Meet Emily Wriston, the Miami-based founder of Luxe PR Agency. We caught up with Emily about how it all started, the importance of staying true to your passion and what she's learned since launching her fashion PR agency five years ago. Read on for the key advice she'd impart on fellow entrepreneurs in the PR world and beyond.
What attracted you to the PR industry and how did you get your start?
I fell in love with fashion PR in 2010, while watching Kelly Cutrone’s Bravo series ‘Kell on Earth.’ At age sixteen, her show made me feel like the fashion PR world was calling me in some way. Kelly Cutrone was known as a boss who took no BS and established herself as an authority leader in the fashion PR industry, which I admired and recognized even at such a young age. I always knew I wanted a career in fashion, but I also was intrigued by the PR industry. So, I went to a fashion college and majored in fashion marketing. Throughout college, I went back and forth between starting a luxury fashion publication or pursuing fashion PR, and finally decided that fashion PR was my calling. I loved the idea of mixing fashion, business, communications, events, creativity, storytelling and branding all into one career.
What made you decide to start your own agency?
During my senior year of college at The Art Institute of Washington-Northern Virginia, I applied, interviewed for and was offered a PR internship in NYC at PR Consulting, but an unfortunate obstacle was thrown my way. My college was unable to transfer the internship credit if I were to transfer to The Art Institute of NYC, so I had to pass on not only that job experience in fashion PR, but also what fashion PR is like in NYC, all the people I could have met or job opportunities I might have been offered. I did get a PR internship for a local bridal shoppe in Northern Virginia, but that was nothing compared to what the fashion PR industry is truly like and the experience I needed.
I applied to a few local D.C. PR agencies soon after I graduated, since I was still living in the “DMV” area, but was turned down. I felt like a failure: here I was, a fresh college graduate and unable to get a job in a field I was so passionate about. A year later, still working in fashion retail, I decided that if I wanted to work in the fashion PR industry I needed to create my own agency. Time waits for no one. As a young, self-confident entrepreneur, I was aware of my strengths, weaknesses and abilities. I had been through many career obstacles, but had not even started my official career yet, and all these challenges pushed me to launch my agency, Luxe PR, in 2017. The difficulties I overcame shaped me into the successful entrepreneur I am today, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Tell us a little about your experience as an entrepreneur.
I truly enjoy it. I am able to build and position my agency to be exactly what I want it to be without anyone telling me how or what to do. I built Luxe PR without prior PR agency experience, only a fashion marketing bachelor's degree and what I learned in college. I had ZERO connections and didn't come from a wealthy family. I had to teach myself the ins and outs of PR; it was overwhelming, but my desire to be successful pushed me through. I knew I had to differentiate my agency from others in order for us to be successful and attract unique clients. As an entrepreneur, there is no such thing as a smooth road, but that’s the beauty of it. I’ve learned to find innovative ways to adjust and grow not only personally, but also as an agency owner.
Please share a few career highlights with us.
We signed on our first client, an NYC jewelry designer, two months after our launch in 2017, which was a huge accomplishment for me as an entrepreneur. I hired an intern a few months later, and the rest is history!
What are a couple of current projects you’re excited about?
We are currently working on an exclusive event for our client JULIETTE with Tory Burch Mercer Street, the founder of VC Unleashed Michelle Dhansinghani and a few NYC creatives. Stay tuned for more on that.
Any future goals and/or plans you’re working towards?
Building our client list! We hope to bring on three new clients within the next year. We are a small agency and like to keep our client list exclusive because we’re LUXE. For us, the two Cs – client connection and communication – are more important than having a ton of clients. We operate as a bespoke PR agency.
What’s your most essential advice for young PR pros starting their careers?
NEVER GIVE UP. You will hear “no” a lot, be rejected and feel like a failure, but never ever give up on yourself or your passion. Have a positive attitude; your reputation will always matter and stick with you throughout your career. Learn from your mistakes. Be persistent, assertive and speak up. Never stop learning, continue to educate yourself daily – read books, articles, listen to business oriented podcasts and stay up to date on trends.
To celebrate the release of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2022, the magazine partnered with 3CS Productions for the SI Swimsuit On Location at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. The ticketed two-day experiential consumer activation included meaningful panel discussions, model meet-and-greets and an inside look at the making of the 2022 issue, along with engaging activations from partners – including Celsius, Frida Mom, Maybelline, Nine West and Sunflow. The event also celebrated Pay With Change initiative, a new gender equity advertising initiative launched earlier this year that is turning the SI Swimsuit franchise into a platform for change.
3CS designed the outdoor space, transforming the original pool at the property into a branded, beach-inspired experience with custom fabricated elements and takeovers of existing cabanas. These featured a variety of programming, including a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine cover photo activation; a US Virgin Islands cabana featuring branded coconuts and relaxing chair massages to give guests a taste of a vacation; and a Maybelline cabana focused on mindfulness and self-care with personal astrology readings by astrologist Sofia Adler, empowering guests on how to leverage their innate strengths and be true to who they are.
Event highlights included a morning workout class led by SI Swimsuit rookie Katie Austin, model meet-and-greets with cover stars Maye Musk and Yumi Nu and impactful panels on the mainstage, including a Brave Together panel presented by Maybelline, meant to drive awareness of mental health issues and break the stigma around therapy by amplifying key voices and decreasing stigma. The panel was moderated by Joy Taylor and featuring SI Swimsuit models Camille Kostek, Jasmine Sanders, Kate Bock, Leyna Bloom, Tanaye White and Marquite Pring.
“It has been really meaningful to work with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on this project, especially with the focus on Pay With Change initiative“ said Chelsea Wilson, CEO & Founder of 3CS. “Seeing them work to make a difference in the world is something we’re proud to be a part of.”
