via Oh La La by Ani Baez.

“Is PR becoming to overexposed?” asked Yanique PR.

Public relations is tough. Fashion public relations is just another part of the beast.

It’s an interesting discussion and has been brought to the forefront with the debut of Kelly Cutrone’s new reality series on BravoTV called Kell on Earth. Debuting on Monday February 1, 2010 it was filled with more bark than bite. Which is sad because Miss Cutrone is a seasoned public relations professional whose show would have made me question my field of choice had I seen it as an undergraduate in university back in 2005 when I took my first PR class.

Bravo’s new series follows the owner of People’s Revolution, a New York City fashion public relations agency, through Fashion Week Fall 2009 and the circus that ensues.

“We’re publicists not magicians.”

• Hailing Miranda! … Where’d she go? Eh? … and umm Andrew? Robyn? Whaaa?
  

What I don’t get why Cutrone was promoted as this rival for Miranda Priestly? … I didn’t see that after watching the show. And to her credit, that’s a good thing. But still, shouldn’t the publicity plan for a public relations show actually be in line with what the show is about? Especially, if it’s aimed at a) reality television watchers b) public relations and alike folks who can ’see through’ stunts and c) all the other people on their target audience list.

Which brings me to Cutrone’s newest assistant Andrew, a goth gay guy who wears a floor-length, black sequined dress by David Delfin from “last season” to Delfin’s Fall ‘09 show, accented with some flannel tartan hybrid piece.

He then goes on to say,

“You are incapable of focusing on anything when I’m in your presence.” – Andrew, the assistant

to justify his ensemble. This is the same guy that Cutrone hired based on instinct because she said on the show she was tired of interviewing all those little blond girls who want to work for her (*cough* Whitney Port *cough*). Methinks it’s all about ratings because every time this guy opens his mouth, as sweet and kind as he seems, he looks like an arrogant idiot, deer in headlights.

Lusting after models, delving into discussions with his boss about finding himself a sexual partner (possibly some random dude the camera pans too across the street) and some — well, it makes dear Andrew out to be the opposite of what a publicist is supposed to be and are paid to do. His words (above) not mine.

via WeHeartIt.com

Which brings me full circle to Robyn, a rather important employee at People’s Revolution.

Robyn gets angry at a entry-level employee named Stephanie Vorhees for not organizing one of the showrooms properly. She scolds Stephanie and tells her how clean, “nice” and put together the showroom must look for David Delfin’s arrival because impressions are everything.

Yet, I’m wondering if I’m only one baffled by this because when Robyn greets David Delfin when he arrives all of a few hours later, she looks like she’s heading out to yoga class in gym/track pants and a tank top.

Eh? Hypocrite, anyone?

Oh and Robyn never showed Delfin the showroom Stephanie put together, by the way.

via ABC News

• Hookers, Legal Drugs and Excessive Vulgarity

Between scraping for ratings by bringing in Ashley Dupré (of the Governor Elliott Spitzer prostitution scandal), showing employees offering each other Ativan (Andrew S. – the pill pusher of People’s Revolution apparently) and the excessive use of vulgar language — I wasn’t feeling it.

“Pharmaceuticals really help at People’s Revolution. If I offer her an Ativan she should just take it. It really helps.” – Andrew S.

In one scene, during the daytime, the office’s legalized druggie offers Cutrone’s ex-assistant, turned junior account executive, Stefanie, some Ativan while she on the verge of tears (does this poor girl ever sleep? *yikes!*) over something minor … and easily fixed, yet again. (Did anyone train this girl? — poor thing!)

Ativan? Sorry not all of us are druggies … even of the legalized kind and if we were we wouldn’t flaunt it. Period.

The vulgar language … I felt like I was watching an hour-long tune by Eminem, Lil’ Wayne and Jay-Z. Good grief. Seriously?

