Meet Linlee Allen | PR / Communications Director & Brand Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Linlee Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Linlee, what makes you happy? Why?
Nature & movement are really key for me and my sanity. Meaning every morning I ride my Bianchi through Beverly Hills to get my coffee, then I usually walk with my feet in the grass beside the Redwood trees at my local park with my dog. I’m a tennis player and I always love an early morning match, too. That’s happiness guaranteed for the day right there.
Other highlights: a great book or a documentary on a life well-lived, a superb culinary experience with friends, swimming in cold water, witnessing creative and cultural projects / performances that bring a community together, random dialogue with strangers on the street that reinforce your faith in humanity, Sunday night FaceTime calls with my Dad in Australia, supporting the causes that I care about (among them, Planned Parenthood, animal rescue and ocean conservation) growing into being the best version of myself and nurturing optimum health.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m originally from Australia and spent several years in Paris as a culture editor prior to handling International PR for the famed retail mecca, colette. In 2007 I moved to Los Angeles and started writing for The New York Times, Apartamento, Purple Diary, style.com and Vogue, and in 2009 I launched my own PR agency specializing in fashion, art, design, beauty & wellness, publishing, homeware, hospitality & entertainment. I’ve always had a voracious curiosity for everything from fashion & film to art and culture, so it was really important for me to be able to cover various cultural realms through PR and to not simply focus on fashion only. Years ago many people told me I was crazy not to focus on one industry, but instinctively I knew I needed that scope to thrive and to stay disciplined. Sixteen years later I can confidently say having taken that risk has really paid off.

In many ways my business is a reflection of who I am: I’m inspired by the process of establishing connections with cool creatives and strengthening awareness of their talent via unique and innovative ways. My role runs the gamut from curating brand collaborations to establishing celebrity alignments, generating publicity coverage (print, web, TV & podcasts), casting ad campaigns, producing special events, crafting brand storytelling through creative writing, providing content creation via visuals and social media direction, establishing retail connections to help international growth and expansion etc.

What sets me apart as a PR is my duality in a couple of cases: firstly, having worked as a journalist and a photographer for many years and now handling the flip side of that as a PR, I know many of the editors that I’m pitching to personally and can adapt the narrative according to what I know will resonate with them and their media title. Secondly, unless you’re a complete moron being an Australian in L.A will always open doors. We’re good people to have on your team. Adding to that, my ‘no BS’ approach probably intrigues potential clients and is a solid contrast from the usual PR big hype / small talk. Tie that into that my European experience and global contacts / database and sprinkle it with a stellar track record of cool clients and top-tier results, and I think the way I’ve sculpted my own brand is kinda like a friend you might go to for a point of difference. I like to think outside the box.

I’ve worked with clients including The Standard Hotels, l.a Eyeworks, Libertine, BZippy / Bari Ziperstein, IZIPIZI, Nike, Monastery Skincare, Vanessa Bruno, Carey Lowell, Tahnee Lonsdale, Heather Levine Ceramics, Karen Walker Eyewear, April Napier, Nancy Steiner, TENOVERSIX, Helen Kaminski, Kamperett, Maira Kalman, Azalea Lee / Place 8 Healing, CLOSED and Slowdown Studio, in addition to also developing brand collaborations with MoMA, Miranda July, Sea Shepherd, Agnes B, Sergio Rossi, Evian, Rachel Comey, Malick Sidibe and Velvet by Graham & Spencer.

It’s a massive milestone for a gal from Oz to have established brand alignments with the likes of David Byrne, Naomi Watts, Alicia Keys, Samuel L. Jackson, Gena Rowlands, Mark Ruffalo, Questlove, Andrew Garfield, Tame Impala, Mike White, Sharon Horgan, Chani Nicholas, Dr. Jill Biden, Francesco Clemente, Awkwafina and many others. Most recently I landed an accessory brand from Australia on the latest season of The White Lotus and that resulted in a +72% spike in sales for them, so that’s definitely game changing PR results. I’m proud of the key relationships I’ve worked hard at nurturing over the years; the connections with creative directors, costume designers, editors, writers, retail buyers, gallerists, publishers and celebrity stylists. Intuition plays a huge role in my day-to-day life and I think culturally when you have an instinctive read on the zeitgeist and can team your research with the timing and awareness of who is up and coming, what project has just been green lit, who or what is landing on your radar / who to keep an eye on, whatever I’m hearing on the grape vine etc, they’re all essentially threads that allow me to run towards the light and to make the magic happen.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
See: The Wallis (https://thewallis.org/) a fabulous cultural institution in 90210 for music concerts, contemporary dance performances, theatrical table reads etc.

Enhance: Anima Mundi (https://animamundiherbals.com/) in Venice, my go-to for all superpowers, elixirs and new age workshops on tarot reading and cacao ceremonies.

Devour: Hinoki & the Bird (https://www.hinokiandthebird.com/) because I love the way it’s privately tucked away in Century City and everything on the menu is delicious.

Breathe: Emma Gray Healing Breath Work Classes (https://www.emmagrayhealing.com/) in Santa Monica, every Monday night is a two-hour mind / body reset guided by the coolest art gallery superstar turned wellness guru.

Immerse: Hammer Museum (https://hammer.ucla.edu/) my happy place in Westwood, because the museum’s perfectly curated exhibitions never disappoint. And then there’s LULU (my favorite farm-to-table cuisine with the best service thanks to Alice Waters), followed by a trip to their A-grade museum gift shop, and best of all: the MoMA Contenders series at the Billy Wilder Theater on the premises is my favorite event of the year as Oscar season really comes alive with their post-screening Q&A’s with directors, actors, costume designers, composers etc.

Recalibrate: Sage Wellness Within (https://www.sagewellnesswithin.com/) for Dr. Andrea Thorpe in Silver Lake, the ultimate guide and mentor. Nobody reads my energy like she does, and her Chinese herbal remedies and acupuncture treatments bring me closer to becoming the very best version of Linlee.

Savour: RVN (https://www.rvr.la/) because my fellow Aussie Travis Lett is a literal culinary genius and his Ramen restaurant in Venice is the stuff that magic is made of.

Move: Franklin Canyon (https://mrca.ca.gov/parks/park-listing/franklin-canyon-park/) for the hiking and insane celebrity spotting….(I have stories, lots of them).

Taste: AWAN (https://awanicecream.myshopify.com/) for the coolest vegan and GF ice cream on planet earth, in West Hollywood.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To colette and the team in Paris for teaching me so much of what I know today and for providing a magic carpet ride of cultural education. Shoutout to every brand that I’ve ever worked with, thank you for trusting me and for believing in my vision. To every editor who ever green lit my ideas and commissioned me to write articles, TYSM. And to my beloved Beverly Hills for allowing me to cultivate my own version of L.A – without a car – gliding through the neighborhod on my Bianchi beneath the sunshine and the palm trees. Special mentions: the majestic redwoods of Roxbury Park and to the best partner in crime, Hero.

Website: http://www.delinleedelovely.com/blog/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linlee_allen/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linlee-allen-6b4b4a1b/