HOW TO PUT ON A FASHION SHOW

It is almost that time again. Menswear shows have begun Milan, Haute Couture follows and before we know it RTW in NYC begins.

I have helped produce over 20 fashion shows a season for the past 8 seasons including Haute Couture in Paris and Ready to Wear in New York, Milan and Paris for the world's top designers (not gonna name drop :-p).

This season, I am helping an up and coming designer with her very first show as part of New York Fashion Week. I put together a list of things for her consider in her planning process, a sort of checklist to consult in the weeks before showtime. I thought it might be helpful to share with others. I posted a bit of the checklist below. If you have questions or want even more detail.... Email me at : voluplife@gmail.com and Good luck!

EARLY PRE-SHOW (1.5 months before):

1. Decide the goal of the show: i.e. coverage by xyz magazine

2. Brainstorm what are your key messages and inspirations.

3. Choose the look for models in the show, i.e. sporty, diverse or glamazon. How many women will you cast? How many men?

4. Decide how much staff you need for day of the show and enlist help now.

Staff suggestions….

BACK OF HOUSE:

CASTING DIRECTOR

SHOW PRODUCER/ BACKSTAGE MANAGER

STYLIST/ WARDROBE MANAGER AND DRESSERS

KEY MAKEUP ARTIST AND HAIR STYLIST

FRONT OF HOUSE:

PR

5. Create an operating budget

6. Create an invite list. Get together all your contacts and look over them to figure out whom you want to invite. Decide who else you would like to invite and begin work to get their contact info. Also contact friends in the industry to see if they have any big supporters that they think should attend your show.

7. Create the dream celeb invite list and think how you would dress them.

8. Brainstorm set and lighting and music.

9. Brainstorm publicity i.e. creative save the dates and invites.

10. Think about if you want an after party and if so reach out to venues and liquor marketers.

PRE-SHOW (1 month before):

1. Begin casting process: contact agencies, see models, choose your best and try to get a 1^st on them.

2. Set up meeting with show music designer to decide music.

3. Set up meeting with set builder to decide light and set look.

4. Execute first phase of publicity. Send out save the dates or official press kits with invites.

5. Start reaching out to possible celeb guests and their publicists.

5. Schedule model fittings for the week before show.

6. Begin deciding your looks with your stylist.

7. Schedule your hair and makeup test. Be sure to ask: How long will take to execute look? And how long it will take them to train their teams on the look? Keep this in mind when creating your call time later; you don’t want to choose an elaborate 4-hour makeup when your call time is 1 hour before the show.

8. If part of a larger series of shows, talk with show management so you understand the flow of the day, any additional opportunities for publicity or merchandising, and schedule a walk through of the venue.

9. Confirm after party arrangements if any

10. Begin writing your talking points for backstage interviews. You want to be ready to answer questions because chances are you will be exhausted day of and your brain wont be working very well!! It happens to the best. Note cards are a big help.

1 week before the show you should have the following completed:

The majority of your collection

Your team for day of show

Invites

Your music and set decided

Your promotions in place

An after party arranged if you want one

Set your model call time

Approximate time for first looks (i.e. How long it is going to take your models to dress in your looks? Add 20 mins. extra to be safe.)

DAY OF SHOW:

At Model Call time: You need the casting director to make sure models are on time. Before models go into hair and makeup to give them initial walk through on the runway so they know how they are to walk the runway and make sure they walk it in the shoes of show, to avoid spills!

After models have been shown the runway the Backstage manager gets them into hair and makeup and sees that they are completed in a timely manner. They are then taken to get dressed!

If you have time, the Casting director can execute 1 full rehearsal 40 mins. before showtime in order to check hair and makeup in the runway lighting. Occasionally when clothing is very tricky, designers might dress the models for the rehearsal to avoid disaster.

At the call of first looks the Casting director gets models to dressing area to begin dressing

5 Mins. to showtime, Casting director lines up models in the correct order. Makeup and hair give final touch ups to dressed models. Just before models go on, the Casting director tells the girls how they should walk and pumps them up before they go on stage. Casting director to manage the flow of models onto runway.

POST SHOW:

Do lots of interviews, congratulate your team on a job well done and celebrate your success because it wasn't easy!!!!