The ? of Public Relations and Runway's

            I’ve been working on Runway’s, Prêt-a-Porter, and Couture since 1995 and have seen the politics and business of the show’s change twice.  I believe possibly another change is upon us this season in September. 

In the 80’s and earlier 90’s the designers would pay for their hair and make up out of their own pocket. Or if they were really wanted by the press, one of their sponsor’s from their gift bags they give away to each patron at their shows, would donate a few thousand dollars to the designer for their show.

Then in the mid 90’s MAC Cosmetics came along with a brilliant plan of showcasing their Brand. They provided money to the designer on top of paying for the director and their team.  An inexpensive way of doing PR considering how much they paid and what they would receive.  Through this they changed how hair and make up were paid doing the shows. MAC started with their sponsored make up artist, “ Tom Pecheax, Stephan Maria, Fulvia Farolfi.. Exec.” and would give the clothing designers 20,000.00. They would also pay for the director’s pay and their team. In return MAC would have their brand name plastered in the back of the runway, in the bags and videos of the back stage interviews and such, creating heightened brand awareness using PR. This went on for a few years then all the make up brands were doing the same thing. Eventually by 2001 all the big hair brands got in it also. It has been that way up to this coming season.

Now for the first time some major brand players in hair and make up are stepping down from their sponsorship’s to the designers and artists. The Global hair and make up Contractors of the big brands AKA (Guido, Tom Beusche, Pat McGraph, Liugi,… ect.) are still getting their designer’s sponsored but the rest of the national contractors on that label aren’t. This does two very interesting things.

1)                    It leaves the clothing designer’s 40,000.00 out of cash they are used to from the hair and make up sponsors. This is leaving them scrambling to see if on of the big names (PG, J&J exec) will sponsor their hairdresser and make up that they want.

2)                    It also allows the smaller tier companies an opportunity to get their foot into this awesome PR playground with sponsorships less than 20,000.00. Possibly they might be able to  negotiate just paying for the director and team for hair and make up.

Whatever the out come this season that is upon us brings. We might be able to see a new way of business, PR, in the hair and make up area of the shows.

“Always change, never fear it, its life.”    Noah