Looking over the designer’s shoulder, I could see the model before me pass through an opening in the crowd. Her expression was stoic and matched the feel of the show perfectly. As she came to the end of her walk I could feel a mixture of excitement and nerves build up in my chest. I stepped out of the door way and there was no going back – I was now a fashion model.
This weekend I was in my first fashion show. There’s nothing quite like it. I had experience walking a stage during a hair show a few months prior, but that was a different beast. Though this wasn’t your stereo-typical runway show, it was still nerve wracking. I was excited and terrified at the same time. The kind of feeling you get when you know you’re about to have the experience of a life-time and are afraid you will do something wrong.
The show was for Mad Recital’s SS16 line. (To get an idea of how different their style is visit their page here.) The line is very avant garde and artistic, so presenting their new pieces as part of an art gallery opening was perfect. Personally, I’m glad that the setting was that way. Rather than being up on a stage with fashion-forward folks staring up at you, analyzing the looks, catching your missteps, there were artists lining the wall appreciating the moving art pieces. It was while I was mid-walk that I realized that that is exactly what fashion is to me – art. But that’s another blog post in itself.
In this post I want to give a rundown of what happened at my first show and what I learned from this experience. To do that – let’s start with a timeline of the evening.
4:45pm I arrived early. The model call time was 5-5:30pm. Since this was at an art gallery, I wanted to give myself enough time to not get lost, find parking, and explore the other art pieces.
5:30pm Most of the models have arrived. There’s a lot of mingling. I had previously met some of the other models at a photoshoot, so we had some catching up to do. It was nice that everything was so laid back and we could chat before things got hectic.
6pm Everyone has arrived at this point. The hairstylist has begun his work. This show didn’t involve makeup, but I assume if it had then we would have started that as well.
7-8pm There was a lot of snacking, talking, exploring. Everything was a bit lax which helped calm my nerves. I’m sure it would be different had the show been bigger. The designers also walked us through the path they wanted us to take. We would be making one lap around the gallery floor before stopping for one photo, after which we would walk to the back, put on our second outfit, repeat, and then do the finale.
8pm-9pm Everyone starts putting on their first outfit and lining up.
9pm The show starts.
Not all shows will be this smooth or calm, but with my first one being like that it really eased me into it. I’m confident that I could do any type of show now (though that doesn’t mean I won’t be nervous come showtime!).
A few things I learned:
- Be very aware of how you are holding yourself and the facial expressions you are making.
- If you mess up just keep going. Ignore it or pretend like that was supposed to happen. Try to keep things as smooth as possible.
- Practice wearing your shoes before hand. Make sure they fit well or you can make them stay on. My shoe actually slipped off half way but I had wiggled my foot back into it by the next step. I’m pretty sure no one noticed.
- Have special shoes just for runway. Don’t bring your every-day tattered heels. It doesn’t matter how comfortable those may be. You want your shoes to look nice and new(ish).
- Have fun. Everything will be easier and turn out better if you’re enjoying yourself. If you don’t want to be there you will be miserable and everyone will notice.
- Make sure to be nice and thank the designers for the opportunity. You never know when they will need models again and you should try to leave a good impression so that they remember you.
Show Credits:
Designs: Mad Recital
Hair: Bryan Doty
Music: Mezrab
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