Since my trip to New York Fashion Week last month for the Fall/Winter 2019 presentation I received tons of questions! These questions were surprisingly so much that I thought it made sense to create an entire Blog Post and possibly Blog series dedicated to it. The main question I received was “How did you get invited to New York Fashion Week”?
If you are interested in this topic and would like to know how you can benefit from International opportunities, then keep reading!
Have a Body of Work .. Somewhere, somehow
It, of course, makes sense, to have something Online or offline that makes you credible and a “master” in your field. In my case, I’m a Blogger and all of my articles are centered around Fashion, Lifestyle, Health and Beauty — an International Brand could simply search my site by going to www.hautepeople.net to see my body of work, send me an email and take things from there. If you are a Designer, Make-Up Artiste or Stylist, make it a goal to work on a Portfolio and have at least one professional photo shoot showcasing your best work.
Be Consistent
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This is the area where a lot of Jamaican brands fall short! I see the most informative + creative websites and work here in Jamaica but people are not consistent. There are a few other local Bloggers who have received international recognition but when I go on their website there are 3-4 posts for the entire year! As soon as things start picking up they instantly become busy and neglect their brand. I find that in the Creative field, consistency is key! You want to keep people interested (at all times ) and you want them to gain your trust by always showing up for them. You should constantly be working to be seen by brands.
Prepare for an International Audience
When was the last time you did an audit of your brand? This means you take an in-depth examination of how your brand looks to individuals and is it the best it can be or just mediocre? When I went to Fashion Week, I noticed how professional everyone was with their brands from the branding to how they are in person and realized this is where I was lacking! Everyone had business cards and I have been out of business cards for out of a year and have been writing my info down on whatever scrap of paper I can find and expect to make a lasting impression.
If you are preparing to cater to an International Audience, you have to start thinking like them. Look at the successful people in your niche and see what they are doing and how you can do that in a way that is unique to you. Do you have Hi-Res photos or selfies? Do you have a professional Media Kit with your info or do you struggle to come up with words when asked about your brand? These are all things to think about.
Deliver on Your Commitment
Ensure that you deliver on what you promised! If you don’t this will be considered fraud and an “imposter syndrome” will be the least of your worries. If you are a YouTuber with a schedule to publish 3 videos for the week, then do just that! As mentioned in the point above, look at what successful international people are doing and do the same! If a person says they will be having a webinar at 9am Tuesday, best believe they will show up at that time! They know that not showing up will not only cause them to lose their support but also money! Whatever, you promised you will do in the initial stages, follow through with that commitment.
Do Follow- Ups
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Follow-ups are B-I-G on the International scene! Every show I went to in New York and received a business card or contact information, that person actually reached out to me to check-in and also to build a friendship. This is another area where I personally fall short — I receive tons of cards at events and me never truly follow-up with people. If you want to connect with more people, especially International brands, make the extra effort to do follow-ups.
Hopefully, these tips would have helped you to gain international opportunities as a Jamaican Creative
