PR interview with Daryl Willcox Publishing
Jane talks to Laura Monks from DW Publishing’s ‘Features Exec’ Media Database sharing information on how she recruits the best PR fashionistas, the global launch of Vertu’s Constellation, and the best business advice she’s ever been given.
Talk PR included in Holmes Report European Consultancy Report
The Holmes Report Annual Agency Report Card profiles the leading PR agencies in North America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. This year, Talk PR has been included in the specialists, boutiques, small and mid size firms category.
A very influential lady
Jane makes the 2010 Power Book, the definitive guide to the most influential people in PR. Jane has appeared in the guide, published by PR Week, every year since its inception.
Jane in the Power Book 2010
Do you have to be a bitch to be the boss?
Jane speaks to Stylist magazine on what she believes it takes to get ahead in business.
Jane in Stylist magazine, part 1
Jane in Stylist magazine, part 2
Jane’s front row front page
Jane pictured on the front page of The Times on the front row of the Osman show at London Fashion Week with Sarah Brown. One of Jane?s responsibilities is strategic advisor to the British Fashion Council who organise London Fashion Week to showcase the best of designer talent.
The front row of London Fashion Week on the front page of The Times
Jane Boardman appointed to M&C Saatchi Group Board
Jane has been appointed to the new board at M&C Saatchi, created as part of a management restructure. You can see the full press release over at Campaign‘s site.
Victory at the Oxford Union fashion debate
Last night Jane took part in a debate at the Oxford Union. Standing alongside Claire Pajaczkowska, Senior RCA Fellow of Fashion and Textiles, and Dolly Jones, Editor of Vogue.com, she argued against the motion ‘This House considers fashion an unnecessary luxury’. They won the debate, 135 votes to 62.
Photo by Greg Blatchford
Update – Here’s the full text of Jane’s speech to the Oxford Union:
“Firstly I would like to challenge the motion itself. By definition all luxury is unnecessary which is surely part of its appeal. But I am going to show today that Fashion is not only necessary but a hugely important part of our lives, our society, and our humanity. There are three reasons for this.
Firstly, it is hugely significant both historically and anthropologically.
Secondly, it is the most democratic of art forms and allows us all an outlet for self expression.
Finally, it is a significant contributor to our economy and is the second largest employer in the UK.
I am going to start by talking about the anthropological significance of clothing.
Wearing clothes is at the heart of our very humanity as it is this that distinguishes us as humans and apart from animals. Under Judaeo-Christian belief, the moment Adam and Eve donned clothing (covering their nakedness) marks the moment that our humanity began ? they move away from being part of the animal world and become distinct and distinctly human.
Throughout our history, clothing has defined each era, each regime, and each tribe.
This is nothing to do with the functionality of clothing, but all to do with a sense of who we are and where we belong ? in this respect, fashion couldn?t matter more to the core of our being.
We have always used fashion as a way to define ourselves, and the importance of what we wear has been recognised throughout millennia by those in power.
Indeed, its power is such that throughout our history what people could and can wear has been controlled by many regimes (and, indeed is still controlled today).
In fact, one of the very first things many oppressive regimes clamp down on is the freedom of dress, hence the restrictions until very recently in Communist China and under strict religious regimes.
This is clamped down on to control a population but the reason behind it is the importance of clothing and our freedom to choose as a part of our sense of self ? and it is this that is seen as a threat to regimes that seek to control.
But clothing has also been used to define status, rank and power. Even in ancient times, there were rules and restrictions about what you could wear and when.
Among our royalty and aristocracy clothing has been central to the power base from the ceremonial to the extravagance, even in the everyday. Purple, for example, has always been associated with royalty, largely due to the expense required in using the dye. And fashion and clothing during the Tudor times were taken incredibly seriously ? we all can picture Henry VIII, perhaps the most colourful of our kings, his pride in his dress was more than mere vanity, it allowed him to carve out a position for himself as one of the most powerful princes in Christendom.
So it is important because it lies at the heart of our humanity, it has been used for millennia as a sign of position and status and allows us to form our identity ? hence the restriction of it by oppressive regimes.
