From their early days working in fashion PR to leading a bi-coastal agency, Michele Marie PR’s co-founders have turned their shared vision into one of the industry’s most dynamic firms. We caught up with Sara Michele Andreasson and Jill Marie McDermott to hear how they built Michele Marie PR from the ground up, the strategies behind their success, and their perspective on what’s next for fashion and lifestyle communications. 

How did each of you first break into fashion and PR, and what inspired you to co-found Michele Marie PR? 

We both started our careers in fashion PR interning and working at various brands such as GUESS, Hugo Boss, Escada, and John Varvatos. 

In 2007, we were hired as the in-house PR team at Joe’s Jeans, where we met. Sara was handling the VIP/celebrity side of PR (influencers didn’t exist!), and Jill was working on editorial and media relations. We quickly realized we made a great, complementary team! So, we resigned on the same sheet of paper and Joe came on as our first client. We were suddenly in business!  

Michele Marie PR works with emerging designers, established brands, and lifestyle innovators—how do you balance creativity and strategy across such a diverse client roster?

We are a robust and dynamic group of 70-plus women servicing our clients. Everyone has a unique point of view, skillset, and level of experience. Therefore, some team members excel in creativity and others in strategic thinking. So we put together a diverse team to tackle the task at hand. Clients often provide feedback that they love our teamwork approach.

You’ve worked extensively with celebrity clients and influencer collaborations. How do you approach cultivating these high-profile relationships while maintaining authenticity for your brands?

The key to cultivating captivating collaborations for our clients is always authenticity. We’ve all seen celebrity collaborations that feel misaligned or obvious to the consumer that there was a big check behind a campaign. Presenting our clients with celebrities and influencers that make sense for their brand, and who are already speaking to their audience, is key. We do extensive research before presenting names to our clients and even then, we often do a “trial run” with a smaller initiative to make sure we are aligning with the right VIP partner.

Your agency offers a full spectrum of services—from press and to celebrity dressing and events. How does being an integrated agency give your clients an advantage, and why is this comprehensive approach so effective?

In this saturated landscape, it’s so important to hit the consumer from multiple touch points. In order to really move the needle we need to be activating through many channels at once – influencers on social media, celebrities in their everyday lives, digital editorial, affiliate press, and IRL events.

With offices in both Los Angeles and New York City, how does a bi-coastal presence shape your approach to campaigns and client engagement?

We really believe in in-person collaboration. We work in-office and value the importance of relationships! We meet with and engage with editors, writers, and segment producers in New York regularly, while we entertain influencers, celebrities, and publicists in Los Angeles. Having boots on the ground on both coasts considerably helps us stay top of mind and ultimately benefits our clients tremendously.

Company culture seems central to your work. How do you foster creativity, collaboration, and growth within your team?

We have fun together! Like any successful team, it’s important that we connect and bond in order to respect each other! We strive for a workplace where our employees feel heard, safe, and valued. At Michele Marie PR, we always want to provide the best service for our clients, but it’s equally important for the women here to develop a skillset, gain financial independence, and have health insurance and 401k benefits so that they can lead a strong, independent lives. 

With your fingers on the pulse of the latest in fashion, beauty and lifestyle, are there any brands, designers, or trends you’re especially loving right now?

We’re excited for what’s to come with the reshuffling of creative directors at many of the major fashion houses. We’ve never seen this much movement, so it’s been fun to see all the shows recently.

We grew up wearing stilettos (!!!) and dresses to work every day, so we are loving embracing sneakers, loafers, and anything comfortable yet elevated. 

Looking ahead, what shifts are you seeing in the marcomms space, and how is Michele Marie PR adapting its strategies to lead in this evolving landscape?

Brands used to speak to ‘demographics.. White, female, 40s in Los Angeles… With the data we have now, we can speak to her through so many data points. What community does she/he identify with? What are her hobbies, interests, priorities, etc.? Brands that can connect authentically with the community will win.