"Make Your Mark"

“Fashion is not something that exists in clothing only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

~ CoCo Chanel

When looking up at the huge billboards in Times Square, or glossing over the pages of your favorite fashion magazine, one does not often think about how the various, illustrious components of style somehow seemingly come together for your viewing pleasure.

The business of fashion is something that is often overlooked, as people tend not to wonder about how it is that certain clothing, brands and designers get placed in magazine ads or campaigns, or who it is that does the styling and selecting of editorials in general. How does a fashion company go from a new, upcoming, no named business - to a top-tier celebrated brand, appearing on the pages of Vogue?

Today’s post features an interview with Max Bonbrest (Showroom Manager/PR Coordinator), followed up by next week’s interview with Ronit Gladstone (PR Specialist) both from H&M, where I currently intern. They were gracious enough to sit down and talk with me about fashion (both the editorial and business side) and how it is they came to be where they are today – some of the elite faces behind the scenes of one of the world’s largest fashion companies.

Max Bonbrest

How old are you, where did you grow up, and where do you currently live?

MB: I am 28 years old, grew up right here in NYC (in the East Village), and am currently living in SoHo, about 10minutes from work!

When and where did you go to college? What did you major in?

MB: I went to the University of Michigan, and graduated in the class of 2004. I majored in Communications, with a concentration on Journalism.

Before entering college, what were your childhood dreams and aspirations of becoming?

MB: I always wanted to be a photojournalist, as I LOVE photography. I specifically wanted to work with National Geographic…a part of me still does. Maybe when I’m a bit older.

So how and why did you decide to change your mind during/after college, as to your career choice?

MB: Well I worked for a production company after I graduated, where my job specifically focused on photography. After working on a hand full of shoots, I realized I wanted more.

I wanted to be involved in every aspect of the shoot, and I wasn’t sure exactly what to do next.

So I ended up getting another position assisting on shoots for Bumble&Bumble (a very well known hair product company), and worked with them during Fashion Week.

After that was over, I was told that another company had an opening in their Public Relations department in L.A., and I thought why not? I’ve been in NYC for such a huge chunk of my life, and wanted something different, and I also really started to become more interested in Fashion as a career choice. My father was in L.A., the weather and lifestyle was such a great change of pace; and one of the first jobs I did was for Kate Hudson’s birthday party with over 100 different celebrities! It was insane, so much fun, and I loved it.

Though after a while, I just realized all the PR in L.A. is almost only celebrity driven, and I wanted to go more editorial.

So how did you end up working for H&M?

MB: My manager in L.A. could tell I was growing restless with the celeb-heavy nature of my position there, and recommended me for another position back in NYC with a great company that represented the likes of Perry Ellis, Rebecca Taylor, Target, Cynthia Rowley and H&M! Several months into me working there, the majority of my assignments were with H&M. After Sydney Judge (the previous Showroom Manager) went over to Halston, that position became available to me. And the rest, so they say, is history!

What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of this job?

MB: My least favorite would probably that, at times, it can feel intellectually challenging, in certain ways.

But my favorite is definitely is that my job is essentially to play with clothes all day! I also love how in touch I am with the industry, and how creative I am encouraged to be. I get to work with amazing editors, who rely on my eye and vision to construct a great, interesting “look”/photo shoots/campaign etc, that the whole world will see.

Like one of my first big projects when I got hired in the fall, was to coordinate all the promotional videos and images for our designer collaboration with Lanvin – it was beyond an amazing expierence!

Ideally, where do you see yourself going, professionally or personally, in the next 5 to 10 years?

MB: As much as I love H&M’s accessibility to a larger market and different demographic, I would love to work on bigger brand management. My ideal position would be becoming a PR Director or Showroom Manager for a higher-end label, such as Chanel.

What role does fashion play in your life?


MB: Clothes are everything to me, and I love playing dress up. I have always had a great appreciation for fashion, designers, and styling. And luckily through my position, it is a huge part of my job to read magazines, blogs, and keep in touch with fashion at all times. Though since working here, not only am I constantly busy, but I am constantly surrounded by, and have to deal with clothes. So I don’t spend as much as time shopping or going to stores at least once a week, as I used to, or would like to.

What do you feel, or how do you respond to, constant misconceptions about fashion and the people work in the field?


