How I Got Here: IMG Fashion Events’ Vice President-Managing Director on cultivating a personal brand
IMAGE VIA @nataliexenita/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“We have a powerful platform, and I love being able to use it as a catalyst for positive change in the industry and cultural influence.”
Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable job.
But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually being at the top of their industry?
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Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to women who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way.
This week we speak to Natalie Xenita, the Vice President-Managing Director of IMG Fashion Events and Properties Asia-Pacific. Her role at IMG has spanned the last six years, with Natalie working at the helm of events like Afterpay Australia Fashion Week and the prestigious Australian Fashion Laureate awards. Overseeing everything from commercial partnerships to event production, Natalie acts as the national spokesperson for IMG Fashion and the liaison between the Sydney offices and the company’s headquarters in New York City.
But before landing her “dream job”, Natalie cut her professional teeth in magazine advertising at the Australian Consolidated Press (ACP). It was in these early years that a former boss taught Natalie the importance of qualities like punctuality, courtesy, kindness and reliability. It’s these attributes – as well as her adaptability and unwavering work ethic – that have carried Natalie a throughout almost two decades in the fashion industry. Here’s what she learnt along the way.
What do you do and what’s your official job title?
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As the Vice President-Managing Director of IMG Fashion Events and Properties Asia-Pacific, I oversee the commercial strategy, sponsorship sales, partnerships, marketing, and event production across the APAC region. I am the custodian of APAC’s biggest fashion industry event, Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW), as well as Australia’s most prestigious fashion industry awards, the Australian Fashion Laureate.
Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you study to get into your chosen field, or did you start out with an internship/entry-level role and climb the ladder? Tell us the story.
I’ve been lucky enough to be the custodian of Australian Fashion Week for the last six years, and I have to say this is really my dream job. Growing up, I was fascinated by pop art and the culture of consumerism. This led me to a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of NSW, majoring in Media and Communications. In my last semester at UNSW, I did a week of work experience at Harper’s Bazaar magazine, [which was] then published by Australian Consolidated Press (ACP).
At the end of the week, they asked me if I’d like to come back once a week to continue my work experience, which I did for a couple of months. Just as my final semester was ending, they offered me a full-time job as the Advertising Coordinator at Harper’s Bazaar. This was the start of what would be an almost 15-year career in magazine advertising, and I went on to work on mastheads such as Cosmopolitan, Girlfriend and Bride to Be. It was the opportunity to join IMG and run Afterpay Australian Fashion Week that brought me back to my fashion roots.
What do you want people to know about your industry/your role?
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I can totally understand the fashion industry can feel daunting to those looking to make their start, but that’s also one of the best things about fashion – the breadth of skills and areas of expertise are massive.
You only have to look around at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week to see just how diverse the ecosystem is – from designers, models, photographers, journalists, event producers, retail buyers, finance and tech experts, hair and makeup artists, content creators, public relations, brand marketers, even lawyers and policymakers. I’d love for more people to see just how inclusive of different skills outside of design and manufacturing the fashion industry really is.
What’s the best part about your role?
We have a powerful platform, and I love being able to use it as a catalyst for positive change in the industry and cultural influence. The opportunity to run AAFW is obviously amazing, but our other event, the Australian Fashion Laureate, while smaller in scale is equally special.
Now in its 15th year, we have expanded the Laureate from a Lifetime Achievement Award (received by industry legends including Carla Zampatti, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson) to up to 10 categories including Indigenous Designer of the Year, Women in Leadership and People’s Choice, which is decided by the public. The event is in November, and it brings the industry together at the end of every year, providing an opportunity to celebrate their achievements amongst their peers (and unlike AAFW, without the stress of finishing a collection and putting on a runway show)!
What would surprise people about your role?
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I always say to my team that we are incredibly lucky to be part of a very small contingent of people in the world who do what we do. There’s no other job in Australia quite like mine, which some people find quite fascinating! Every day I get to deal with such a wide network of stakeholders – from established and emerging designers and students, to C-suite executives and government officials, to the media and journalists.
But during the event, it’s all hands on deck when you have 23,000-plus attendees to manage across the week. You’ll often find me in the crew catering tent or queuing up for a coffee with the volunteers back of house… I love meeting people who work on the event behind the scenes and seeing how passionate they are about helping us make the event a success.
What skills have served you well in your industry?
Earlier in my career, a former boss taught me about the importance of a personal brand – things like punctuality, courtesy, helping others and reliability all contribute to your personal brand. Your personal brand is cultivated through consistency and will open doors – people will always want to work with or recommend people who have a strong personal brand.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?
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Be flexible! The fashion and retail landscapes are constantly changing, so businesses need to adapt and individuals need to come on the journey… [it] can be tough for some to leave their comfort zone. Even an event like Australian Fashion Week, which has been running for 26 years, has evolved from a trade event to consumer integrated model.
What about a practical tip?
Never stop learning. The fashion industry is in a constant state of flux, and it can be overwhelming to try and stay across everything. I make sure I learn something new every single day – I listen to podcasts in the car on my drive to work, and I follow fashion media on Instagram so I see updates as I scroll through my feed.
Our New York team sends me the daily global fashion news digest, which I read at the top of the morning, and I never go to sleep without reading the news headlines. Knowledge is power!
Read the rest of the How I Got Here series here.
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