Recap: ♣ St. Louis ♣ Fashion Week

Having just started at Alive Magazine at the beginning of October, I plunged right into the heart of STL arts & culture as PR intern for St. Louis Fashion Week from October 9th-18th. The magazine is the co-sponsor of the biannual Saint Louis Fashion Week, so I was swamped daily. Alive is a lifestyle media publication for emerging urban professionals in the STL area. It covers everything from local food to the arts to fashion to the burgeoning startup scene in STL. As a PR/Marketing intern, I worked directly with the press during #STLFW, assisting Alive's Marketing Director in coordinating the flow during the shows, driving bloggers & VIP guests throughout the week, & acting as PR backup. It was a lot of work, but I'm glad to say it was an incredible experience & an insider's look into the fashion industry, media production, & event management.  

One insight I gained was a peek into bloggers' impact as media. I will admit, blog aesthetics might feel more redundant in 2014 than they did in 2009, but the power of blogs is HUGE. Blogs are blank canvases carefully curated/written/advertised as media influencers, authorities, and sources of creativity. Alive flew in six "Special Guest" bloggers whose blogs are not only their own earning quotas, but also marketing points for Alive's digital strategy. It's crazy how much of an impact the viral nature of social media had in propelling these bloggers to fame, fortune, & opportunities. The market side of the web is truly fascinating. Anyhow, here are some highlights...

• ·Heavy hitter attendees: Fern Mallis (creator of NYFW), Christine Barberich (R29), Derek Blasberg (Harper's Bazaar editor & STL native) 

• the draanks! Sponsors included SkinnyGirl Wine, Redd's Apple Ale, Pinnacle Vodka, etc. and guess who got to be a "bartender" for the 10/16 After-party? (I just gave out the leftovers for maybe an hour, but SO much fun!) 

As you can see, the venue was absolutely gorgeous! The St. Louis Union Station is an incredible space in beautiful art deco style & a Halloween-esque "light show" in Grand Hall. The perfect location to showcase STL's rich history and to resurrect its "garment industry" legacy.

As I mentioned, I dealt directly with the press (at the Media Table check-in) and (less directly) with the bloggers, who I chauffeured and helped "supervise" their STLFW-sponsored freebie activities. These included a trip to Naturalizer (sponsored by STL's own Brown Shoe Company) with a complimentary pair of shoes; a delectable lunch at The Cheshire; a tour of St. Louis highlighting the Loop (with store discounts & lunch at Salt & Smoke), Forest Park, & the City Museum, sponsored by the CVC; & a complimentary dinner from Hiro Kitchen.     

My favorite part of the week was perhaps the last event, which was coincidentally on my birthday (October 18th!). Held at the Sam Fox School of Design at Washington University, Alive co-sponsored STLFW's Fashion Forum, featuring fashion industry experts (in design, branding, publishing, etc), professors of art, design, & theory, and blogger entrepreneurs. I only saw 2 talks, but I was very impressed. 

 Myself with P. Ryan, my fellow PR intern (& an amazing blogger!) for the week!

 xo ♡ SFB