I used to run the product placement division of a very large entertainment PR firm in Los Angeles, where I created a niche in fashion and became known for exposing brands through everything from print to film to TV to music videos to the Web to celebrities to events.

I had a denim client that liked to do periodic “editor days” in NYC since he didn’t have an agency on the East Coast and he wanted the face time. We did a handful of successful events that brought in editors from outlets such as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, WWD, O, and Self.

About a year ago a light bulb turned on in my head, and I realized there could be a real need for an event like this on a larger scale. I am very protective of my contacts and relationships that I have built over the years, but this is a way for brands to capitalize on my rolodex and forge relationships themselves with the people deciding what goes in the mags, on the TV and on celebrities.  It is for brands that don’t necessarily show on the runways and may not have a showroom in NY. This will be a way for them to get into the heads of the editors and stylists as they begin to plan for Spring.

Expose is nothing like Fashion Week or MAGIC because this is an event strictly for editors and stylists. As much as we love the retailers, this event is not for them. When editors and stylists go to trade shows like MAGIC, Project or Coterie (if they pay to get in) they have to sift through thousands of brands they may not be interested in to get to the ones they want to see or the ones that might be a hot new discovery for them.

Expose will cut through the clutter and showcase a few handfuls of the hottest brands not showing on the catwalk.  There will be quality control on both ends of the process so the brands are meeting with the right people and the guests are seeing lines that they WILL want to use either now or in the future.

What makes a great up-and-coming brand is not price or hype. We look for details and focus on creating garments or accessories that do not necessarily follow the masses. We want brands that are timeless, really focus on good manufacturing, pay attention to detail and offer something that fills a void in the marketplace.

Some great “under-the-radar” lines (and I say this tongue in cheek since you may know a lot of these lines) include Cheap Monday, anything at Target, Levi’s, Creative Recreation, Modern Amusement, and Insight 51. My tastes run a tad more casual, but there is so much great stuff out there for every taste that you can mix and match haute with (price pointed) hot and really pull it off. I can’t tell you how many people I know that rock Gucci coupled with a Target special.