# MP Connect Expands New York Team With PR Account Executive Hire
MP Connect, the New York-based public relations agency founded by veteran publicist Melissa Palmieri in 2016, is actively recruiting a Public Relations Account Executive for its Manhattan office. The full-time, hybrid position marks a staffing expansion for the firm as it continues to scale operations in one of fashion's capital markets.
Palmieri established MP Connect after nearly two decades working within the PR industry, building the agency on a foundation of deep fashion sector expertise. The firm operates at the intersection of public relations and integrated marketing communications, serving clients across luxury, contemporary, and emerging fashion brands. This hire signals the agency's confidence in sustained business growth and its commitment to strengthening its New York presence, where most major fashion media outlets, brand headquarters, and industry power players remain clustered.
The Account Executive role represents an entry to mid-level opportunity within a boutique agency structure. Candidates typically manage client accounts, coordinate media relations, pitch stories to journalists and editors, organize events, and execute campaigns across multiple fashion verticals. In the hybrid format, the successful candidate will split time between the Manhattan office and remote work, a configuration that has become standard across PR agencies post-pandemic.
This hiring reflects broader industry dynamics. Fashion PR remains labor-intensive despite digital transformation. Boutique agencies like MP Connect compete with larger conglomerates like Edelman, Weber Shandwick, and Ketchum for talent and accounts. Boutique shops often attract professionals seeking more direct client contact and faster career development than sprawling networks provide. Palmieri's two-decade track record likely positions MP Connect as an attractive destination for junior PRs looking to build fashion credentials under experienced leadership.
The fashion PR landscape has shifted considerably since MP Connect's 2016 founding. Social media has become central to brand storytelling, influencer relations now rival traditional media relations in importance, and real-time responsiveness matters more than ever. Agencies hiring today expect Account Executives to navigate TikTok, Instagram, and emerging platforms with the same fluency they bring to pitching Vogue editors. The role demands fluency in crisis communications, influencer partnerships, event production, and data analytics.
New York's PR market remains intensely competitive despite some agencies decentralizing to Los Angeles and Miami. The city's concentration of legacy fashion media, CFDA headquarters, Fashion Week infrastructure, and luxury brand offices creates unmatched networking density. For a junior professional, working in MP Connect's New York office provides direct access to the journalists, editors, and brand executives who shape fashion narrative.
The timing of this hire matters. Fashion industry employment has remained relatively stable after pandemic disruption, though hiring patterns remain selective. Agencies expand headcount when client pipelines strengthen and retention improves. MP Connect's move suggests the firm has secured new business or expanded existing accounts sufficiently to justify adding headcount.
For job seekers in fashion PR, positions at boutique agencies offer advantages: mentorship directly from founders, portfolio-building across diverse brands, and the agility that smaller teams require. The hybrid structure also reflects evolving workplace expectations, particularly among younger professionals who prioritize flexibility.