she would dress up and wear her mother’s heels around the house. After taking courses in public relations, journalism, and fashion, Lia decided it was time to take the education outside the classroom. She landed her first PR internship at Luxury Brand Group, a full service brand communications agency that specializes in the fine jewelry, fashion and luxury industries. Lia’s love for the fashion industry inspired her to start her own blog and hopes that one day she can be successful launching her own PR or event planning company in L.A.
I am a junior at California State University Long Beach where I am majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations and minoring in Fashion Merchandising and Design. It became apparent to me early on that with today’s tough economy, internships are mandatory before graduation. Fashion PR is a competitive industry, and I knew that interning at an agency like Luxury Brand Group would help me stand out to future employers. Not only have I gained real world experience, I have also been inspired to start my own fashion blog. Blogging has not only strengthened me as a writer, it has been a way for me to gain social media exposure.
I wanted to declare a major that followed my two passions: fashion and event planning. From marketing plans to planning special events, utilizing social media and working with stylists and editors, fashion PR promises all of this excitement and more.
My professor emailed a list of internship opportunities to promote learning outside the classroom. Located in Seal Beach, CA, Luxury Brand Group was the perfect internship for me. Interning at Luxury Brand Group for the past eight months has garnered personal relationships with professionals in the PR industry that will benefit my future. My hard work has paid off too! Luxury Brand Group recently hired me as a part-time paid intern for the summer. I am looking forward to taking on a larger role within the company with more tasks and responsibilities.
The first thing I do in the morning is check emails. I catch up on new placements for our brands that are seen in fashion print magazines such as Marie Claire, Lucky, W and The Knot to name a few. After print I move onto celebrity placement such as Nick Cannon and Carrie Ann Inaba from major television shows. Next, I check my Intern Project Tracker. This is a Google Doc that is shared within the team to keep my projects and tasks organized and up to date. Each day in the office is different. Whether it is updating stylist lists, blogging, assisting with trade show event planning, updating social media, or communicating with clients, I am doing what I love.
Luxury Brand Group is a successful, dedicated, and motivated agency. Our team strives to make our clients happy while making the workplace inviting and positive. Each team member has a hands-on approach to exceed each client’s expectations through print, online, celebrity, television, and product placement. Not only is Luxury Brand Group a PR agency, we are also a full-service marketing and advertising agency and often become an extension of our clients’ marketing department.
Managing 15 brands at a boutique PR agency is challenging. However, the trust and personal relationships we have with each client is what makes me love working at a smaller agency. Personally, my main challenge is completing my projects on time. The PR industry moves at a fast pace, but that is what makes me determined to work harder everyday.
I am involved with both PR and social media within our agency. On the PR side of Luxury Brand Group, I am responsible for tracking press coverage, updating and maintaining media outreach databases and contact lists, attending company meetings and client related events. I also help with status reports, client research, writing press releases, pitching, and updating stylists and consumer demands for future placements. On the social media side, I am responsible for brainstorming blog topics and helping to maintain our client’s social media accounts and websites.
My dream fashion PR job would be to establish my own event planning or fashion PR firm in Los Angeles. I want to go to work every day loving what I do. Although the industry is rigorous, I continue to work towards my passion knowing that one day I will be a fashion PR professional.
