Not many people could say they\u2019ve met Cate Blanchett or Beyonc\u00e9, but brushing shoulders with celebrities is all in a day\u2019s work for Curtin alumna Stephanie Epiro, who is living the dream of many modern journalists as Gucci\u2019s social media manager in Milan.<\/p>\n
Epiro graduated from Curtin in 1997 with a Bachelor of Journalism, and has worked in London, Italy and Australia as a communications and marketing consultant and freelance writer for Women\u2019s Wear Daily, Vogue Living, Elle Canada, Dsquared2 and the Four Seasons Hotel.<\/p>\n
It was through her contacts as a reporter for Women\u2019s Wear Daily that Epiro knew the then director of Gucci\u2019s social media department, and convinced her to take her on board in 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always had an obsessive interest in fashion,\u201d says Epiro. \u201cI was a teenager during the supermodel phenomenon of the nineties; I interviewed Linda Evangelista once and I was so star struck. I often find myself in the showroom at Gucci marvelling at the craftsmanship of the bags and touching the gowns.\u201d<\/p>\n
The day after Epiro started working at Gucci, the brand underwent a massive transformation following the appointment of new creative director, Alessandro Michele. Epiro says it was a challenging yet rewarding time as Gucci\u2019s communications channels went \u201cdark\u201d, and all content was stripped back to establish a new vision for the brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t doing events, there was no collection to promote \u2026 in the beginning it was really tough to understand in what direction we were going,\u201d says Epiro.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was simultaneously a highlight, because we created an entirely new voice for Gucci social media which remains pivotal in communicating to the world the new Gucci,\u201d Epiro says. \u201cIt\u2019s fun being a part of that, especially since it\u2019s the brand everyone is talking about in fashion right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gucci has over 26 million followers across its social media channels, and Epiro works with a team that organises and schedules each digital campaign including those in China and Japan. She is also responsible for conceiving stories for the Agenda section of Gucci\u2019s website, while collaborating with other in-house departments to configure product launches and plan upcoming shows.<\/p>\n
Epiro also had to overcome cultural differences working in Milan, including language barriers, work hours and engaging with the Italian people, but her strong connections at Gucci have helped her to develop professionally and personally.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot to be said for sitting and listening to mentors, to people who you respect in your workspace. There are a few brilliant minds at Gucci who I seek out to have a chat with and share ideas, even if we work in diverse departments and countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Epiro has seen the media scene change dramatically in the last three to five years as new digital marketing platforms like Instagram have eclipsed traditional media, such as print advertisements, in popularity and costs. Brands like Gucci are able to connect to their customers much more quickly and intimately than ever before.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough social media you can merchandise a product to a client that goes beyond the image of a bag,\u201d says Epiro. \u201cSure, there\u2019s the bag in the latest campaign, but there it is dangling from the arm of a Chinese rock star, or captured backstage at the fashion show, or reimagined by a little-known online artist in a dreamy video.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s journalists, says Epiro, need to be the \u201cfull package\u201d, and stresses the importance of having marketing skills and digital knowledge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fashion or any product based industry, it\u2019s one thing to know how to write about it, you also have to understand how to promote it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can write and that\u2019s a skill that people can\u2019t learn so you\u2019re already ahead. Now go out and parlay your other interests into extra skills applicable to the sector you want to work in: it could be programming or designing or analytics. You will have a superior toolkit of knowledge. In the corporate landscape, writers stand out as they are also usually ideas people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Epiro attributes her tenaciousness, curiosity and short attention span to being able to succeed in an industry well-known for being competitive and cutthroat \u2013 \u201cIt forces me to come up with ideas constantly,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cStephanie is utterly unlike the catty, lazy prototype of the \u2018fashion journalist,\u2019\u201d says Mary Lisa Gavenas, a former colleague of Epiro\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is extremely proactive in pursuing information. Stephanie scores stories that no one else can get because she has unlimited energy and her enthusiasm wins over reluctant subjects every time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Epiro would like to go back to university to study marketing, and tries to return home to Australia once a year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI miss the authenticity of the people, the sharp light and the smells like eucalyptus and the air near the river; everything has a different look to it in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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