Fashion Week from a Publicist's POV

By Chadner Navarro
September 15, 2011

Laura Woodward

left: Amanda Pearl holiday party—"Amanda set up a mini photo booth area and we all got in it and represented!" says fashion publicist Laura Woodard. right: Woodard, right, with Jessica Spano (VP at Blue Stripe) and Heather White (formerly of Blue Stripe, now at Keri Levitt Communications)

If you’ve tuned in to any of the fashion-related reality shows on TV these days, you know just how hectic and harried New York Fashion Week is. From the shows and the models to the fashion designers and the parties, there’s no shortage of stress and drama for the industry’s hardest hitters. And no one is more familiar with the trials and treasures of the week than the well-heeled publicists who make sure everything is just as it should be.

Fashion publicist Laura Woodard, president of BlueStripe PR, a firm focused on the contemporary fashion and accessories space, has seen it all. The industry vet has worked with some recognizable names in the biz, including super popular denim label Citizens of Humanity, fashion bigwig Isaac Mizrahi and Vladimir Roitfeld. With her resume, you know she’s been around the NYFW block a few times.

This Fashion Week, Woodard's Blue Stripe and sister firm Bismarck Phillips Communications & Media joined forces and worked together. Blue Stripe clients Joy Cioci and Porter Grey presented, and Woodard and her team worked with BCPM on their shows and presentations, which included Preen, Suno, Pamella Love, Edun, Betsey Johnson and Bibhu Mohapatra, among others.

Below she lets us in on everything an aspiring fashion publicist would want to know, from her beginnings as a Fashion Week temp to starting her own firm to her favorite heels to traipse around the tents in.

left: Glamour spread—"Genevieve Yraola is a friend of mine and was styling this shoot and asked me to be part of it. I said I would do it, but only if I could wear my clients as part of my look. The funniest was sending the clip to clients after it came out, it took people a while to notice it was me (if they even noticed)!" says Woodard.

The Inside Source: How did you get into fashion PR?

Laura Woodard: I’ve always known I wanted to work in fashion since I was a kid; I just wasn’t sure what area of fashion I wanted to work in. I was an English Lit major in college, and I loved reading and writing, so I felt that any field I’d be going into would involve writing. Then, I sort of fell into fashion PR. Carrie Phillips (of fashion PR firm Bismarck-Phillips and one of my business partners in Blue Stripe, as well as one of my best friends from college) was working at Nike Communications and got me in the door as a freelancer after I did a quick “crash course” freelancing for some top firms during Fashion Week.

The Inside Source: So your first foray into fashion PR was doing fashion week? How was that?

Laura Woodard: Working the fashion shows as my first official PR job was pretty scary. I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t know anyone there, so I just tried to fake it and not get in trouble. I made it and had such a New York experience. It was nice introduction to New York City and the world of fashion. I couldn’t tell you any of the shows I worked on now, but I remember the first time walking into the show and how cool it was.

The Inside Source: What made you decide to start your own PR firm?

Laura Woodard: When I moved back from Los Angeles, after a few years of working in-house for Citizens of Humanity, I was really struggling with what I wanted to do. I resisted opening my own firm for a long time; I thought there were so many out there already, why open one more? Then one day I was talking with Carrie Phillips and Vanessa von Bismarck about how the contemporary fashion market was growing so rapidly and there weren’t many firms out there truly specializing in that market. I’ve been working with young fashion designers and contemporary for most of my career and it’s always been my focus. The best part of owning a showroom is being able to fill it with only the brands I want to work with and wear. We’ve all had to work on a client who was not really our aesthetic, but I don’t have that anymore. The worst part is that I’m the boss and have to deal with all of the less than fun aspects of running a business: i.e., bills.

The Inside Source: New York Fashion Week is upon us. As a fashion publicist, how do you approach Fashion Week season?

Laura Woodard: I approach it two different ways: For work, it’s all about preparation and being organized with all of the lists, RSVPs, events, etc. The weeks leading up to Fashion Week are filled with meetings, conference calls, walk-throughs, you name it. On top of that, we have our regular client work that has to be maintained as well.

Of course, I also have to be prepared appearance-wise, too: get a manicure and a pedicure before the madness starts, a new pair of heels or a great new dress (it’s nice to have something to be excited about wearing when things get crazy) and a touch up on my “natural” color so I feel really refreshed. I know this probably sounds crazy, but I even started a board on Pinterest with some of my outfits for Fashion Week. I know that when I’m getting dressed at 5am on the morning of a presentation, I’m not going to be able to think of a thing, and I want to have it all planned out beforehand.

The Inside Source: What's your schedule like? Describe a typical day.

