I’m typically the one asking the questions. So when friend and SF publicist Donna Berry Glass asked me to be interviewed for Landis Communications’ “Meet the Media” feature, I was reminded of the challenge of being on the flip side. It turned out to be a fun exercise– and a jog down memory lane of some of my most hilarious, not to mention unconventional, fashion interviews. Here’s the mini Q&A that published yesterday. (Thanks Donna … and Landis!)

Meet the Media
Meet Nerissa Pacio Itchon, a San Francisco-based fashion journalist whose award-winning work has been published in the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Weekly, Women’s Wear Daily, Detour magazine and the San Jose Mercury News. Nerissa is the author of the blog NerissasNotebook.com.

What’s your top story/post for today?

It’s a toss-up between the dramatic details of the capture and killing of Bin Laden and the departure of Hannah MacGibbon as creative director from Chloé. (My varied range of RSS feeds gives away my background as a style writer with a hard news background.)

Tell us about your “dream story assignment.”

Vogue would offer me an exclusive fashion/ travel assignment involving a trip to France, a Karl Lagerfeld interview and a private jet.

 Describe the wackiest interview you’ve ever done.

It’s hard to choose just one! I once interviewed Betsey Johnson after she’d had a few glasses of bubbly and every question I asked her inspired a non-sequitur answer. I also chased around Richie Rich (of Heatherette) backstage at a fashion show while he was zipping around on roller skates. And, I managed to snag an interview with Christopher Bailey (of Burberry) amidst a throng of eager fans at a cocktail party as they were snapping away photos. Somehow I managed to hold them off until I had gotten my last question answered.

 What is your PR pet peeve?

It can be a turn-off when it’s apparent that the publicist or PR firm hasn’t done their homework or appears to be misleading. For example, if a publicist pitches their product as “brand new” and never been written about before, but a Google search turns up stories about it already and it’s already old news. Lesson learned? Editors will do their research.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a journalist who is in to exploring the world through fashion. I love discovering people’s personalities and stories through their personal style.  And I’m more than a little obsessed with all things celebrity and beauty.

Want to connect with Nerissa? Email her at nerissasnotebook@gmail.com or Follow Nerissa on Twitter @nerissapacio.