Corporate public relations has always been a very dicey business. When things are going well, you are on top of the world, but when things are going badly you are practically a fall guy. You are ceaselessly in the public eye, being scrutinized by the press and attacked as a spin doctor by anyone who doesn't believe what you are telling. Never mind that the public relations firms are only representing what their clients want them to tell. Never mind that we aren't running the industries, polluting the environment, or exploiting the workers ourselves. We still get the brunt of it.
Fashion public relations always seemed safe up until recently. After all, what could go wrong with marketing relations for the fashion industry? Clothes are not particularly environmentally unfriendly or dangerous. They do not cause violence or addiction. They may cost a little bit more than they are worth, but that is it. Fashion public relations seemed like it would be a breeze. That is why got involved in in the first place – I thought I could make some good money and not have to work too hard. I should have thought twice.
Since last year, it has been nothing but a crisis public relations where I work. I cannot tell you the particular manufacturer that I work for, but it is one of the big ones – the top names in the fashion industry. In the past, fashion public relations was basically window dressing for them. They have always had such a formidable reputation that there wasn't all that much to be done as far as spin doctoring went. Then the news about the sweatshops came out, and suddenly fashion public relations became the most hot, uncomfortable occupation in the whole outfit. I am beginning to regret the day I got into pr public relations.
Apparently, the company I work for has been getting clothes manufactured in Chinese labor camps. Try addressing something like that in a fashion public relations press hearing! There is just simply no way to spin it. You can say that the people are criminals, but then someone will bring up China's record of human rights violations. You can claim that the company doesn't know, but of course that is patently false. All that remains for a fashion public relations official to do in those circumstances is to talk in circles and hope that everyone will go away.
