As an emerging designer of a textile brand, unveiling your collection during a fashion show is always a moment of great personal satisfaction mixed with a feeling of intense stress. You have 15 to 20 minutes (average duration of a fashion show) to immerse the public in your universe. A very short quarter of an hour to convince buyers, potential partners, professionals or the media of your talent. 900 seconds of show which, despite everything, requires months of preparation.
1/ Definition of the theme
The first step is to make the theme of the show coincide with the coming season. The selected looks must revolve around the same theme, like a red thread until the end of the show. Whether it’s a color, a material, a continent… the place, the music, the lighting or the decor must be linked by a common thread.
2/ Budget and financing of a fashion show
Don’t make the mistake of wanting to absolutely reproduce a Fashion Week fashion show because the finances will quickly bring you back to reality! Reason feasibility under pain of great disappointment!
Establish a detailed budget according to each position , list the resources you already have, those to be quickly constituted. Make sure to spend as little as possible, to reduce the costs that can be, while at the same time seeking solutions that generate funds.
On D-Day, a box office (with a reasonable admission price) could finance part of the fixed costs of the show, just as a presentation paired with other stylists could reduce the costs of the event. Multiply partnerships with local merchants (aesthetics, hairdressers) in exchange for intensive communication around the event. Logistical and human resources, solicitation of sponsors, nothing is forbidden.
3/ Choice of time and place
The choice of location must correspond to the theme of the parade, as well as to the target of your textile brand (little chance that a follower of tailors and 16 cm Louboutin goes to an underground workshop!). Indoors or outdoors, take into account all the constraints (boxes, podium, stage, acoustics) because the layout of the premises must accommodate the scenography as you have imagined it. Quickly set the date and time of the parade. During the day, afterwork or in the evening, some places will condition this choice on their own, also take into account the availability of your guests.
4/ Communications
Privileged moment to increase your reputation, promote your brand, it’s time to make some noise! Organize a press conference , boost your communication on all possible media, flood social networks before the show, anticipate post-show communication by producing exclusive bonuses (interviews, backstage, videos, etc.).
5/ How to place the guests
The fashion sector is very codified, the allocation of seats during a fashion show is subject to strict rules . The rows furthest from the stage are the least prized (therefore reserved for the less influential people), while the battle rages on in the 1st row.
The front row is itself divided into strategic placements; at the ends, where the model strikes a pose, will be grouped bloggers, influencers or the press whose photos will flood (we hope) all the media; the middle generally brings together Prestige guests while the bases are reserved for financial partners, delighted with this first-class attention but not knowledgeable enough to occupy the first-choice seats. And friends in all this? They will not blame you if they attend the parade in ST (Standing), proof of the success of the event.
The challenge of a parade is colossal but as long as people want to dream, you will want to create…and the more you want to create, the more you will want to organize your own shows!
