On April 11, 2011 I attended Zipped magazine’s event with Kelly Cutrone. Many of us can only associate her with shows like The Hills or The City, but Kelly is more than the ultimate public relations practitioner in the fashion industry. I was pleasantly surprised how genuine Kelly was when speaking to a room filled with enthusiastic girls. She was not there to talk only fashion, but to provide us with a sense of knowledge about maturing into successful women. Before success can be obtained, one must know whom he or she is. She stressed one can only discover his or her identity by knowing what he or she does not like. For example, she started out in the nursing profession and discovered it was not the right fit. Public relations was the perfect fit for her witty, blunt and aggressive personality. She started by getting a thrift store a three page spread in Vogue. Vogue also helped her venture into show biz. She admitted that her appearance on The Hills and The City was due to the guidance of Anna Wintour. Why would Anna Wintour decide to do reality TV with her “baby” magazine Teen Vogue? With social media on the verge, reality TV was an outlet for exposure. Reality TV was a way to increase brand awareness. It also brought light to the profession of public relations.
Personally, I had never heard of public relations before watching the show. Even though the show sometimes provided a misrepresentation of the profession by focusing more on drama, I was able to understand the type of committee needed to work within the industry. Kelly clarified this committee as she talked about personal experiences to relentlessly make it.
