5 Tips for Working with Fashion Magazines to Promote Your Designer Collection

The fashion and jewelry industries can be equal parts exhilarating and the most intense pressure cookers. Things are constantly changing and it’s easy for an entrepreneur to feel overwhelmed in trying to keep up with the rapid pace of it all. As a couture jeweler who specializes in handcrafting one-of-a-kind designs, my collections and custom pieces serve as counterpoints to the cookie-cutter fast fashion styles and are frequently showcased in editorial photo shoots.

It’s exciting collaborating with a variety of stylists on runway shows, red carpet events, and editorials, which is an important tool for promoting your designs. Here are some tips I learned about collaboration and protecting your work.

How to Collaborate with Stylists and Editors to Promote Your Designer Collection

Collaborating with fashion stylists and editors is a great way to promote your brand and collections. When a collaboration works well it’s a win-win for everyone involved, the stylists and editors get great pieces for their media projects and clients, you as a designer get great press and increase the perceptions of your brand. Below are 5 tips for making sure your next collaboration is successful.

1. Have fantastic images and descriptions of your work. The selection process is much more likely to happen online than in person so having stunning images of your pieces on pure white backgrounds aka “knockouts” is a must. (See my article on “4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Fashion Photography Budget”) Include detailed descriptions with each piece so the editors and stylists will have all of the information they need to select the best and most appropriate pieces for their projects.

2. Discuss and agree on the details ahead of time. Before agreeing to loan your designs, it is critical to have all of the details for the project decided upon before any items are shipped. Critical details such as length of the loan, shipping method including fees and reimbursement, insurance, assuming responsibility for loss or damage, and designer credits are a typical part of any loan agreement discussion. Note that some editorial and styling projects involve high profile clients and the editors and stylists may not be able to share information on the client they’re pulling pieces for due to confidentiality agreements.

3. Put it in writing. Once you’ve worked out the details of the loan, put everything in writing in a loan agreement document that lists all of the project details as well as the item description and value of each piece on loan. It is also good to include any special packing or wearing instructions with the loan agreement. This will ensure your designs travel as safely as possible and are worn properly once they arrive. Include hard copies of these documents in your shipment.

4. Understand the process. The styling and editing process is just as creative as the design process and plans can change at the last minute. Stylists and editors will often request more pieces then they can use so they can see how everything comes together in real life and then edit pieces down to the best final looks. Just because your designs were requested for a given project doesn’t mean they’ll always make it to print, on the runway or red carpet. If you loan pieces and they get left “on the cutting room floor” for a given project, don’t take it personally, it’s all part of the process.

5. Give credit where credit is due. Once the styling or editorial project is made public be sure to give credit where credit is due. List and tag the stylist, editor, celebrity or model, photographer, hair and makeup artists, and publication or event name in all of your social media posts and marketing for the press your pieces have received. It’s a small world and people notice when you give credit and thank those who contributed to a successful project that makes your work look fantastic.

I’ve designed jewelry since I was 5 years old. My love of jewelry and design runs deep in my DNA. My parents even fell in love over a jewelry counter. My passion for creating jewelry is to celebrate and enhance the unique beauty of every woman. Every detail in my jewelry designs possesses a love and tradition of artisan hand-craftsmanship found only in true couture. My clients are extraordinary women with their own unique sense of style, a desire to stand out from the crowd, and a passion for collecting art, fashion and design.

My collections have been exhibited in international art gallery shows and worn by celebrities including Sophia Bush, Jillian Barberie, Nona Gaye, Dina Manzo, Miss Brazil 2010 Debora Lyra, and Leslie Rodriquez of Latin music group Las Fenix. My designs have also been showcased on the runways of New York Fashion Week and featured in numerous art and fashion publications including 500 Pendant & Lockets, Art Jewelry Today, and the covers of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, LA Brides, and Created Woman magazines.

Visit my website to view the beautiful product photography shot by Jules Images of my collections. Click here to read more of my articles for Fashion Mingle.