Meet Julia Melbourne, the founder and director of Iris Public Relations. Having worked in-house for the likes of Margiela, Stella McCartney, Agent Provocateur and Topshop, Julia treats clients of her creative consultancy with that same dedicated, 360-degree approach. Read on about some of the international RTW, lifestyle and luxury brands she works with, and how her career has evolved from  her years in the UK to her now home in the states. 

What attracted you to the PR industry and how did you get your start? 

I was studying French at university and always wanted to work in fashion. I didn’t have any contacts in the industry so I sent letters of motivation to fashion houses in Paris. I had offers for an internship at Chanel and Margiela which was a really tough call, but I chose Maison Martin Margiela and feel very grateful that I was able to experience the company at such an exciting and special time when it was very small. We worked in a beautiful house in Paris and the team was more like a family. I feel so grateful to have had that experience and be part of that time – many of the show and sample requests came through on fax. I met so many people who I am still good friends with today. 

What were you doing before you moved to the states? 

I worked in London for fifteen years – I was in-house at Agent Provocateur during it’s heyday … then at Topshop for four years to launch the Kate Moss Topshop collection and set up their VIP relations team. After that I worked at agencies with clients including Mulberry, Tabitha Simmons and Alice Temperly as well as working on the British Fashion Awards and Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year awards.  

I was in-house with Stella McCartney for two years – we did some really fun parties and shows during that time and it was an incredible opportunity to work so closely with such an established British designer who I had admired for so long.

Four years before moving to the states, I set up a business in London, providing PR, VIP and Events Services to, as well as was consulting with a number of brands and designers including Alexander McQueen, Byredo, Paul Smith, Pringle of Scotland, Maison Michel and Barrie Knitwear (both part of Chanel’s Métiers d'Art), Ralph & Russo, ReDone and Chylak Accessories.  

Who have you worked with since moving to the USA?  

As well as bringing some clients over with me to the USA I moved in a very organic way into lifestyle – bringing my experience in the fashion and entertainment industries to help position hotels and properties to international audiences through editorial, ambassadors, brand partnerships, events and cultural programming. I have been working with Villa Carlotta in Hollywood since it opened in 2018 – we have enjoyed many successes together including front cover stories and shoots with Natalie Portman, Sharon Stone, John Hamm, Andra Day, Regina King, Zooey Deutch, Hailey Bieber and Hailee Steinfeld.  

Over the past few years I have also worked with Rosetta Getty, Pringle of Scotland, Ancient Greek Sandals (who just collaborated with Harley Viera-Newton) as well as Chylak accessories and some art and jewelry clients. I have some exciting things in the pipeline that I’m not allowed to mention quite yet!   

What does your role as Founder & Director of Iris Public Relations entail? 

Iris is a creative consultancy for international RTW, lifestyle and luxury brands providing services across the US and European markets, with an in-house approach. We expand and contract as necessary which allows us to be nimble and work in an organic way with clients to really deliver what suits them and their business.  

I realised that there was an opportunity to work in a very dedicated, bespoke way, thinking in a 360° way for clients on longer-term positioning rather than season to season. Some brands and designers felt they were overlooked in some of the big agencies.    

Some of the brands and designers I have worked with brought me in to work with them on specific projects – to organise events, shows, dinners or to launch a new store or collection. Other clients I work with on a longer-term basis, offering traditional services to build their brands through ambassadors, red-carpet dressing and PR, as well as longer term strategy and creative direction. 

Please share a few career highlights with us.

There are so many! Mainly getting to work with so many great people over the years. Some personal favorites are shooting with Corrine Day at Margiela, working with Kate Moss on her collection and shooting the Natalie Portman cover story for Harper’s Bazaar at Villa Carlotta in Hollywood. 

What are a couple of current projects you’re excited about?

While there were fewer in-person events last year I worked on several creative projects for clients to bring their collections to life and to connect with women around the world. One concept was for British brand Huishan Zhang for which we shot portraits of women in lockdown to hear about some of their experiences from the year. It was a wonderful way to connect with each other after the long isolation, while raising funds and awareness for Women for Women International to help women in war torn countries who were having an even tougher time than us. We have another portfolio launching this month. 

Any future goals and/or plans you’re working towards?  

Over the years I have been advising a lot of clients on creative direction, their identity and strategy for a longer-term vision, far beyond the scope of traditional PR. I really love this and am excited to be doing more of it. I’ve also been spending a lot of time back on the East coast, for Frieze, for shoots, and to catch up with clients and press based there. I am working on some exciting projects which I will be able to talk about soon and as things finally re-open we have some upcoming events on both coasts, which I’m really excited about -  It is going to be a fun year!