As junior public relations strategist at one of New York’s darling agencies Gia Kuan Consulting with clients like Telfar and ESSX, Huy Vu works with fashion’s hottest brands. In this role, Vu assists with brand strategy, marketing, and visual direction – yielding valuable hands-on experience exposing him to the quotidian operations of building a brand in an emerging market.
Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Vu grew up with a global upbringing, spending time in countries like Algeria and Vietnam, which he considers his native homeland. With a bachelors of science in digital marketing and a minor in philosophy from Chicago’s DePaul University, Vu’s breadth of understanding across the business landscape, demographic research, consumer behavior, and social media strategy make him the perfect asset at the public relations firm.
With a deep curiosity for the intersections of business, culture, and art, he seeks to provide singular solutions to the needs of each client while moving with the pulse of the industry.
Describe your role at GKC:
On a day-to-day basis, my role involves a lot of research and sending a lot of emails. Currently, my main tasks involves reviewing and assessing new brands that would like to work with the agency. This means I do a thorough brief on and overview of the brand, research their past press, and create a timeline of key moments for the brand. It’s been fascinating to see the different needs of everyone and all the unique perspectives that are trying to get their voice out there.
I also support several accounts across fashion and lifestyle which means doing a lot of research on which writers to pitch, influencers to reach out to, and creating media strategies. I am also starting to lead my own account which has been really exciting because I get to take ownership in what I do and work closely with the brand.
What clients and accounts do you work on?
Currently, I support accounts like Telfar and ESSX, a new retailer on the Lower East Side, as well as some upcoming projects.
It’s been so lovely to be a part of each account I work on, knowing that I have added to the brand trajectory through my own contributions. Each account also has their own specific needs, so being able to do a variety of tasks and switching perspectives when working on another account has been incredibly rewarding to learn.
I have always felt as if being a jack of all trades was a detriment due to a lack of hard skillset but it’s proven to be, at least in my opinion, my best trait.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
I’ve always dreamed of working in the intersection of the fashion industry and the business behind it since I was in high school. Never would I have imagined I would be where I am today, so I would humbly say every day has been amazing.
More importantly, I’ve been so privileged to work with an incredible team who all inspire me and to meet like-minded people throughout my journey. It’s exciting to know this is just the beginning and there’s so much to learn everyday.
What are some of your career highlights?
I think the one that comes to mind first is doing the Bad Binch TONGTONG spring-summer 2024 show at the Tribeca Synagogue. I really wanted to lead a show because it seemed like a challenging undertaking.
In the weeks leading up, it was really nerve-racking, and up until the night before, some details were being finalized about the show like who would be photographing. In fact, Terrence, the founder, even posted my email on the brand’s Instagram story for photographers to submit their work to. It was so funny in hindsight and we actually found a few people who were willing as well.
On the day of the show, it was just lovely to work with the team to orchestrate the whole thing. The show was beautiful too. I cried at the finale.
How do you foresee the landscape for PR evolving?
I think the biggest evolution that PR will experience is the shifting of influence and power from publications (in which a handful of publications hold a large majority of influence on opinion) to more diverse opinions from people with more intimate followings. This is great because it democratizes fashion and makes it more accessible thanks to the Internet. I think relationships with influencers of all levels with a following will be important.
However, I also personally hope that as fashion becomes more accessible, it also doesn’t lose elements of critical thinking to vanity. Fashion is arguably inherently about appearance (what can be seen), but there are also things that must be inspected closely to appreciate and understand more deeply.
It can be hard to find opinions that are well researched, referenced, and explored. Partly also due to a de-emphasis on written language and over-emphasis on the visual. Therefore, I do hope that there will also be a resurgence of highly critical and complex thinking when it comes to fashion in general—and definitely more diverse voices contributing to the discourse.
