Beginning with the launch of their own fashion clothing website, Our Diverse PR has since worked its way into the world of fashion in Philadelphia. Established in 2012, OD PR defines itself as a styling firm, a PR firm and a management firm. The company is led by owner Paula Shuler and publicist Kim Lawrence.
Although they are a public relations firm, Our Diverse PR does work heavily within the fashion business as well. The company works and collaborates with the modeling agency Artistry Model and Talent Management. Artistry works with those aspiring to become models, fashion designers and actors. As well as collaborating with this management company, Our Diverse PR has also launched their own online fashion store called Our Diverse Fashions where they sell “vintage upscale clothing.”
Shuler had originally began her journey with the idea of launching her own clothing website.
The website features both clothing and accessories such as various jewelry, sunglasses and scarves. Shuler said that she buys the products featured wholesale to sell on the site and that she also buys on requests for those she styles.
In addition to their website, Shuler does styling for some of their clients as well, she also explained that they “let different fashion stylists pull from us too, if they have a fashion show or if they have a client who is doing a photo shoot they’ll be able to pull from our collection”.
They also attend events in Philadelphia to do vending in order to promote their brand and network. In addition to Shuler and Lawrence running their business, they have taken on four fashion interns as well.
Every month, Our Diverse PR hosts a woman’s networking event for woman in Philadelphia to come to network and shop. During these events they sell some of the clothing and accessories featured on their website to the women who attend the event. According to both Lawrence and Shuler, in their profession they are always around men and they wanted to host events where professional working women who are trying to start their businesses could come together and network. Shuler said she tries to invite ladies she doesn’t know in order to make newer connections.
“This is why I actually started this because I run into a lot of ladies, but we don’t really work together,” Shuler said.
She explained that she wants to work and connect more with women in the industry.
Shuler and Lawrence both attended Penn State together and graduated a year a part. While Lawrence majored in public relations, Shuler surprisingly majored in Crime Law and Justice with a minor in forensic science. Shuler said that once she had graduated, she had spent a lot of time with her former college roommate who was a local radio personality.
“I slowly got into the music business that way and I had already had a vision to do my fashion store,” Shuler said.
This vision led her on the path to start up her own fashion website and eventually to starting her own business. Shuler explained that while it was not exactly what she planned for while in college she decided she wanted to “go full force on something that I really like doing.”
Lawrence said that after she graduated, she had kept in touch with Shuler and knowing that Lawrence was a PR graduate, she reached out to her.
Knowing quite a lot of people in Philadelphia and with Shuler already having a clientele under her wing, the two decided to start a firm together.
The online fashion website was very much the beginning project for both Shuler and Lawrence that would lead them to where they are now. While this business was not always what Shuler had planned for her future she said she does very much enjoy what she does.
“I feel like once you are in a field that you enjoy I feel like it’s not work,” Shuler said.
Caitlin O’Connell can be reached at caitlin.oconnell@temple.edu.
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