With Agency Spotlight, we’re featuring the independent PR and marketing agencies that Fashionista loves to work with. Meet the hardworking professionals behind them and discover what it really takes to make it in fashion publicity.

If you’re on the fashion scene in Los Angeles, you may already know Audrey Steele as one of the coolest PR gals in town, the type that knows everyone and has an answer for everything. How did she get there just two years after founding her own agency at the age of 24?

“I officially launched Steele PR in July 2023, about five minutes after getting laid off from my job at a popular activewear brand. It was one of those ‘the universe pushed me’ moments, and I just decided to go for it,” Steele tells Fashionista.

While Steele is based in L.A., co-founder Vivian Harwood, (an esteemed PR agent in her own right with experience at various revered NYC agencies) is based in New York, ensuring the two can meet their clients’ needs and goals across coasts. The duo says that working from home has helped them keep costs down and avoid taking on debt.

“Since we don’t have a showroom or office and keep overhead low, I was able to get started without needing a financial cushion. And to this day, we’ve still never taken on outside funding. No funding, no help, no investors — just vibes and hustle,” says Steele.

Current (and long-time) clients of Steele PR include Silent Opus, Brixton, DMY Studios, TA3 and TT Studios. (The latter recently named a jean after Audrey, a testament to her cherished client relationships.)

Steele elaborates on the benefits of choosing an independent press agency over a corporation. “Smaller agencies can give clients the kind of attention and care that bigger agencies simply can’t. We’re in the trenches building real relationships for our clients. No cookie-cutter strategies, no 20-person chains of command. Just real results. I think the key is keeping overhead lean and building things around what actually works, not just what looks good on Instagram.”

Sparkly posts or a social media following doesn’t define an agency, according to Steele. “You need drive, resilience and a decent WiFi connection. You do not need a showroom with marble countertops or a full-time team your first month in. Start scrappy, stay nimble.”

As for career advice to her younger self, or those hoping to follow suit in the industry, Steele says, “work hard and be deeply authentic. No amount of name-dropping or aesthetic decks can make up for a lack of substance. PR is all about trust, and that comes from being real.”

Steele warns newcomers just how “cutthroat” the industry can be, saying “people will try to undercut you, copy you, ghost you or worse. Stay gracious, but stay sharp.”

Interested in working with Steele PR? Reach Audrey at audrey@steelepr.com.

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