Being born and raised in Los Angeles is something most take pride in. For Anita Herrera, the diversity of the city is everything. She is constantly in the know of up and comers spanning from fare to fashion and everything else imaginable. Naturally, a fortunate progression has lead her to where she is today- a successful freelance publicist. With the spirit of a cheerleader, she runs around from helping her own clients to meeting new ones, all the while juggling a Blackberry and Iphone in hand. Perhaps you are wondering, why the need for both? All we can conclude is because she is that awesome at what she does. A few years ago one of the pivotal moments of Hererra’s career came during her time with POOL Tradeshow as the public relations and sponsorship director. There after, the attention of the media was hers, particularly from the Latino sector (Telemundo, MUN2, People Magazine en Espanol, CNN en Espanol, ESPN en Espanol) and fashion field such as D’arte Connection, Idol Radec, VIRGO.
2011 was a busy year for Anita. If she was not publicizing the new menswear label Orisue, consulting with stores, designers, and showrooms, or styling spreads, she was co-producing the accessories-only tradeshow COEUR, social networking, and doing PR for the Spanish media for Real Madrid (futbol team) and then some. While on the subject of sports, her enthusiasm for basketball is, in a word, (all about) LAKERS– unassuming for a fashionista but totally true. 2012 projections are looking even busier and “the best is yet to come,” as she mysteriously puts it- as to not jinx or give it all away.
The dedication of this ubiquitous firecracker is something to note and admire. “Take nothing for granted and be very appreciative of the opportunities you are given.” Thank you, Ms. Anita Herrera, for getting us off to a great start to the new year with your valuable intuition, honest advice, and inspirational words.
What influence and or motivation come from being raised an Angeleno?
AH: I’m very lucky to be born and raised in such an influential and important city like Los Angeles. The Angeleno culture is very special and diverse and am grateful to have grown up exposed to so many different types of people and landscapes. I grew up in Huntington Park which has it’s own unique culture (this requires a whole other interview…) and having places like Hollywood as my backyard, things like fashion and music were very accessible. If you weren’t shopping for your clothes on Melrose (when it was cool… RIP Melrose) and going to shows at The Palace (RIP also) by the time you were in high school then you weren’t cool… On that note, thank you to my friends who took turns borrowing their parents’ cars to go shopping & to go to shows! lol!
How did you get into publicity and public relations?
AH: I’ve always been intrigued by fashion media and originally had aspirations of wanting to become a fashion editor. I wanted to create beautiful images, even when I was little I would tear out and collect all of my favorite fashion ads like old school Versace w/Supermodels like Linda Evanglista, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford. I went to FIDM for merchandise marketing, worked as a store buyer and then in wholesale but always wanted to work on the media side of the industry. So instead of working for a magazine I actually found myself naturally comfortable doing PR. I respect and love the work of fashion editors and enjoy working with all of them. I also love planning and socializing (maybe too much – lol) too so the events part of working in PR comes as second nature also.
You seem to be very locked into the Latin community ranging from various industries such as entertainment, fashion, media, sports, etc..tell us about how that all came about and why it is important to you.
AH: I’m lucky enough to be bi-lingual in English and Spanish which has brought me a tremendous amounts of opportunities. I’ve been able to expand my networks in both languages – I’ve worked with Telemundo, mun2 (Telemundo’s spanglish channel) and this past summer a dream became a reality when I was brought on by Henri Myers of eM Productions to do the PR for the Spanish media for an event with the world famous futbol team, Real Madrid at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. I was able to work with such media outlets as People en Espanol, CNN en Espanol, ESPN en Espanol, and a plethora of other high profile Spanish media – not to mention meet the entire team (woo! Iker Casillas, call me! lol)
It’s important to me because the world is a melting pot and with the Spanish speaking culture becoming more and more influential on today’s current mainstream culture, I hope to be on the forefront. I recently traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico on my first international project and hope to take that experience and utilize what I learned there and cross borders (literally!) more in the near future…
Which companies have you worked for/ with? Which has stood out to you and why?
AH: I’ve been fortunate enough to work with/for different types of companies that have made my experience in the fashion industry very diverse. From buying, to wholesale, to wardrobe styling, to PR, and now being freelance each experience has benefited and complimented one another. I’ve been able to travel all over the country from New York, Atlanta, Vegas, and beyond – I’m very fortunate for each opportunity.
I have to thank the owners of D’arte Connection for giving me my first fashion industry position as a buyer for their 3 locations while I was studying merchandise marketing at FIDM. They took me to MAGIC in Vegas as a buyer at the age of 18. One of my fondest memories of this era was walking into the Sean John booth (Puff Daddy’s fashion label – does it even still exist?) – it was 2 stories, had a stairwell, and club on the 2nd floor with a DJ – talk about the golden era of the mega booth at MAGIC! I was exposed at a very young age to the business side of the fashion industry, and am obviously hooked - I’ve been going ever since!
Speaking of Vegas, working with the POOLTRADESHOW was an incredible experience that really cemented my love for Public Relations – I got to put together seasonal events, worked on media distribution deals, sponsorships, hosted press during the tradeshow, etc… This was and will always be a very important time in my career path and am very grateful that I was given the opportunity.I’ve learned so much at these tradeshows as a buyer, vendor and publicist – I feel very lucky to have experienced all sides of the industry!
What are the top 3 crucial things that a new label or emerging designer must possess, in your opinion, to be successful?
AH: In my opinion, brands must possess a clear identity, direction and story- give people a reason to spend their money!
1. Identity, what makes this brand better then the other? stand out fits, handmade leathers, etc… I think some brands make the mistake of not differentiating themselves from the beginning and end up lost in their design and ultimately fail because they had no clear sense of what the brand stood for.
