PR Specialist Jacky Le didn’t begin his career aiming to become a star of Canada’s Public Relations industry. But once he discovered the possibilities within that world, the tenacious Blanche Macdonald Fashion Marketing graduate attacked every opportunity until success as a Fashion PR Specialist was inevitable. Now, as PR Director at award-winning agency Rethink PR, Jacky spends his professional days creating narratives and crafting campaigns for household name brands like A&W, Purdys Chocolatier, and COBS Bread and working with stars including Canadian icon Simu Liu.
“The Simu Liu partnership was a huge project for a client of ours. Our job was to amplify that partnership and garner as much national top-tier coverage as we could. So we did; and we secured interviews with him for ETalk and Entertainment Tonight! This was all happening while he was starring in Barbie so it was a major project to be working on.”
“I didn’t look at other schools. Blanche felt so welcoming and right for me. I gravitated towards how you’d learn many different elements of the fashion industry.”
Public Relations has become Jacky’s calling and career, but fashion publishing was the Vancouver native’s first love.
“Growing up I loved shows like The Hills and The Devil Wears Prada. They introduced me to the creative process behind fashion magazines and communications. I learned that wherever you come from, you could enter that industry and thrive professionally and personally. That’s what I envisioned for myself. In high school, I’d write for student magazines and was always pitching fashion stories.”
Laser focused on fashion, Blanche Macdonald was the obvious next step.
“I didn’t look at other schools. Blanche felt so welcoming and right for me. I gravitated towards how you’d learn many different elements of the fashion industry.”
The knowledge Jacky gained at Fashion School was vital. So were the contacts.
“Having a clear picture as to what your goals and aspirations are career-wise when you’re young is so valuable” he explains. “Mel [Watts] was a ride or die for me. She connected me with people who could help – like Joshua Langston and Anna Thorsen, who had a blog at the time called The Social Life. I started writing for them. It was so thrilling to be in the midst of Vancouver’s fashion scene. I went to a Mugler exhibit at The Bay and Nicola Formichetti, their Creative Director, was there. Derek Blasberg did an event that I covered for The Social Life. It was exciting to be with these people at the echelon of this industry and writing about it. Tyler [Udall] came from that world too. He convinced me I could do it and that I should keep going. He knew where I wanted to go and would give me detailed attention, advice and opportunities.”
Jacky with Rethink team after winning PR Campaign of the Year for 2024
The young grad determined to cement his place in the Canadian fashion world didn’t take long to make that a reality.
“Not long after graduation I saw a tweet from one of the editors of Flare Magazine (now Fashion Magazine), looking for interns. I knew that was my moment. I emailed a cover letter, a résumé and a portfolio. We did an interview and I got the internship. I packed my bags and moved into a basement suite on the West Side of Toronto!
“Having a clear picture as to what your goals and aspirations are career-wise when you're young is so valuable. Mel (Watts, Fashion Career Director, Blanche Macdonald) was a ride or die for me. She connected me with people who could help...”
“Walking into the office was like what I’d seen in The September Issue – not glamorous, but you could tell they meant business. I wrote an accessories trend piece that was published online. We would receive and log the samples sent to us from designers and fashion houses. I unwrapped a Chanel collection that I’d watched on Vogue Runways weeks prior. To then have those same garments in my hands felt very surreal and a pinch-me moment.
“I moved into the digital department at FASHION Magazine, where I worked primarily on copywriting as a Digital Intern. That definitely played a big role in developing my skillsets around copywriting and media for PR. I began pitching stories for their website on beauty, fashion and celebrities.”
Homesickness brought Jacky back to Vancouver where, once again, Blanche Macdonald became part of his professional journey.
“I got a job at the front desk. But I knew I wanted to be in marketing, so when a position opened up in the Marketing Department I pushed for the opportunity.”
The window into the world of Marketing and PR had been opened. Jacky had been given the keys to a new career.
“It was a training ground to develop for future goals. They saw something in me because of my experience in publishing and media, and wanted to help me start a career in PR using those skills I had acquired.
“I was eventually asked if I wanted to work as the client representing Blanche Macdonald. I was who the PR agency at the time would report to, which was crazy, because I didn’t know much about PR then. I eventually moved up to become the PR Director at Blanche Macdonald. I worked through the pandemic, which was a tough time for everyone. That’s when I realized I wanted to be doing PR on the agency side.”
A role at Vancouver agency Citizen Relations was Jacky’s next step, gaining plaudits for stellar work on accounts including Molson, Ambari Beauty and Tourism Australia, the last of whom enabled Jacky to enjoy two weeks Down Under on a work trip after travel restrictions were lifted after COVID.
Jacky’s results got noticed beyond his own satisfied clients, and after two years he was poached from Citizen by Rethink, an award-winning global creative ad agency that was looking to build their dream PR team.
“They asked me why I would be a good fit and should work there. I wanted to stand out. So I wrote a press release about myself like I’d already been appointed and was announcing it to the trade press. I feel like that’s what sealed the deal with me getting the job.”
“Rethink has a huge reputation in the advertising industry and has the awards to prove it. But starting a PR department from scratch was an exciting opportunity and a huge statement. This was a huge challenge and I was going to fight for it.
“They asked me why I would be a good fit and should work there. I wanted to stand out. So I wrote a press release about myself like I’d already been appointed and was announcing it to the trade press. I feel like that’s what sealed the deal with me getting the job.”
The young fashionista who dreamed of becoming a style writer is still moulding media, just a little differently to how he first envisioned.
“I’m part of creating narratives that the media is excited about and wants to cover. Developing a story from scratch and seeing it come to life – or even elevated – is a proxy version of me writing those stories. I get to work on major brands that allow me to have a really fun creative sandbox to play in as a PR professional.
“I’ve been doing PR for a few years now and I still get so excited securing earned coverage for my clients! It still feels so rewarding to see a story that I’ve worked on be featured in media like Global News or CTV.”
“I’ve been doing PR for a few years now and I still get so excited securing earned coverage for my clients! It still feels so rewarding to see a story that I’ve worked on be featured in media like Global News or CTV.”
“I started my career wanting to be the media. But I truly feel like I’ve found my calling being on the other side collaborating with them to tell meaningful and impactful stories.”