Laura Woodard: Fashion Week is so crazy, but it has to be very organized at the same time. During the rest of the year our hours are generally 9am to 7pm (give or take an hour or so), but all bets are off during Fashion Week. Our first presentation of the season is at 9:30 at Lincoln Center, which means our day starts at around 5am and probably won’t end until 11 or 12 that night, sometimes later. After the presentation we have to service images from that show and any other follow up, plus, continue working on the next show or presentation, work events, etc. It’s pretty non-stop during this time of year.

Laura Woodward

left: "Whitney Art Party—one we go to every year; great mix of artists, editors, stylists, etc. With Genevieve Yraola and Dawn Tracey (my incredibly talented colorist/friend)." right: "Mike Gonzalez preview at Soho House with Shane Clark and Jessica Karcher."

The Inside Source: What is your favorite thing about Fashion Week?

Laura Woodard: My favorite thing about Fashion Week is catching up with everyone you haven’t seen in a while. September Fashion Week is like our industry’s first week back to school after everyone’s been traveling for the summer. Of course, it’s always exciting to see some of my favorite fashion idols in person, too. One of the best fashion week sightings ever was Carine Roitfeld. We were working an event for her son, Vladimir, and she came outside to make a call right by my station. Not only was she just about the coolest woman I’ve ever seen, she also managed to keep her cool while an overly enthusiastic photographer snapped her picture like crazy.

The Inside Source: Your Least favorite?

Laura Woodard: My least favorite part is the grueling schedule. I think just about everyone gets sick after Fashion Week, which is better than during. I had one Fashion Week where I was so sick it took everything I had to just stand. Thing is, you have no choice but to suffer through it and try not to breathe on anyone.

The Inside Source: Do you have any tricks of the trade for surviving Fashion Week?

Laura Woodard: Always have backup shoes for multiple show days. I wear my flat shoes for as long as I can before changing into my crazy heels. If we have a few presentations/shows that day, then I try and swap out for a different pair of heels for the next show. The switch makes for a more comfortable day.

Coffee and lots of it. One of the first things I do when I get to the location is head to the catering table for a cup of coffee (even though I’ve just had a large Starbucks on the way). Also, if I have a night without an event, then I make myself go home. When I was in my 20s I’d go to everything possible, but now that I’m in my 30s I’d rather take advantage of a night off my feet wearing my sweatpants.

The Inside Source: What are your favorite Fashion Week heels?

Laura Woodard: I have this gorgeous pair of jade green suede Manolo Blahnik strappy heels that I bought for an event a few years ago, I’m sure those will make the rounds. Also, my royal blue Christian Louboutin d’Orsay heels are always a winning choice. I love putting the color in my wardrobe into my footwear choices; it gives me so much room for accessorizing.

The Inside Source: Do you use eBay? What for?

Laura Woodard: I’m in a huge decorating phase and eBay is my go-to for all things apartment -elated. I am a huge fan of the campy, old surf movies like "Beach Blanket Bingo" and I like to stalk eBay for the giant posters they used to make back in the day. I’m not sure where I would actually hang one in my Brooklyn apartment, since they’re basically the size of my entire living room.

I love the idea of writing a book on a typewriter rather than a computer, so I’ve been searching for the perfect old manual typewriter.

I am also a die-hard Manolo Blahnik fan and consistently am on the lookout for the classic black stilettos on eBay; they're always sold out in the boutique uptown! I’m so mad at myself, I found a pair in my size and didn’t snatch them up immediately; I went back to get them, and they were gone. The hunt goes on!

Laura Woodard’s eBay Wish List  

Pink Royal Vintage Typewriter

"My dream is to write a book on a typewriter rather than my computer. I’ve been looking for a Royal typewriter and love that this one is pink!"
Gidget Surfing Movie Poster

(buy it now price, $199.99)

'"Gidget' is one of my all time favorite movies. I am on the hunt for a huge Gidget poster. I found one recently that was 6 feet by 5 feet and in Italian. I fell in love, but we broke up when I saw that it was selling for $4500!"
Manolo Blahnik Floral Crystal d'Orsay Pump

(buy it now price, $399)

"I’ve always loved the Manolo d’Orsay shoe, but this one is beyond gorgeous. The watercolor print is so pretty; I know I’d be staring at my foot all day long if I was wearing these."
Azzedine Alaia White Lace Up Heels

(buy it now price, $1,300)

"These Azzedine Alaia shoes are insane! I’ve never been a fan of white shoes, but this [find] could have made me a convert (if only for these)."
Isabel Marant Suede Boots

"I loved these Isabel Marant boots so much when they came out, but I had sticker shock and I think I’d look like a pirate in them. I do still love them though…"
Men's Rolex, 14k Gold

"Always at the top of my wish list: a vintage men’s Rolex. Such a classic piece; it’s never going out of style."
Sam Haskins Five Girls First Edition 1962

(buy it now price, $250)

"I’m a huge Sam Haskins fan, and my ultimate dream is to own one of his prints. Until then, I’m always looking for his book, "Five Girls", which is out of print and hard to find."