THE BLAY REPORT INTERVIEWS ANDREW YOUNG

The THINK PR account executive talks to us about how he got his start with the agency, what are the perks of working in public relations and marketing, and of course, it won’t be a Blay Report interview without touching on fashion.

New York - Andrew Young has been living in New York City for a year and a half now and already the 23-year-old Australian native is living his dream. “New York was a place I knew I would fall for before I’d even visited,” he says. “When I was younger I used to cut out photos of New York City and keep them in a shoe box under my bed. For only the arts and music it would be an excuse enough to move here from the other side of the world; however, when I had the opportunity to come on board with THINK PR, I didn’t wait a second to say yes. Maybe it was providence but everything just seemed to fall right into place.” THINK PR was founded in 2001 by two publicists who have worked together for the past nine years. The public relations and marketing agency specializes in fashion, beauty, art and entertainment. Today the agency consists of 18 publicists with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. Young is the account executive in charge of the footwear accounts for THINK PR. Here is what he has to say:

How did you find out about THINK PR?
A good friend of mine, who was in the industry, recommended them to me. I spoke to a few other contacts I had in fashion and publishing, and I heard nothing but good things so I sent through my details and the rest is history.

Describe what would a general day working at THINK PR be like for you?
No two days in PR are ever the same. The one thing you can count on though is a lot of e-mails and phone calls. The best part about the day is that it’s very communal. I spend a lot of it in meetings, on conference calls or just speaking to editors who are always a lot of fun. Between the meetings, I might be pulling samples for shoots or helping dress celebrities in THINK PRs lines for their upcoming press tours.

What are some of the perks of working for THINK PR?
Working for a bigger PR company gives individual publicists the opportunity to work together with other publicists in the firm to cover more ground. The biggest perk is having a support network and colleagues to help brainstorm new ideas and initiatives for your client.

Are there any blogs you keep up with?

The blog I read most regularly, and it’s really more of a forum actually, is Skyscrapercity.com. Basically the website is divided into cities around the world, and as new buildings are being constructed, locals submit photos of their progression. It’s a little dorky, but I love being able to see the amazing architecture that’s unfolding in places all over the world. There are always brilliant things happening in Berlin, The Netherlands and Beijing that I try to keep up with. I think its websites and blogs, such as this one, that really stand out. Magazines could never provide that kind of immediate, international coverage.

Has your sense of style changed after you moved to New York City?
The biggest change has definitely been taking on a more of a seasonal approach to style. In Australia the weather is far more constant; it never gets much cooler than 50 degrees so there is less opportunity to dress up or down depending on the weather. Apart from an excuse to wear a lot more jackets and boots, New York City really gives you the chance to dress however you want, whenever you want. I’ve never once felt the pressure to conform, even in the workplace. I love that in New York City, if you look good and feel good, you’re ready to go.

Who are your favorite designers?
The great thing about New York City is the access to clothes from almost every designer in the world. Nicolas Ghesquiere and Rick Owens are probably some of the more established favorites of mine, but Christian Wijnants and Stephan Schneider out of Antwerp are pretty incredible too. There is a new men’s store on the Lower East Side called Project 8b that carries an unbelievable selection of up and coming designers and probably has the best curated collection of apparel in North America.

Any must have clothing items or accessories?
A watch for sure. I think it’s the finishing touch for any outfit no matter how casual or formal and it seems to pull it all together.

And lastly what is one style rule you think people should break?
Socks. Its traditional for men to wear socks that match the color of the pants they’re wearing, but I feel that’s a little bit Victorian. A pattern or color goes a long way. To quote Glenn O'Brien from GQ magazine, "You will ultimately realize that beyond the valley of rules rises the mountain of aesthetics, the peak of which (if there is one) is always shrouded in beautiful clouds of various hues, many of them resembling certain of my more unusually hued socks." Amen.

To know more about THINK PR visit thinkpublicrelations.com.

Kristina Bustos