written by Palak Patel
When you stay in the fashion industry for over 20 years, it’s hard not to lose yourself amongst the brisk pace and constant state of flux. One woman who remains a very important figure in this industry is Kelly Cutrone, fashion PR maven, author, mother, and television personality. While she wears many hats, Kelly refuses to let any one of them change or define her. As a woman with such an innate knowledge of fashion and her job, Kelly essentially applied for her first job in PR on a whim. “I never really had plans,” said Cutrone. “I needed work and a job. I never really thought about what I wanted to do so much, it’s just that I got the job and it was fun.” Kelly can count herself lucky, because PR worked as an opening for all of the rest of her career moves.
“I’m a really good risk-taker and an amazing adapter,” said Cutrone. “I’ve adapted through a lot of different changes in technology and media. Ultimately, I’m working on a multi-tiered platform, so I’m not just one thing, I’m several things simultaneously.” She refuses to let people put her into a box. “Being a publicist, being an author, and being in front of the camera,” said Cutrone. “It’s all things I wanted to do: Pioneering and progressing the current way of doing business.” All of these titles work to help promote the brand Kelly provides to herself and her clients.
But in over 20 years of business, it hasn’t always been easy for Kelly. Obstacles block her path and try to stop her forward momentum. “Sexism and the projection of hatred towards powerful women,” stated Cutrone of her hardest obstacle. “If you wear all black and have black hair and call all the shots, they call you a witch or worse. There’s so much hatred toward women. When I first started, it all confused me so much; somehow women accepted being called these words.” Kelly has learned how to deal with the hatred and do her job without distraction.
In the end, Kelly has a little bit of advice to provide for young women trying to pursue unconventional careers: “Don’t listen to anybody but yourself. Be inspired by people, but express yourself. It’s all about figuring out who you are.” Kelly followed her own advice and now she can experience her favorite parts of her job every day. “Helping people realize their dreams, speaking to young people who read my books, and I get to be in front of two million people every week for television,” stated Cutrone. Kelly continues to be an iconic character in fashion and public relations, and it seems like she really is here to stay.