2. Direction, as in a steady growth path – some brands either grow too fast and get played out too quickly and/or some brands don’t catch up to the others – it’s good to have a balance and plan for the long term.
3. Story, what’s behind the brand that makes it special? Is it locally made, hand made, charity affiliation, etc… People want to know what it is, where it came from…
Are physical publications a thing of the past with today’s social interactive media outlets? Please elaborate.
AH: I don’t think physical publications are thing of the past, I’m definitely still a fan of touching real paper. But with today’s lightning speed flow of information, print is starting to feel more pasay and disposable. With that being said, I think major publications need to re-visit their strategies and develop more creative and exclusive ways of distributing information. Like creating “coffee table book” reading experiences with collector’s quality content/presentation rather than monthly “throw away magazines” to compliment the fun and interactive online experiences.
One of my favorite seasonal magazines is Antenna, which comes out 4 times a year – I think they’ve done an incredible job on creating a magazine that you want to read cover to cover and also keep and collect every season. HighSnobiety, one of my fave online reads, just launched an exclusive run of magazines that I think translates their strong online perspective onto print beautifully – the issues are distributed mostly in Europe and at tradeshows but I plan on collecting them (I only have the first one but would love/need to get my hands on the others). Another magazine, that I was put onto this year is Sneeze – I don’t think the word “magazine” really gives it justice – it’s a very unique hybrid between magazine, newspaper and centerfold poster. It’s unexpected and the content is genuine, mostly appealing to skateboard culture – I love and appreciate this publication – can’t wait to for the new winter issue…
What advice would you give to someone looking to get into PR and publicity?
AH: The advice I would give to someone looking to get into PR is “Don’t be shy”… PR is defintiley not an industry for the meek and quiet… With any career, volunteering and interning as much as possible is very important. Real work experience is just as important as education – get out there people!
What is the latest and greatest going on with Anita Hererra?
AH: Next year is going to be a BIG year! I have some events up my sleeve and I’m also working with the best brand ever, Orisue! They’re a men’s collection based out of Orange County that is built and designed with functionality that every guy can wear. I’ve worked on some great projects with them this year and am so excited for 2012 – the best is yet to come!
In your opinion what is the difference between style and fashion?
AH: We all interpret fashion through our own personal style which is what makes it fun!
What are your favorite pieces in your closet at the moment?
AH: I love timeless pieces, especially from designers who source and make their pieces locally in LA… Here are a few of my current faves:
Clare Vivier: Leather Messenger for everyday use, goes with everything!
Marie Turnor: Leather Picnic style has stolen my heart, the design is so unique and the leather is beautiful!
Gabriela Artigas: She makes and sculpts all her own jewelry designs, the 14k knot ring is an everyday accent!
Persephenie: Her body care is the absolute best – she’s a certified aromatherapist and creates everything in her apothecary/store front off 3rd & Fairfax! Linden Blossom body oil is my go to staple!
When was the last time you went shopping? Where and what did you purchase?
AH: Ha! This is a funny question because if you know me, then you know I’m a QVC fiend… No, I don’t buy vacuum cleaners and tupperware – I buy mostly beauty products as they’ve recently brought on really great brands that are generally only available in high end dept. stores and/or Sephora. I love that they invite the creators of the brands to explain the stories behind the products, give demonstrations, and let customers give real life testimonials – gives me a legit reason to spend my money… Anyways, I just bought my first fashion item on the channel – a Rachel Zoe fur vest and I love it – no shame, I don’t care, judge me – it’s cute!
What are your daily go-to reads (blogs, magazines, websites, etc)?
AH: Daily go to reads for women’s fashion are Refinery 29 and Style Section LA. For men’s fashion HypeBeast, Complex, High Snobiety, and Selectism. For both men’s and women’s fashion Nylon and The Fader (love all their music posts too). For lifestyle, I’ve recently been lured into the “The Experience” of Marcus Troy – really great photography and he’s a real life cultural participant as opposed to just a news feed of information so I value his reviews.
What labels, designers, and or brands are on your radar these days?
AH: Labels on my radar – Orisue, duh! If you don’t know, then now you know – for men’s they have great pieces with subtle and functional design details at great prices. For women’s, I’m really excited to see the premiere of Sarah Scott‘s Fall 2012 collection, she is a designer based out of downtown LA, I saw a sneak peek of her upcoming lookbook and now I’m itching to see the full line…
Where are your top places in LA to go to for fashion, food, and fun?
AH: Fashion: I naturally love to support local LA labels but my go to fashion spot is Virgo by Boos & Besito in Downtown – one of a kind pieces, locally sourced – it’s the gem of the fashion district here in downtown LA.
Food: I love to try new restaurants and chefs but my go to is KTCHN 105 in downtown LA. Felix Barron IV is a one of a kind person – I was lucky enough to take a cooking class with him earlier this year and he’s the most talented chef I’ve ever met – his food is truly magical!
Fun: I love to go out and support friends events and gigs – but my go to is the Association in downtown LA on Thursdays with Waldo Rules, king of DTLA DJs and nightlife! Great bartenders too, Kyle is awesome and he even gives classes too…Ok, no more secret spots- LOL! JK
If you were to come back as a basketball player in your next life..which team would you play for? why?
AH: No questions asked, LAKERS all the way!! Through thick and thin, I’ll wave my flags and my foam finger all day/everyday!!
As far as players – I’ll just list all my favorites: The obvious – Kareem, Magic, Byron Scott, AC Green … then there’s Nick Van Exel, Cedric Ceballos, Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell, Vlade “Drama” Divac… Then there’s Kobe, and Shaq when he wore purp/yellow, Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown, Paul Gasol… Needless to say, I’m happy the NBA is back!
Images Courtesy of Miguel Banderas
