The Impact of Influencers on the Fashion and Luxury Industry: Meet Alumna Allegra Contatore
Alumna Allegra Contatore graduated in 2017 with a B.A. in Marketing and a minor in Communications. She currently works as PR and Influencer Manager at Sunday Riley, a luxury skincare brand in France. On September 27, Allegra will give a talk called “The Impact of Influencers on the Fashion and Luxury Industry,” in the context of Professor Antonella Salvatore’s course “Retailing applied to fashion industry.”
Allegra Contatore
Tell us about your career.
I started my career with an internship at Chanel, in Rome. After working in marketing for a year in Milan, I moved to Paris, which is where I got my first job as PR & Press Assistant at Roger Vivier, a Parisian shoe brand. One year later, I received a job offer from Cartier, where I worked for almost two years as PR & Influencer Assistant, and I was in charge of all the photo shoots with fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Grazia. This was a huge step in my career as it allowed me to live out of my passion and to use my communications skills in my daily work.
Today, I manage all the relationships with French editors and influencers for the brand. My job allows me to always be surrounded by many journalists and influencers and to organize important weeks like the Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks.
How did you become passionate about fashion?
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been a fashion enthusiast. I remember buying the latest issue of Vogue magazine every month, dreaming about fashion editorials, designers’ collections, and photo shoots. My biggest dream was to work in the fashion industry while living in Paris, the most romantic and effortlessly chic city in the world.
How did your studies at JCU help you in your career?
The years I spent at JCU were absolutely crucial for developing my passion. I learned to apply the concepts studied in class to real case scenarios. Classes like Business Communications, Strategic Marketing Management, and Fashion Retailing allowed me to develop a clear understanding of how marketing works. For instance, during my Fashion Retailing class with Professor Antonella Salvatore, we had the opportunity to draft from scratch a strategy to launch a retailer in the Italian market. This type of work is an example of how students can understand the professional world.
What advice do you have for JCU students?
My advice for students is to get as much work experience as they can, and to keep pursuing their dream jobs even if it takes time and patience.