MB: Fashion and Public Relations in general is what you make of it. PR isn’t ER. Were not brain surgeons over here, but at the same time work is called work for a reason. If its your passion, then follow it and make the best of it, regardless of what people say.

Do you feel that you’ve “made it?” Why? And if not, when or what will make you feel that you have?


MB: After leaving L.A., this is exactly what I wanted and where I wanted to be. I went from working in a more news-related and tabloid driven environment, and I am now working with more fashion-driven, higher end editorial work. I am very content.

What is your advice to anyone who is interested in or aspires to “make it” in fashion?


MB: Start early. Intern whenever and wherever you can to get your foot in the door and to make a mark. Take on whatever you can get after your graduate, and keep yourself open. Take many different, versatile roles that you can to figure out what you like and don’t like, and then go about a process of elimination to find your perfect fit.


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Bernard Pivot Questionnaire

What is your favorite word?
YAY!

What is your least favorite word?
No

What turns you on?
Food

What turns you off?
Cold Weather

What sound or noise do you love?
The ocean

What sound or noise do you hate?
Garbage trucks outside my apartment every single morning

What is your favorite curse word?
BAFANGOOL! (she says shaking her fist in the air – It’s Italian for fuck you)

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I absolutely see myself pursuing Photography in some facet in my future. Would love to work for National Geographic

What profession would you not like to do?
President

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“Your family is here”

Bernard Pivot's Proust Questionnaire

One program I have always been obsessed with, and is one of very few shows that delve into the creative process behind an Artist’s story and how they have made it to where they are is “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” hosted by James Lipton (and formally held at The New School). At the end of every episode, he asks the special guest questions off the Proust Questionnaire, began by world-renowned French journalist and interviewer Bernard Pivot. I thought this was a wonderful, fun, quirky staple to implement into my blog; as I think it gives great insight into a person’s character. I will began by answering the questionnaire myself:

What is your favorite word?
Dream…as it is limitless and boundless.

What is your least favorite word?
NO…because it is confining and dream-crushing

What turns you on?
Confidence, maturity, kindess, and passion

What turns you off?
Arrogance, bigtory, racism

What sound or noise do you love?
My nephews’ laughter…it melts me everytime

What sound or noise do you hate?
People chewing with their mouths open…HUGE pet peeve of mine

What is your favorite curse word?
I use fuck most often, but I’d probably say my favorite is one I NEVER use because it is beyond disrespectful, yet is so strong and powerful – cu**t

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Although I want nothing more than to be involved in the arts (writing, performing, photography, etc.) I would see myself pursuing Psychology further.

What profession would you not like to do?
Janitor, Toll Booth Operator, Accountant/Banker...anything with math or cleaning. Anything 9 to 5 or “normal”/ non-creative

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“You’ve done so much with your life, and I’m proud of you for perservaing through it all. Your family and friends are all waiting inside “J

"A Diamond in the Rough"

Dreaming Big. That has always been my key philosophy and the main core value of who I am. My name Mazen, literally translates to “Large Clouds” in Arabic…it’s almost as if it was meant to be a part of my destiny. My entire life I truly always felt deep inside that I was meant for something BIG. Bigger than my town, bigger than my stupid school, bigger than anything I can tangibly grasp…bigger than myself. So I set out from a very young age to ensure I would see my dreams realized under any circumstances, and not become like everyone else around me – a person who settles down at a young age, works a typical 9 to 5 desk job, gets married and has children and goes through their lives aimless and stagnant. No, no, no …none of that appealed to me whatsoever. Where was the passion, the excitement, the flexibility, the creativity…where was the fun? So I began what would end up being my path to creative freedom. I decided I would be an Artist.

I had so many passions and talents from a young age that I did my best to hone and cultivate. I always loved to Write…poetry, short stories, fiction, screenplays, songs & music, any and everything that allowed me to express on paper what I innately felt. I loved Photography and Art, spending hours looking at editorial magazines filled with beautiful models, gorgeously structured clothing, and shot by world-renowned photographers in stunning, pristine locations. I loved Acting, Singing, and Dancing…and the boundless freedom to express yourself in a way that words cannot do alone I studied films, actors, directors, artists, photographers, magazine editors, writers, and tried to let all their inventiveness and originality seep into me, wash over me, and inspire me in my own creations.

