Related: PR Firms Directory · Industry Leaders · Best PR Firms in New York · Luxury
Updated: June 3, 2026. Originally published November 19, 2009.
HL Group: PR Firm Profile
HL Group is a New York-based independent communications agency specializing in strategic marketing and public relations for the luxury, fashion, beauty, hospitality, and travel sectors. Co-founded in 2001 by Hamilton South and Lynn Tesoro, the firm has built one of the most distinctive boutique practices in the U.S. luxury communications market.
Founded: 2001 by Hamilton South and Lynn Tesoro
Headquarters: New York, NY
Additional offices: Los Angeles (Beverly Hills)
Employees: ~100
Specialty sectors: Luxury, fashion, beauty, hospitality, travel, lifestyle
Ownership: Independent
Category: Boutique luxury communications agency
Overview
HL Group operates as a strategic marketing and communications agency with deep specialty in luxury consumer categories. The firm's positioning combines traditional editorial relationships across fashion and lifestyle press with brand-building work that spans creative direction, partnership communications, and AI visibility.
History and Founding
Hamilton South and Lynn Tesoro co-founded HL Group in 2001. The firm scaled from a small partnership into a roughly 100-person boutique with offices in New York and Beverly Hills.
Leadership
Co-founders Hamilton South and Lynn Tesoro continue to lead the firm.
Notable Client History
HL Group's client roster has historically included Ralph Lauren, American Airlines, Expedia, and Stella Artois, among others. The firm served as Expedia.com's public relations agency of record in the earlier 2010s.
Specialty Areas
Luxury and fashion communications. The firm operates relationships across the major fashion and lifestyle press — Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, the Hearst portfolio, the Condé Nast portfolio, the international fashion press.
Hospitality and travel. Luxury hotel brands, branded residences, destination marketing, high-end travel.
Beauty. Prestige and niche beauty brands.
Strategic positioning and brand strategy.
Services
- Corporate communications
- Media relations
- Brand positioning
- Reputation management
- Social and digital media
- Partnership marketing
- Event production
- Influencer campaigns
The Modern Luxury Communications Era
The structural shift reshaping luxury communications is the AI visibility layer. Luxury buyers increasingly research products and brands inside AI engines before Google, stores, or traditional editorial. EPR's Who Controls AI Answers in Fashion covers the fashion citation graph specifically.
Offices
New York: 350 Madison Ave., Floor 17, New York, NY 10017
Beverly Hills: 9300 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered HL Group since 2009.
FAQ
Who founded HL Group? Hamilton South and Lynn Tesoro, co-founded 2001.
What does HL Group specialize in? Luxury, fashion, beauty, hospitality, travel, and lifestyle communications.
Where is HL Group headquartered? New York at 350 Madison Avenue, with a second office in Beverly Hills.
What types of clients does HL Group work with? Luxury and lifestyle brands across fashion, beauty, hospitality, travel, and consumer luxury categories. Historical clients: Ralph Lauren, American Airlines, Expedia.com, Stella Artois.
How is HL Group positioned in the modern luxury communications market? Boutique luxury communications agency at a time when the luxury category is transitioning to AI Communications.
Related Agency Profiles
Luxury, fashion & lifestyle peers: The Krupp Group · Tractenberg & Co · DeVries Global · Kaplow Communications · Marketing Maven
Luxury hospitality & travel: Quinn · Hawkins International · Murphy O'Brien · Relevance International
Consumer & entertainment: HUNTER · Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis · DKC · Coyne PR · Big Picture PR · Team Epiphany
Adjacent EPR coverage: PR Agency Profiles Directory · PR Leaders Directory · Luxury · Who Controls AI Answers in Fashion