But there is another anthropological significance to fashion ? it has been used throughout humanity to give us a sense of belonging. Uniforms, whether specifically dictated as such or just a similar way of dressing among like minded people, lie at the heart of feeling part of a group.
It always amuses me to see new ?groups? or tribes emerging and to see how fashion pulls them together and gives their tribe a distinct identity. Look at punks ? the fashion was almost as important as the music in defining them as a group. Often these develop quite subconsciously. The rich, for example, would be horrified to be accused of dressing in a rich uniform, but by selecting clothes of a specific status and quality they are defining themselves as a part of a social group.
This leads me to my second reason why fashion matters….. the fact that it is an amazing outlet for self expression ? and as such – the most democratic of art forms.
Everyday we have to decide what to wear ? yes, of course, for some of us this is a chore. But in making this decision we are, consciously or not, showing something of ourselves to the world around us.
In the words of Shakespeare, the ?apparel oft proclaims the man?.
It is said that 90% of what we say doesn?t come out of our mouths ? the way we look and the way we express ourselves fills in the rest. Fashion is a powerful and silent communicator. It can camouflage, or cover up, it can build or destroy an image. It can say I am as good as you, I am flamboyant and fun, I?m important, I?m modest, I?m serious and take my work and life seriously. To this respect, fashion is hugely important in the way that we connect to our world and those around us.
And nowadays we have a fantastic array of choice and the freedom to express ourselves in an incredible plethora of ways. Despite the fact that we, the industry, generate £45billion of sales, the proportion of our income spent on fashion is actually going down ? just 6% of our disposable income ? this is because of the affordability of clothing today.
This accessibility and affordability makes fashion democratic and open to all. It is fun and gives huge pleasure to many. Like it or not and for some reason even after 20 years of working in the industry, I still find it puzzling that a proportion of (largely male and middle aged) men don?t like it ? fashion gives pleasure to many, many people.
Maybe it is the puritanical streak that still runs throughout some elements of the British psyche, but I am sick and tired of the patronising attitude of some members of the UK establishment towards the enjoyment of fashion. It is a kind of snobbishness ? we should all somehow care more about what is inside than care about the surface. But why can?t we do both ? caring about what we and others look like is part of being human.
One of the joys of humanity is to take pleasure from the aesthetic ? on one level art is both unnecessary and shallow. However it is a natural human desire to seek beauty.
Fashion, especially fashion today, allows us to express this beauty in our own way. It can make us all creative and appealing ? maybe this is why fashion threatens some people ? the fact that we are all able to play a part and all get pleasure out of it. Or perhaps it is back to the puritanical fear of beauty and sensual pleasures.
Because fashion is a sensual pleasure both from a visual and a tactile perspective.
Fashion accommodates the chameleon in all of us. It?s a way of celebrating the diversity and variety of the world in which we live. Fashion is about change which is necessary to keep life interesting. It is also a mirror of sorts on society. It is a way of measuring a mood that can be useful in many aspects, culturally, socially, even psychologically. At the same time, it shouldn?t be taken too seriously or you lose the fun of it. [Quote from Fashion Editor, Cynthia Durcanin.]
And to the final part of my argument ? fashion is a hugely important industry in the UK.
It is the UK?s second largest employer; and an industry worth £45billion. We have a dynamic high street – maybe the best in the world, incredible home grown global talent, our fashion colleges are seen as the best in the world, our catwalks are seen as the most creative and leading edge of anywhere in the world.
Fashion is also an industry that employs and is open to employing a large proportion of women and an ethnically diverse mix.
London Fashion Week alone generates £20million of indirect spend to the UK economy and for two weeks a year puts Britain on the map for our creativity. We are good at fashion in the UK.
We have some of the world?s most influential designers; we have a permanent exhibition space within the V&A, which has also curated fantastic exhibitions of individual British designers work.
It is an industry of which we should be proud and one that contributes massively to the global reputation of this country – which couldn?t be more important now that bankers have let us down!
So, in summary, I oppose the motion because Fashion is not just necessary but essential to us as individuals, as members of the societies in which we live and as citizens of Britain. Long live fashion!”
