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NEW YORK, United States — Having built a career as a publicist both in-house and at agencies, holding positions at Vince Camuto, Camuto Group, Topshop and Savannah College of Art and Design and her own consultancy, Kristina Bonés became director of PR and marketing at luxury eveningwear rental service Nova Octo in November 2018.
The New York-based start-up is tapping into the growing online clothing rental market, which is estimated to reach $1.8 billion globally by 2023, according to a report from Allied Market Research. Indeed, with consumer sentiment in today’s luxury fashion market increasingly shifting its focus towards sustainability, Nova Octo plans to grow with a market it believes will expand at pace — their new director of PR intends to triple their workforce in 2019.
Here, she shares her experience of landing her dream job in fashion.
What is your role at Nova Octo?
I am currently the PR and marketing director, overseeing all communication, whether it’s with the media, the public and our advertisers. I cover branding and marketing in all forms. Through my work, I’m trying to expand the brand’s awareness and drive sales.
How did you get your job?
I’ve read BoF for many years and when they launched their careers platform, I found it to be a great resource. I wanted to stay in the fashion and design world and it’s hard to find those jobs on other platforms, so I looked to BoF to find more relevant positions.
The platform is curated well and there are positions of substance, which I wasn’t finding on other sites. It’s hard to find a manager- or executive-level position on some of these sites. The companies that are posting on BoF Careers are also relevant to the industry. If you’re reading BoF Careers and you’re in the fashion or design world, you’re finding companies and positions that are matching your skillset and your expectations.
What’s more, the applicants that we’re seeing come in through BoF Careers versus other job sites are of a higher calibre. The process of going through the BoF Careers site helps narrow down our candidate pool to someone more targeted to what we are looking for.
What is next for you at Nova Octo?
We’re a new company, so there’s so much room and potential for growth and it’s exciting to be here at the beginning and have a hand in shaping the company, in knowing that your input is valuable. I hope that our new employees are just as excited to help us build the brand and watch it grow, knowing they had a direct impact.
We're looking to grow Nova Octo, especially over the next year. I would like to triple our staff and I am confident that BoF will help us find those people that we need to grow the business.
What advice do you have for those building a career in PR?
I am always keeping in touch with editors and freelance writers, whether it’s to write a story or consult. Keeping up those relationships is something that always needs to be fostered, as well as learning about new editors, writers and new outlets.
I’m also always reading industry and trade-related publications. I take a lot of courses and online lectures, just to see what’s new. It is powerful to gain a little more knowledge every day.
