Between castings, fittings, and finally seeing the clothes they have labored over for months getting readied just days before everyone views their shows, Fashion Shows can be a long slog for designers. It’s a trial by fire, and what doesn’t work quickly gets discarded. Developing a human resource plan for a Fashion show ensures every detail, large and small, is successfully completed. A fashion show is a hub of activity with models, designers, stylists, volunteer, staff and support staff roaming the halls. The most famous fashion shows are staged in the fashion hubs of Paris, New York, and Milan, but hosting a fashion show in your city or college is an ideal way of promoting local/aspiring designers.

Our college, INIFD Deccan, situated at the heart of the Pune City teaches our student’s fashion designing course in Pune. We train our students to give some of the best ramp creations, some amazing garments and we help them work with the real industry clients. Hope this blog helps you know how we function around here during our annual fashion show.

Here are a few tips that we keep in mind when organizing a fashion show,

• Decide if it’s going to be a daytime affair or an evening one.
• Choose the date and the length of the show.
• Choose the venue for the show.
• Check whether it will be possible to hold rehearsals in the venue.
• Arrange a place within the venue to keep the outfits and a place for the models to get changed.
• Decide the length and layout of the catwalk.
• Arrange a show committee and divide the key jobs between a group.
• Find models for the show.
• Consider hiring a band or singer to perform at the show.
• Think about how you are going to introduce the show.
• Decide on a digital marketing plan for the event.
• Conceptualise a sponsorship proposal for the same, in order to get as many sponsors as possible.
• Hire a professional photographer, choreographer, and makeup artist to give their best and achieve the high points of the event.
• Arrange to clothe for the show – find themes that fit the world’s scenario at this point in time.
• Define a print media advertising platform for the event.
• Make sure all garments have clean finishing lines and are pressed well before the event.
• Order racks and steam iron for the use at the venue.
• Keep calm and make sure everything is done with a cool head.

Other Main Things to Look Into:

1. Hair and Makeup

   Hair stylists and makeup technicians polish up models before the fashion show. The hair styling team makes sure each model has hair that makes her look gorgeous but also ensures each hairstyle is we vision of the event stylist. Makeup technicians provide stage makeup support, while also coordinating the makeup with the artistic vision of the creative team.

2. Wardrobe Assistants, Stylists

   Wardrobe assistants prepare outfits for models. They also make sure everything, from accessories to outfits, are appropriately assembled and ready for models to jump into before walking down the runway. Pressing, steaming and hemming clothes are other responsibilities for wardrobe assistants. Stylists oversee wardrobe assistants and are responsible for the artistic style and direction of the show. Stylists’ source clothes and work with designers through the development of the focus of the show.

3. Runners

   Runners perform all kinds of duties backstage at a fashion show. Assign a few runners/volunteers for each of the individual teams, such as hair, makeup, clothes, media, and volunteer management. Provide them with cell phones, beepers or walkie-talkies so that they can communicate with you, and each other. The runners can perform all kinds of last-minute and unexpected on-site and off-site errands.

4. Media Management

   Members of the media want access to models and VIPs during fashion shows, so assigning staff and volunteers to act as a media team is a critical role. Ideally, these individuals should have a background in public relations or communications, and have strong organizational skills. Managing media is a fast-paced role, and any media representatives should be properly equipped with press kits and effective marketing tools.