Behind the Scenes of Young&ng Casting for Austria's Next Top Model with NYC Fashion PR Firm

Behind the Scenes of Young&ng Casting for Austria’s Next Top Model with NYC Fashion PR Firm

“We want beautiful, ethereal, statuesque models,” explains New Zealand  native and Young&ng jewelry designer and creative director, Michelle Ng. Sounds easy enough, but any fashion PR firm can quickly tell you that request is much easier said than done. Even in New York City, where beautiful faces are a dime a dozen, finding the perfect set of models can be just as hard as finding the perfect client.

For now Ng is taking a break from the usual New York crowd and opting to take a chance on the final four contestants of Austria’s Next Top Model (ANTM) Cycle 2.

On the day of the taping, Ng arrives in a black, deep – V jumper, hair pulled into a low bun, and black, smokey eyes. Her intricate pieces of cut-out metal encrusted with varying shades of charcoal and thunder colored gemstones compliment her look. Next to the contrast of blindingly white walls and expansive floor to ceiling windows in this TriBeca Loft each piece stands out remarkably well.

Young&ng made its debut in the US almost six months ago with statement-making bold headpieces and cuffs. The idea behind the brand is to create beautiful, haute couture pieces that evoke a feeling of wearable art. Clearly it’s working. In this short time the brand already has bragging rights with features at note worthy publications such as VogueDaily Front Row, and Daily Candy.

Her success hasn’t been a bout of sheer luck though. There is a great deal of strategic planning and image control that has come into play to take her collection this far in this short period of time. In order to achieve this same success for your own company you need the same key factors, including an amazing and hard-working PR team behind you.

The first part of pushing any idea toward success is to create an image and stick with it. All of Ng’s designs are unique and beautiful in their own way, yet it’s clear that each one is related to the same brand. Even Ng’s own all-black uniform creates an added sense of professionalism and allows her pieces to be the focus of her every outfit.

As the production team from ANTM make their way in to discuss the run down of the show, Ng takes lead and begins directing the set up. Publicist as well as Ng’s personal assistant, are put to work moving pillars, organizing jewelry displays and mood boards to create a better on-camera visual. Mics are put on, cameras are positioned, and Ng practices what she will say to each model once more before they start rolling.

Meanwhile, the assistants are busy making the magic happen behind the scenes. There are pictures being taken on Iphones and Blackberries, Facebook updates, Tweet blasts, it’s a constant social media overload! Any good Fashion PR Agency knows that you have to amp up your online presence if you want to get noticed.  As always the sooner you post it, the better.

This is the second step – make sure your every move is targeted toward your audience. Fill them in as much as possible with as much information as possible. People tend to invest more interest in a company if they feel like they know the person behind the brand. It’s that reason that people have watched Project Runway for years, continue to buy Rachel Zoe’s QVC collection, and fiend for DKNY PR Girl’s every #GG tag on Twitter. Make use of all social media outlets as well as those unique to your own brand, such as a woman’s only social networking site or a local group for young Entrepreneurs.

As the taping began, Ng spoke with each model one at a time to request they strip down to their skivvies and pose on three separate, three foot tall pillars. For her NYC Fall Fashion Week 2011 Presentation, the only thing models will be wearing is her jewelry so it’s important to have a clear picture of the kind of shape they’re in.

The last step in creating a successful brand is having concrete goals to plan for. Most start-up brands don’t plan for Fashion Week six months after they’ve launched, but for Ng it was a no-brainer. Even if you’re not ready to take such big leaps, write down the small goals that you have and constantly check-in to make sure you’re accomplishing them.

The first model looks nervous, she is a pale and gawky, but has a beautiful face. Things get complicated when she refuses to take off her jumper for lack of proper under garments and clods around the room like the Jolly Green Giant. With the next three girls, a couple seem to almost understand what Ng is saying to them. The rest are clearly faking it with some knowledge of a few key English words.

After tight lipping it through the first half, Ng is then asked to tell each of the contestants why she did or did not like them. Although most of them do not have a solid grip on our language- you have to imagine it must hurt getting rejecting without really knowing why. But, she still manages to maintain her professionalism throughout the entire ordeal- it helps that she isn’t able to understand what they say in defense to having the “wrong look” or “amateur poses.”

After the crew left, Ng held a quick meeting and began focusing on the next project for Young&ng.. Don’t get too caught up in patting yourself on the back for landing good coverage until you are truly rolling in your riches. Many young entrepreneurs put themselves in a sticky situation by having one clear goal, obtaining it, then slowing down their force. This only leads to crashing and burning. Start hard and finish hard! Continue to check in with your publicist and be proud of yourself for even the minute accomplishments. Once you remain on a steady path, accomplishing your biggest goals won’t seem like such a huge feat!

To see Ng in action, check your TV guide listings and the web in February – when Austria’s Next Top Model Cycle 2 will be airing! For more information about Ng herself and her collection, please visit youngandng.com.

To watch a snip of the video, check it out HERE!

For more photos from the casting, click HERE!

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