Create! Creating a Fashion Show

Staging a fashion show? This resource for young people outlines the key points to consider when planning a fashion show.

TRANSCRIPT:

This fashion show was the result of a joint competition run by the BBC and the V&A, inviting young people to create outfits inspired by the V&A's collections. This film shows a selection of outfits by the winning designers.

Whether you are staging a fashion show for London Fashion Week or at school or college the steps are similar.

The first thing you need to identify is the budget. You can be very creative with a small amount of money, but you have to be realistic about costs and payment of people involved. Be practical about what you can achieve with the money and time you have. Identify what you will need to pay for and what you could get done for free. Unexpected costs can dramatically affect your show and good advance planning can lead to finding useful contacts and better deals.

The following aspects are key to consider when you are planning a fashion show:

Producer: One of the first things you need to identify is who and what is needed to make the show happen. This role is usually done by the producer. It is their role to project-manage the event and take overall responsibility for the show.

Location: Where will your show take place? Fashion shows can take place in all sorts of venues, but you will need to sort out insurance, risk assessment, liability, health and safety.

Set design: You should discuss with the fashion designer or designers what the overall look and feel should be -- whether you want to include seating for your audience, what type of lighting you will use, hair and make-up looks and music. Do keep expectations realistic, otherwise you can waste a lot time discussing ideas you can't afford.

Models: Many of the models used in this show were friends of the designers. If you are using models from an agency you will need to have someone overseeing the casting and monitoring the budget. They will also need to be responsible for the fitting of the clothing on the models. It is a good idea to ask agencies about 'new faces', these are models who are just starting their careers and looking to gain experience.

Hair and make-up: You will need to engage a team of make-up artists and hairdressers to style the models on the day. The looks need to be agreed in advance and a hair and make-up test often takes place in advance of the show. With this event, as it was a group show, the look had to work across several designers' collections.

Backstage: Where are the models going to get ready? Does the venue have an area where the clothing can be organised on rails and the models can prepare and change? Mirrors, lights, rails, hangers and seats for the models are all things you need to consider. Ideally you need a backstage manager to work behind the scene overseeing -- ensuring the timings are right and the models exit at the correct moment during the show. You will also need dressers who will help the models do quick changes during the show.

Publicity: This is one of the key elements of success and one that is often overlooked until it is too late to get an audience. Work out who you want to come, how long in advance you need to tell people. Social media, websites, flyers, posters, adverts, press releases are all ways of getting the word out -- the more imaginative the better!

Catering: You need to ensure at the very least that people have access to water or cold drinks as it can get very hot backstage. If you can include food and drinks in your budget that will avoid people wandering off for breaks.

Schedule: It is the producer's responsibility to draw up the call sheets, telling all involved what time and where to arrive. There needs to be several hours built in for hair and make up, plus rehearsal time. This enables the models to learn the route, find out how long to take and where to turn.

Post-show: Plan what will happen after the show -- ensure that you have a team of people to help check that all the clothes and accessories are present and correctly packed to return to the designers. Tidying up takes as much time as setting up -- identify in advance who will tidy. You don't want to miss the party!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• v&a
• young
• people
• create
• fashion
• show
• competition
• style
• collection
• outfits
• designers