By Kourtney N. Shearer
Since my first year of college, I’ve been planning fashion shows. I am now in my senior year, and spring 2019 will be mylast school fashion show. Over the years, I have developed such a sense of passion for this and am thinking about continuing it in the professional world as well. One of the things I love most about it is there is never a typical day for a fashion show producer! Some days I will be editing music, writing scripts, and other days, I’ll be out looking for donations from sponsors, putting together VIP bags, going to a model call, setting up meetings, or getting venue and catering settled.
One of the most important skills is to be organized. You are required to meet so many deadlines and have so much to keep up with. A planner will literally save your life. I remember last year my planner being so full, I had to get a separate one just for fashion show, and another one for school. Being able to plan out meetings and making personal deadlines really helped me keep everything on track! You also need to have strong communication skills. With so many people being involved in a show, it’s important to make sure you are meeting with everyone.
My favorite part of the whole process is show day. All the models are coming in excited to get their hair and makeup done. Designers are so happy, but nervous as well. On show day, I set up the venue, make sure all the designers and models are checked in on time, and make sure everything goes smoothly. I wouldn’t have gotten through my day without my trusty (sparkly) fanny pack, filled with anything anyone may need throughout the day, from safety pins to Band-Aids!
I think one of the most challenging yet rewarding parts is that there are so many things that go into a fashion show. You are constantly running through your head saying, what do I still have to do? It can be pretty overwhelming at times, but when the time comes, and you are walking down the runway after the show, every stress and worry was worth it. It’s one of the best feelings ever to see all the hard work, you and the team did, pay off. Seeing the audience’s positive reaction makes you feel like you did everything you were supposed to do in order to showcase the designers work in the best way possible. I am thankful that Stevenson gave me an opportunity to produce a fashion show that I hope to turn into a career.