I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Malania Dela Cruz, Director of Dela Cruz PR. Since I have always had an interest in the world of Public Relations, I thought she’d be the perfect person to answer all my questions.

How do you get paid? (What do you do for a living?): I get fashion, entertainment, design and lifestyle brands on your TV, in your magazines, in your news and in your face!

Describe your industry. What are some of the challenges and rewards?: The PR industry is a fun and fast-paced creative environment. The PR world is ever changing, especially in the face of new technologies and social media marketing. This is one of the biggest challenges I think PR professionals are facing right now, how to incorporate these new … more …

It’s really difficult to put in a nutshell all the responsibilities and steps that are involved in  a buying process. Buys are usually done 6 to 8 months in advance, therefore pre-planning and working closely with the planning department is crucial. Although I am continuously purchasing product for the stores all year round, the core of my business is worked and written within a span of 3 - 4 months.

8:30 am - 10:00 am
My mornings start off like any other regular day in the office, answering emails and returning phone calls. I find mornings are the best time to get the hard stuff out of the way. There are ALWAYS problems to attend to, either I am handling some sort of shipping issue, dealing with store requests or negotiating … more …

Here are some interesting links to cruise this week:

Everyone is selling selling - Tory Burch Sells Minority Stake to Tresalia (WWD)

Zappos and Amazon are sitting in a tree - Amazon to buy Zappos (Drapers)

Conde Nast Says Goodbye to Men.Style.com, Hello to GQ.com, Details.com (Ad Age)

Designers divided on copyright law (Canada.com)

Meltin’ Pot gives Canada and the USA another try. (Sportswear)

Make sure you share the love!

Sunny Shum, Your Industry Insider

Public Relations for food, fashion, art, and design…who are you going to call on? Shannon Heth. She is your Partly Sunny Industry Insider this week.

Tell us about yourself. How did Heth PR come about?: I always had an interest in public relations. For a number of years I handled PR for friends and special events, sometimes for free, just to get my feet wet. In 2007 I went to New York and worked at a boutique PR firm there. When I returned to Vancouver in 2008, HethPR as it is now, was born.

Things you love about what you do?: I’ve always loved meeting and talking to people. The great things about what I do is that everyday it’s pretty likely that I’m going to talk to new people, hear new … more …

She is responsible for making sure you are adorned with beautiful jewels and trinkets. Her name is Karen Buder, designer and creator of sugarlime jewelry and she is our industry insider this week.

How do you get paid? (What do you do for a living?): I am the designer behind sugarlime and I also manage the PR. In addition to our online store and selling to retailers, we’re known for our exclusive free jewelry shows (with a guest list of almost 5,000 women in Vancouver, Toronto & Calgary). We have an office downtown Vancouver where all of the designs are manufactured and we have a staff of 3 amazing, talented ladies.

How did you get into what you are doing now?: Living abroad in Tokyo and traveling throughout Asia inspired us to start … more …