Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Dulanto. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?
Since day one, we started out as 2 individuals with a passion and dream. SF Fashion was founded at the peak of the pandemic, when artists and designers wanted to express themselves. It started as a collaboration while building a team of creatives who where passionate about the arts and supporting one another. We had student interns at the beginning who assisted us in each step. They brought new innovative ideas to the team. We like giving each individual a opportunity to shine.
Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve started working in the fashion industry at the age of 14, modeling for runway shows and designer photoshoots. Behind behind the scenes and being part of the creative process has always been filling for me. Working with other creatives, connecting and creating a project together is something I’ve always enjoyed. Initially, I wanted to mayor in Journalism and communications to become a fashion editor, but my passion for sewing, painting and drawing lead me to having a career as a designer. After working as a freelancer in the industry, I felt that San Francisco brands needed a bridge to develop and connect with the local community. SF Fashion is a platform where creatives like myself can offer services for the fashion industry. We offer PR services such as brand awareness through events, media, influencer relations, marketing and sales. I’m very proud of how much we have grown this past 3 years in business, we are trusted by industry brands and professionals as we grow our team. We do see an evolution to our fashion industry here in San Francisco.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
SF Fashion has assisted many brands and have stayed true to their vision. Our main focus is our San Francisco community, and build a strong network here. We are always very transparent with the brands we work with and seek what is best for them. Most of the time we get referrals from other clients, that’s how we grow and maintain a happy medium.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
I’ve always been a content creator, before an Instagram Influencer was a thing. Capturing behind-the-scenes and promoting My PR side hustle has developed into SF Fashion. I used to be a social media manager for local brands and boutiques in San Francisco, Within my role, I was a stylist, sales associate, event planner and content creator for the brand I was working with. Now my colleagues and I can offer these services to different businesses.
Our company was founded during the pandemic and many businesses had massive layoffs, they weren’t able to have staff 9-5 or employees on a salary. SF Fashion was able to assists businesses on a project basis and offer same quality of service.
We recently produced a runway show for renowned fashion designer Francis Libiran at the iconic Ferry Building in December. Our show was featured on KRON 4 with Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Nola.
Our team was very happy to wrap up with our most recent production with SF Climate Week at The Hibernia SF, we are very proud to have worked with Deploy London, a sportswear brand from the U.K, certified B-corp leading in sustainability.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sanfranciscofashionfestival.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sffashionpr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanfranciscofashionpr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanfranciscofashionfestival/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3C1Gfw_puBtRTGSgjwMM7Q
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-fashion-festival-san-francisco
Image Credits
@drewaltizerphotography @atelierdesmodistes @mutebyjl @louiskleinfashion @sffashionpr @chausaenz_official @wsanfrancisco