How to Pitch Rachel Aschenbrand, People StyleWatch

People StyleWatch is dedicated to making fashion and beauty trends accessible, affordable and fun.  First launched as a special newsstand extension of PEOPLE in 2002, People StyleWatch is published 11 times a year, with a guaranteed circulation of 800,000 and reaches 5.6 million readers each month.  PeopleStyleWatch.com is the #1 style magazine website reaching 3 million unique visitors and averaging 150 million pageviews each month with content that is refreshed throughout the day.  Every day on PeopleStyleWatch.com you’ll see the latest looks from the red carpet and get the latest scoop on trends, as well as tips on fashion, beauty and shopping.

Rachel Aschenbrand is Fashion Editor at People StyleWatch.

How do you prefer to be pitched?

Email, without a doubt, I don’t have time to listen by phone and I can have all the pertinent info in writing to show my editors.

How much lead-time do you need?

About three months is the best time but it really all depends… I couldn’t be specific because it changes all the time.

What types of pitches do you want to receive?

I don’t necessarily want to hear what big trends are for the season and which clients from that publicist have that trend. We know the trends as editors and those just feel like sales pitches. I specifically always want to know about new brands, collaborations and anything noteworthy. I want to know what celebrities are loving from various brands, especially in the cheaper market- that goes a long way with our magazine.

What makes a great pitch?

Concise and to the point- I don’t need a lot of flourish in the writing or an elaborate story to grab my attention. Tell me the who, what, where and price! If anything, a pitch that’s too cutesy is kind of off-putting.

If you are interested in a particular fashion brand for coverage, what do you need to move forward?

All of the above information, when it launches in stores and/or online and when I can get the samples to shoot!

How can a fashion publicist to build a relationship with you?

It’s always nice to get breakfast or a manicure, pedicure- something mellow where you can chat  and get to know the publicist on a more personal level. Also, being on top of things and responding promptly to requests is always huge in building a relationship- if I know I can rely on someone to get their job done, it makes my job that much easier and fosters a great working relationship.

What is a guarantee that a brand/publicist will never hear back from you?

If they pitch me something that our magazine doesn’t cover- like events or menswear or super high end products that cost a fortune. I may pass them along to someone else but if you are pitching to a magazine, you need to know your audience.

What do you wish more fashion brands/publicists understood about People StyleWatch?

See above! We don’t cover men’s products, children’s products, super high end luxury items. And we operate separately from People Weekly.