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vet tells us why Novella Paghera PR was the inevitable next move for her and what differentiates her from everyone else.
You now have your own agency. What kind of clients are you working with?
I started Novella Paghera PR in February 2022. Fashion is my background and my passion. I work with designer ready-to wear brands and accessories brands. MSGM was the first designer to join my agency. I recently started working with Alejandra Alonso Rojas, which I’m very excited about. I work also with Fraciacorta, which is a wine region from Italy — sort of the Champagne of Italy — representing their 122 wineries. I also work on design projects with Viso Project and Seletti. This fall, I’m also working on a book launch. My mission is to promote excellence, craftsmanship and culture, support Made in Italy, communicate and embody a lifestyle of beauty and quality, which is what luxury is to me. My clients are brands with solid values that are authentic and have a unique aesthetic.
Why did you want to start own agency?
It was the natural next step for me. I felt ready to build my own project, follow my dream and my instincts. I also wanted to explore the entrepreneurial side of my personality — I studied business at school. Within a solid structure creativity becomes consistent and relevant. Fashion PR is challenging, the market is very competitive and always changing, but it keeps me very connected to what’s going on in culture. I like to work on aspirational projects that become a product that can be bought, worn, used in the real life. I have now both the sides: creative ideas and business plans that support each other.
How many people are working for you now?
Three full time: a senior manager, a manager and an assistant. Each season we have two interns, usually they are students. We like to be mentors and introduce new talented minds to the industry. I also work with a few freelancers to support specific projects. My team is dynamic and flexible.
Tell us a little bit about what you were doing before you went out on your own.
I worked for many years as an in-house PR and Communication manager. I started in Milan where I worked with different heritage fashion brands for over 10 years. When I moved to New York, I was working for a PR agency before launching Novella Paghera PR. Having both the agency and in-house experience and working in the European market as well as the US has given me a very distinctive insight.
What differentiates you and other publicists?
I consider myself a consultant for my clients before being their publicist. I look at the brand, its identity, its priorities and goals in the US market, its business and the available budget. My team and I work on a mid-term creative and strategic plan that converts in an action plan. We collect feedback and measure results. Many of my clients are from Europe and they want a communication partner who translate the local culture for them. We have a lot of insight on and can share and teach them about local consumers, and why, what, how to communicate to them. It’s very important to be in constant conversations with the brands I represent to make sure their messages and values are properly translated and communicated in the US market.