But what interested me the most on this particular topic was how all of these amazing, famous, “special” people gotto where they are? How did they go from being Joe Nobody to Tom Everybody? What path of success did they take to see their own passions, desires, and dreams come into fruition? Were they just like me at one point - broke, struggling, feeling rejected and cast aside…yet still optimistic and resilient enough to keep pushing? Is it foolish to do so, or is it gutsy and brave? More than anything, I have a developed a deep thirst for the knowledge of how people take the Road Less Traveled to get them to where they are today.

My own story is one that might be akin to many of those successful artists out there…but I have yet to get my own fairytale ending. Yes, I have been fortunate enough in my young age and limited years to have worked with and created alongside some amazingly talented people…but do I feel that I have “made it” yet? Absolutely not, I am just beginning. But let me quickly go back to my own beginning, and tell you how I have gotten to where I am now.

At an open audition that I heard about on the radio (everybody knows those fake, illegitimate modeling/acting scam “conferences” that get held all over the country every year) when I was 16 years old, I met my first manager, who was pretty well known and based in Los Angeles. Everybody else was being told they had to pay upwards of $3,000 to join, but luckily I was one of very few who got in for free. After he went back to L.A., he would send me scenes every week that I would have to act out on tape, and send out to him in L.A. or to his associate in New York City, for review and submissions for parts. I dropped out of regular high school, began homeschooling myself full-time, and worked two full time jobs to save up for my big move. Because in my young, naive mindset, I had already made it. I had this big, hotshot agent in L.A. representing me, and I thought within a year’s time, I would be the youngest ever Oscar and Grammy winner in history. It's funny thinking back at how wide-eyed and almost arrogant you can be at that age. Things didn’t turn out quite the way I had envisioned, and the years to come would be a huge lesson in humility.

After a year and a half of auditioning, I was dropped by that agent. I was told that although I was really talented, I was too young to go out and live/audtion on my own, and that my ethnicity would play a large part in me becoming typecast, and therefore not getting booked for jobs. Depressed, lost and rejected at 16, I decided to "give up on the business” - although I wasn't even really in it yet. But about 3 months later, around my 17^th birthday, I got a call from John, my ex-agent, telling me a modeling agent in NYC had seen my pictures and wanted to meet me.

Modeling? Me? Never had I thought that was even a possibility, as I always thought Male Models had blonde hair, blue eyes, big bodybuilder type physiques…like Fabio or something. And hey, though I am pretty confident in myself…I am no Fabio (THANK GOD). And modeling wasn’t really where my passions lied, but an opportunity is an opportunity to open doors, and I viewed it as a means to an end. So I decided to go out on a limb, and hopped on the Chinatown Bus to NYC to meet with him. Upon meeting him, I recounted my story of struggle in the industry and my longing to make it in this business and become the biggest & brightest star this world has ever seen. He sat and stared at me pensively for a while, before telling me that I was “a true diamond in the rough;” something that has stuck with and inspired me until this very day.

Long story short, after moving to New York and beginning college at The New School at 18, I got signed to my first big agency. I have spent the past five years traveling on and off through America, Europe and Africa doing shoots shows and videos here and there, as well pursuing my Bachelors/Masters degree. I have been very fortunate to work with an array of diversely talented people, and appeared in some pretty high profile gigs

.

***(Im about 30 seconds in)***

But do I feel that I have made it yet? Not even close. I still want - no need more, something bigger and better. Now, for the first time in a very long time, I at least know I’m on the right path to doing so. Just being back here at The New School, and back living in the city is a huge blessing, and every day I feel I am truly progressing to my goal of “making it.” And sooner, rather than later (God willing) I know and can feel in my heart & soul that I will have the life I have always envisioned and promised myself. But not before meeting and learning from some other driven, motivated people in the Art community to see their paths to success…and hopefully have a little of their luck wear off on me. As this is truly my time to shine, and to rise, reborn… like a Phoenix from its ashes.

J

***(Video Campaign I did when I was 18 for the same Brooklyn Based designer who created Jay-Z'S RocaWear Collection)***

***(About 21 seconds in, "Run This Town" w/ Jay-z, Kanye & Rihanna)***