The rise of conscientious fashion has been making subtle momentum over the past few decades. And it’s no surprise with fast fashion and ‘throw-away’ culture contributing more to climate change than aeronautical and shipping industries combined.

So this month, we spoke to Liz, Freelance Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle PR Consultant, whose expertise lies in building ethical and sustainable brands. She discusses her journey from business college to operating her own Independent PR agency, as well as her insights into changing face of Fashion PR.

Tell us about your story and expertise 

Liz Parry PR is a PR & Marketing consultancy, working with boutique, consumer lifestyle brands. I specialise in working with start-up & boutique companies, including; emerging and often ethical; fashion, travel, health & wellness brands.

After graduating from Business College I enjoyed a varied in-house PR & Marketing career that spanned 15 yrs for a range of challenger consumer brands within; food, drink and health before helping to launch ‘People Tree’ – a pioneering Fair Trade fashion company – where I was responsible for launching not only the brand, but the Fair Trade concept to the UK market. This position set the tone for a long career working for a dynamic range of exciting start-up brands and SMEs, often on restricted time and budget allocations; which lead to me developing a strong creative and entrepreneurial edge, with the ability to juggle multiple projects.

I then went on to launch my own independent fashion PR agency in 2006 – before expanding into travel & lifestyle PR in 2010. I now work with clients wanting to launch new products or build existing brand awareness, whilst establishing a consistent media relationship with industry experts and building a legacy of consistent editorial coverage and brand awareness.

In 2016 you completed a digital marketing diploma, do you think PR freelancers need to integrate their services with other disciplines?

Yes! I think it's vital to constantly update your skills to stay relevant in the rapidly changing world of PR.

The digital side was something I was reluctant to get involved in originally, but I soon realised resistance was futile! These days my clients are often as interested (if not more) in digital coverage and working with influencers as they are traditional print PR, so I recommend aiming for a healthy mix of all disciplines to get the best results.

You have worked with a number of clients through the platform. can you tell us about these projects and any results you're happy to share?

I love the Work Crowd for its variety of clients. I’ve managed to work with a fantastically eclectic range of start-up and boutique clients through this platform, from a contemporary men’s tweed brand, to a luxury travel concierge - designer handbags to eyelash serums!

As a fashion PR specialist, has the industry seen any big changes and what predictions do you have for the future?

I now have nearly 20 years of fashion PR experience under my belt, after starting in-house for Fair Trade fashion brand – People Tree. Whilst it was really exciting to launch People Tree and the Fair Trade concept in the UK, it was also highly challenging and very frustrating at times, with a notable lack of understanding from mainstream journalists about slow fashion and ethical production methods.

The changes that we’ve seen recently in how the mainstream market is now fully embracing natural, organic and sustainable lifestyles is really refreshing to see after so many years pushing the message to a niche audience! There will always be room for fast and slow fashion brands in the market, but I’m really encouraged by how many people are now genuinely interested in the provenance of their clothes and lifestyle products in general.

“Working as a remote freelance PR definitely has its pros and cons, but having a platform like The Work Crowd that channels a healthy supply of freelance projects as well as the support from Madeleine and the team, is a real lifeline for us freelancers! Thank you :)”

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