‘The Hills’ fashion guru and boss Cutrone to speak
She is an entrepreneur, fashionista and boss of two MTV reality stars. Kelly Cutrone, founder of People’s Revolution, where Whitney and Lauren from ‘The Hills’ work, will be speaking Friday at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Cutrone will speak at 2 p.m. in Room 102 located in Newhouse 1, where she plans to talk about the importance of branding in fashion
‘Students can learn a lot about public relations and what it’s like to be in the limelight,’ said Carla Lloyd, director of the Fashion and Beauty Communications Milestone and advertising professor in the Newhouse school.
Cutrone, a Syracuse native, is the founder and head of People’s Revolution, a well-known fashion public relations, branding and marketing firm. Recently, the business has made news as the place of ‘The Hills’ star Whitney Port’s internship. Lauren Conrad was recently asked to join the team as well.
Her appearance, which is co-sponsored by the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture and the Fashion and Beauty Communications Milestone Program, comes at the hand of senior advertising major Rachel Abzug, who interned for Cutrone this past summer.
‘As soon as I started taking Fashion Advertising and Promotions class, I knew I wanted her to come up here to speak,’ Abzug said. ‘It’s just a coincidence that this is happening while the show’s appearing on air.’
Cutrone and the world of fashion PR influenced Abzug during her internship for People’s Revolution, and she maintained ties with Cutrone throughout the school year. She hatched the plan for Cutrone to come to Syracuse since February even though it just recently fell into place.
Abzug said as a Syracuse native, Cutrone has had a deep interest in coming back and settling in the area, and she has even expressed an interest in one day teaching for the university.
Once described in Vanity Fair as ‘the coolest mover and shaker in PR,’ Cutrone is responsible for holding the record for most shows produced during New York City’s Fashion Week, and her firm helped develop known brands such as Longchamp and IMG’s Fashion Week.
‘This isn’t just for people interested in fashion or just Newhouse and (the College of Visual and Performing Arts) students,’ Abzug said. ‘Everyone has something to learn from her, she built her business from the ground up.’
Cutrone grew up in the Camillus area of Syracuse, N.Y., and attended West Genesse High School.
‘She can offer excellent career advice,’ Lloyd said. ‘It’s great anytime to see someone move on and make it big, especially from the community.’
Published on April 23, 2008 at 12:00 pm