Photo By Brian Ach/Wire Image

And for those of you who don’t know Ashley Dupré and Kelly Cutrone have a history. During Spring Fashion Week 2009, Ashley Dupré supposedly crashed a fashion show by designer Yigal Azrouël that Cutrone was producing (though according to WWD, Dupre was in fact invited by Cutrone.) They subsequently fired her afterward and it was in the news for a few weeks. I’m just curious why Cutrone needed to call Dupré for her pilot, if not for ratings. By the way, the show aired on February 1, 2010 and Cutrone’s book was dropping in stores the next day — February 2, 2010.

“I really like this girl!”

However, I must point out that I did like when Cutrone said that she’s nice and friendly to Ashley Dupré because she has “no reason not to be.” That in itself shows a lot of character and is very admirable, I just wish that was brought across in the rest of the show. Obviously, Cutrone knows her stuff and is a Queen Bee or else People’s Revolution wouldn’t be as successful as it is.

I also give her major brownie points and kudos for standing up for Dupré and saying,

“People are still so archaic. Who’s a hooker? Am I a hooker? Do I necessarily want to speak to my clients every day? No. Do I have to talk to them because they’re paying me money to give them good phone? Hell yeah.”

via WeHeartIt.com

• Organization, or lack there of
  

When I took my very first public relations class we watched episodes of MTV’s short-lived (thank goodness) public relations reality show PoweR Girls (incidentally, this was a term, Cutrone kept repeating throughout the show.) This show was an example of what NOT to do in public relations. You know things like don’t drink a shots and shots of vodka when you’re supposed to be working, especially after your boss tells you not to. Other lessons like be prepared and have your stuff together instead of going shopping for a little dress to wear to the event you’ll be working that night. etc. etc. etc.

Public relations folks are supposed to be master’s at organization. Therefore, why in the world did People’s Revolution seem like a disorganized mess in the first episode?

I’m very confused.

The printer breaking? Riigghhtt.

Not that that isn’t possible or probable, but the entire situation, especially coming from a PR perspective, made me wonder. I don’t know a single public relations professional, event planner or advertising executive who doesn’t have a backup plan. It’s in our nature, it’s set up in our offices — we are bred to be prepared for the expected and even the unexpected of the unexpected.

So when “the list” for a fashion show (and the bread and butter for People’s Revolution) couldn’t be printed — I don’t understand why there was this drawn out (for ratings???) 20 minutes of drama, when all someone had to do was stick the file on a USB flash-drive and haul their butts over to an outside printer?

I’m having a hard time believing that the Kell on Earth team is THAT disorganized in real life.

Not only that, but there was another scene in the pilot episode where a monitor was missing from the David Delfin show. This was something the designer requested and it apparently didn’t show up until very, very late. Cutrone is an event planning, fashion show expert. She’s the Regina George of her field (to her credit) so the fact that this was an issue and something so minor made me think it was something that didn’t actually happen. And if it did, then Cutrone just exposed herself and a flaw.

The flip side to that argument is that she’s human and we aren’t robots, or magicians and we all make mistakes. Yes, that is absolutely true.

But I feel that if you label yourself as a Queen Bee and expert — you should come across that way. Especially, if cameras are filming you. Period.

“Client have high expectations.”

via WeHeartIt.com

• Where is the fashion in the fashion?

Since we’re talking about a fashion related reality television show, I don’t feel bad to point this out.

But I’d really like someone to tell me where all the concealer was?

You know concealer, that under eye makeup women wear (and men wish they could) to hide their dark under eye circles. I’m sorry, I’m also in public relations and even if I wasn’t, I take my own personal branding (i.e., how I am perceived/looked at by by others) seriously and take pride in my appearance.

Anna Wintour, the overall MASTER of the fashion world, does this too.

It was invisible, non-existent, no where to be found in Kell on Earth.

Therefore, doesn’t it look just a little strange that the people behind some of the biggest fashion shows don’t look the part? Not even for the cameras?

via WeHeartIt.com

Watching the pilot for Kell on Earth was like watching MTV’s PoweR Girls and cringing the whole way through.