“It felt like a fever dream.”
Before the show on Sunday, 26th Feb, let’s rewind to sooner of that week, shall we?
Milan Fashion Week was happening, with all the news covered every day, and celebrities in the same city as me, it felt unreal. But sitting at home and watching the show is not fulfilling enough, and I do not seem to have luck with public fashion shows, nor get the tickets or standing spot. In this Milan Fashion Week, I told myself, let’s figure out some way to immerse in the vibrancy of the fashion week. And one of the ways is to be in a fashion show.
FENDI SS 2023- MILAN FASHION WEEK – FRONT ROW
Fashion Shows Seats are usually reserved for people in the industry so unless you have some connections with the brands, it isn't easy to get invitations to the shows. Having known this, you can opt for the direction that I and other fashion students are doing, which is being a dresser for their showcases.
Fashion Shows require lots of joint force, from the setup, makeup, photography, models, press, the collection itself, etc… So fashion brands, need your help, our help, to make the whole procedure smoother. And if you are willing to help, what in return for you are snacks (sometimes), a chance to see and feel the newest collection in person, a chance to make new friends, meet the designers, work with models, and the backstage experience. You will come out of the show tired, but with new memories and perhaps new opportunities.
I did mine and I wanted to tell you how the experience went. After searching online for Milan Fashion Week Calendar, I listed down what showcases I wanted to work for, then I got my detective gear up and figured out each brand’s contact to ask if they need help with the catwalk. I got 2 offers back eventually and decided to go with Shuting Qiu- the infamous Chinese emerging brand because it suited my timeline.
The show started at 9.30 AM, and the Dresser Call time was 6 AM.
Why is it so early? Well, for a live fashion show, arriving at least two hours before the show is a must for preparation, and making sure everything is in place.
My house was 40 minutes away from the showplace, so I got up at 4.30 Am, to prepare myself and headed out for the bus stop. It was surprisingly a full bus on 5.30 Am Sunday, and I arrived at the destination, along with a couple of people. We headed for the backstage area and were briefed on what to do as dressers - we helped to change models into desired looks and make sure the garments were safe and sound.
There were hangers with the garments, and pictures attached to make sure the whole outfit looked right when changing. Each person was assigned an outfit, and we waited for the model to arrive, meanwhile had some snacks and coffee, I haven’t eaten so it was nice that they offered them. Models came one by one, and we greeted them, then waited for their makeup and hair to be done, which is usually an hour or so.
A rule of thumb is for models to do makeup and hair before wearing the outfits to avoid any stains.
In all honesty, we waited for a while before we could dress the models, a couple of snacks away and it is time to dress the model. Final changes can be made before the show started, like the shoes, accessories, and even dresses. The coordinators and stylists, designers would ask you to change according to their preferences. And some models may change into their second-third looks, so be fast and calm. It can get very hectic because once the model steps out, time flies as the whole show last 10-15 minutes.
In my opinion, one of the most rewarding moments was when the show ended, and we all clapped and cheered for the success of the show. It was beautiful and feeling like this, make me want to continue being in other fashion shows.
Written by Shelby N
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