Forbes.com 02.09.07
It's an open secret in the fashion industry that designers pay "wranglers" to round up and place celebrities in their front rows.
"The front row of a fashion show is the red carpet to the world," says Lori Levine, founder of Flying Television, a talent booking and brokering firm that places celebrities like Destiny’s Child, Jessica Simpson, Nelly Furtado and Mira Sorvino at fashion shows and other events. Levine has worked with designers like Zac Posen, Vivien Tam, Sean Jean and Miss Sixty. “Twice a year, the entire world watches a designer showcase their clothes. And given that the front row is what everyone sees, you are going to want celebrities there representing your brand, wearing your clothes and getting their picture taken. You can imagine how important it is."
So important that designers routinely hire Levine and other wranglers to ensure that A-listers are seated in the front row or, better yet, are strutting the designer's stuff down the runway.
Take Tommy Hilfiger. His runway show is among New York Fashion Week's most anticipated--because of its wares, of course, but also for the celebrities who will be sitting in its front row. In years past, that has included Paris Hilton and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.
Hilfiger, says a wrangler who has worked with the designer and placed such socialites as Kimberly Stewart (daughter of rocker Rod Stewart) and such celebrities as Nicole Richie at fashion shows and parties, was the first designer to use celebs routinely, starting in 1996. "He was one of the first ones to put Paris Hilton and [young Hollywood DJ] Mark Ronson, [model] Tyson Beckford and rappers and hip-hop artists on site at a show and in the show as models. It was very unique at the time. Now everyone's caught on."
The designer's representatives, however, deny stars get paid to attend his shows and say that Hilfiger doesn't use celebrity wranglers.
Big Bucks
Suppose you wanted a celeb of truly blinding wattage--a Katie Holmes, say, or a Mischa Barton. Assuming that they did such jobs, what would you have to pay them to attend?
"Katie's a big deal now, so I would say a designer would have to pay $50,000 for her to sit in the front row and $100,000 to walk [as a runway model]," says the wrangler. "Nicole [Kidman] would get maybe $40,000 to sit and $80,000 to walk. Mischa [Barton] maybe $25,000 to sit."
Noncash Incentives
Sometimes the celebrity's compensation is quid pro quo: They show up, and in exchange they get clothes. "My clients get approached all the time by designers offering to pay them to sit in the front row," says publicist Nancy Kane, whose firm, People’s Revolution, a public relations, branding and marketing firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. This season, "Y-3 Adidas offered one of my clients free reign of the showroom to pick anything he wanted, as a 'thank you' for his sitting in the front row."
Hip-hop artist Kimberly Jones (aka Lil' Kim) unabashedly talks up designer and friend Marc Jacobs when being interviewed by reporters. Tracy Nguyen, a spokesperson for Jones, insists the singer doesn't get paid to do so, but admits Kim gets the occasional favor.
"Kim loves Marc and shops at his store," says Nguyen."If it's a limited edition kind of thing, she’ll put in a request for it before it hits retail."
Gifts Galore
When she married Tom Cruise in November 2006, Katie Holmes wore a wedding dress--reportedly valued at $2 million--gifted her by designer Giorgio Armani.
"[Katie] has a close friendship with Giorgio Armani through her husband," says an Armani representative. "While we don’t pay her to sit front row, she definitely comes [to Armani's shows] to show her support. For us, there is press, and it's great for our brand to be associated with celebrities."
Return On Investment
But are celebrities worth all the money and coddling? Does having one in your pocket help sell clothes?
Noah Tepperberg, co-founder and partner of New York-based Strategic Group, a special events, marketing and public relations firm, thinks so. He has placed everyone from recording artists Jay-Z (now chief executive of record label Def Jam) and Fergie to, most recently, Entourage star Kevin Connolly.
"Strategic Group works with ongoing clients like Lacoste to help craft entertainment marketing strategies--of which celebrity appearances at events and fashion shows are a big part,” explains Tepperberg. “The influence of celebrities on fashion is nothing new. It’s simply that more and more brands are on the market and creating more opportunities for alliances. Simultaneously, we're starting to see celebrities themselves becoming more conscious of the consumer's perception."
Nice job, if you can get it.