THV PR is a new addition to the collection of high-end boutique fashion PR firms and showrooms in Los Angeles. It is owned by husband and wife team, Touriya and Greg Vaughan, and focuses on Dutch and European apparel brands, accessories and lifestyle
products and offerings. After arranging one of the most high-profile fashion shows/events during Los Angeles Fashion Week last month, it is hard to believe that they have only been around for a year. Focusing on branding, celebrity placement, red-carpet events, fashion show production and traditional as well as digital public relations services, THV PR is becoming a brand in its own right and a force to be reckoned with.
As Los Angeles continues to vie with New York City for recognition as an equal contender in the world of high-fashion, Touriya Vaughan has decided to jump into the action while wearing a killer Tony Cohen dress and carrying a Vlieger & Vandam gun clutch. The Icon Concierge was fortunate enough to sit down with the former model and TV-star and discuss their brands, their philosophy and where THV sees the future of fashion PR in the new age of social and digital media.
Tony Cohen
ICON: Who is your favorite designer in the showroom and why? Who do your clients (stylists, etc.) just love?
TV: Well, the brands that people already know, such as Marlies Dekkers who does lingerie, Tony Cohen, Soho Hearts, who do amazing funky jewelry, and Goosecraft who do beautiful leather pieces are always very popular. However, when someone comes in the showroom I always show them our other brands and most have an open mind and love what they see. That’s how we build up our lesser known clients. LA people are used to wearing ‘comfy’ clothes, so I love to get them out of their comfort zone and into something more European and structured –but still super practical and wearable.
Tony Cohen
ICON: What is the process like when you chose to represent a brand in your showroom?
TV: The brand has to fit the showroom. All of our brands compliment one another and click with our overall aesthetic. The client (brand) needs to have a good vision to mix with THV’s goals and purpose. I always try to be fair and honest, as I don’t like to waste anyone’s time and I think it’s best for everyone. We love working with established clients as well as new clients who aren’t as well known, but have a great product. I love that challenge –to make that unknown brand be known and coveted.
ICON: Will you branch out into representing more brands that aren’t Dutch?
TV: Yes, definitely, we are starting to carry some American brands, however we started with Dutch brands because they’re great, but were relatively unknown in the States. We also carry French and Italian brands – anything that is unique whether they are established or not – we either carry or I want to know about!
ICON: Why did you choose LA over NYC as the home base of your showroom?
TV: Well, I moved here 5 years ago and was doing a lot of red carpet appearances with my husband, who is also in the entertainment business, so I was pulling from a lot of showrooms in LA that were very different from Europe – which were like accountant offices, very boring. New York was serious and presented itself well, but it was also very cold. So when we set out to open our own business we wanted to have a New York City vibe in a Los Angeles setting. We wanted to bring unique and new things to the market – like the gun bags by Vlieger & Vandam – and felt that they would still do good on a national level even if we weren’t based in the New York.
Touriya showing item to stylist.
Touriya viewing Goosecraft look book.
ICON: As defined by you what is fashion PR? Where do you see it in the next 2-3 years given the advent of social media?
TV: Fashion public relations is in the digital space, it is now. We work on developing our social media campaigns daily and have a blog where we post updates about our clients and industry related news. We are also working on a monthly online newsletter where we will create looks and people will be able to buy what they see immediately, so we will also be offering e-commerce. Designers in our showroom will be able to be sell their merchandise directly through us, that’s an added value we’re going to bring to our clients. I am very excited about it.
ICON: What motivated your move from being a successful actress to fashion PR?
TV: It was time to move on. I had had a very successful career, but then I become a wife and a mother and was simply at a different stage in my life. Fashion had always been my passion and I had a vision I wanted to share. We launched this company exactly a year ago from my dining room table and 6 months ago we moved into this space.
Marlies Dekkers
Tony Cohen
The Icon Concierge would like to thank Touriya and Greg Vaughan for sitting down for an interview and allowing me to tour their fabulous and iconic showroom!
