Improve your chances of getting A Magazine Pull Letter

If you’re a fashion stylist, perhaps the biggest challenge is getting your brand out there into the world and showcasing your talent to a wider audience. One of the very best ways to get your foot in the door is with a magazine pull letter.

What Is A Magazine Pull Letter?

In fashion PR, a magazine pull letter (also known as a commission letter or a letter of responsibility) is an agreement between the stylist, the magazine and the designer for a sample of the latter’s products to be used in a photoshoot or other editorial in the publication.

A stylist who wants to create an editorial using a designer’s pieces will need to pitch their idea and make various legal promises to the designer. The magazine takes all responsibility for the items used, and will provide financial compensation if any are damaged or lost.

Pull letters are generally used by freelance stylists to secure items for a photoshoot, and give everyone involved peace of mind if something were to happen to the pieces. Obtaining a magazine pull letter is an important step for the designer and stylist as it is the chance for both to showcase their products and talents, and to be credited for them in an official publication.

Want to see your work featured in a fashion magazine? Follow these steps for how to get a pull letter of your own.

How To Create A Pull Letter As A Stylist

Step 1: Build A Relationship with the Magazine

The necessity for building connections is a given in the fashion industry, and the same applies with a pull letter. If you’re a freelance stylist, play the field and make sure you spend time and energy building a solid relationship with the designer’s PR representative(s).

Step 2: Be Business-Minded

We’re sure your ideas for the editorial are brilliant and a true expression of your creativity, but when it comes to a pull letter this isn’t the only thing that matters. This is a business document that acts as a financial safety net, and it needs to show the potential promotional and financial gain for a designer should they loan you a sample of their work. Fashion is a business, after all!

Step 3: Include All the Relevant Details

A pull letter should include all the following, especially if the magazine and stylist aren’t well known (you’ve got to start somewhere!):

• Links to the magazine website and your online portfolio as a stylist
• Examples of your work and that of the photographer (if it’s a photoshoot)
• The specifics: the issue date, season, number of pages etc. of the editorial where the piece will be published
• A brief overview of the creative plan for the editorial (colour schemes, themes & moods)
• Where the magazine is issued – all countries where it is in print
• A clause explaining that the magazine and stylist are financially responsible for the items used

Pull letters are a fantastic way to create collaborative editorials that can boost the reputation and brand awareness of both stylists and designers.

Be bold, be brave and show the world your creativity by securing a magazine editorial. When you’ve got one under your belt, more and more opportunities are sure to come flooding your way. Good luck!