What You Don’t Know About Fashion Shows

A look behind the scenes of the Immortal Femme Fashion Show

Mar, Tiphereth, Haley, Somara, Sage, & Bianca backstage for BlushSpice

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. Fashion shows are not as glamorous as they may seem. From the outside perspective, a fashion show may seem like this glorious night of celebrating innovation, art, and community. All of which may be true, however the underlying truth is that a fashion show is a lot and I mean a lot of work, for the organizers involved, the models, hair and makeup artists, and especially the showcasing designers. Don’t get me wrong, it truly is an honor to be part of a fashion show. The opportunity to feature your work in front of a live audience is one of the best feelings in the world. However, it’s always surreal to me how months and months of research, sewing, working, worrying, crying… is all over at the end of a 5 minute song. So what makes all of it worth it? My answer- the people you meet and the community you can immerse yourself in.

I’ve participated in a fair amount of fashion shows and what I’ve learned is that the experience is so much more than your clothes walking down the runway. A fashion show day is a long long day. Call time is often 8-12 hours before the actual show. The day of the Immortal Femme Show, I arrived at 3 pm for an 11 pm runway, this called for a lot of downtime. Of course it takes time for models to get ready with hair and makeup, and there may be last minute outfit alterations. Nonetheless there is always time where you’re waiting around, just hiding backstage so that the outfits stay a surprise. This is why I have learned to always come prepared.

In fact, I came so prepared that I got two whole new models just hours before the show because I brought extra looks and there were models who didn’t get cast. I was so happy that not only was I able to showcase more of my designs than I originally intended, but I was able to help create a special memory for the models. I was in the middle of doing three things at once, answering people’s questions, getting the right makeup reference photo for a model, and trying to start my own makeup, when an artist who was vending at the event came up to me asking if I had any extra looks because she would love to wear my clothes. I stopped what I was doing, rearranged the pieces I had brought and came back with a look for her to wear. This look fit her perfectly, even the shoes. Talk about a Cinderella! You never would have even known that she was thrown into the look and put into hair and makeup just hours before the runway! Seeing the joy on her face when the whole look came together is the reason I love making clothes. I love seeing how confident and happy people get.

The Immortal Femme Fashion Show reminded me of why I wanted to be a Fashion Designer in the first place. I want to share my joy and my stories with other people and I want to connect with a positive community. Thank you to everyone involved in making this show come to life, from the show organizers, my amazing models, the other talented designers, and everyone who supported in person or afar- here’s to more creative connections this year. If you have a concept you want to bring to life, please reach out! I can’t wait to work with you.

xoxo, Sab