How to Organize a Fashion Event

Fashion shows are supposed to be a little over the top. Actually, the more they push boundaries the more likely it is they’ll be remembered. Maybe you’re planning a fashion show to promote your own line of clothes, you’re helping a designer friend or its part of a fundraiser. You still need to think outside the box and have a few elements that give your guests a sense of novelty. 

These events are also attended by journalists and fashion bloggers which offer excellent opportunities for advertisement and, if you make a strong impression and get good reviews, it will help you further your career.  Fashion is all about attention to detail so there are a lot of small steps that go into organizing an event. This can get quite overwhelming so we’re here to help with a few general guidelines that give the whole process a frame you can follow. 

Put Together a Team

You might be the kind of person that likes doing everything by yourself, but this is not a good time to try such a strategy. There are too many details that need taken care of and you’re bound to forget something or run out of time. You’d just be driving yourself crazy. You can recruit professionals to help you or gather a team from family members and friends. If this is a fundraiser you can get other people from the organization to assist you. 

Then you’ll want to hold an initial meeting to delegate tasks. Remember that whatever you don’t delegate you’ll have to do yourself. You’ll need someone that is in charge of finding a suitable venue, someone to handle lighting, someone for advertisement and who can book a team of professionals to film your event and someone who will recruit the models. 

This meeting is also the time when you should pick a theme for your show. If you’re the designer there’s a good chance you already have a theme for your collection and then you just match the event’s atmosphere to that theme. Themes can be something like “Sustainable Fashion”, “Gothic Chic”, “Gender Fluid”, “Casual Luxury” and so on. In case your event is displaying the collections of several designers then you need a theme that incorporates all of them or you can mark the change between themes through music and lighting. 

Budget

A fashion show can be very budget friendly or an extravagant event. After you divide the main responsibilities among your team you need to calculate your budget. If you don’t have a lot of funds available it means you need to find volunteer designers, volunteer models, look for venues that will offer you discounts etc. 

You can use the proceeds from the tickets to pay for the expenses and, in this case, you’ll have to decide how much you can charge. There will be a lot of people involved in the planning of this show so you can count on their friends and relatives attending. It also depends on the area in which the show takes place.  You need to keep a balance. If you charge too much it might result in fewer people attending. 

Venue

First of all, you need a venue that’s large enough for the runway and the audience, with enough backstage space for the models to have their make-up done and change outfits. The venue will determine the size of the show, how many people can attend and therefore how much money you can make from selling tickets. Proceed with caution as once again, balance is key. 

If you have a smaller budget, you can look for local theaters, universities, schools and community center that will let you hold the event for free or at a discount. Otherwise look fora fashion conscious area and a stylish venue. The level of glamour expected depends on the type of clothes you’re showing. For instance, if your collection is mostly evening gowns, then you’ll want the venue, the décor and the event to exude elegance and refinement. 

Technology can also be used to enhance the show. You can arrange to have screen on both sides of the runways so you can give your guests close-ups of the models and designs. 

Models

You need to select your models carefully as they can make or break your fashion show. Look for people with a variety of distinctive looks. Stereotypical beauty isn’t very effective in keeping the audience engaged during the show. They should also have a lot of personality, the kind of presence that exudes confidence and draws people in. Models like that can bring your collection to life and give the audience a sense of how they would feel if they wore the same clothes. You’re selling an experience, an identity. Clothes are, after all, the skin we choose. 

To make sure everything runs smoothly, you also want models with some experience, that know what they’re doing and won’t get too nervous before or during the event. Remember that a show takes about half an hour in which the same models might change outfits two or three times. 

Once you choose your models, schedule a fitting to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made. At this point you can also take pictures of them in the various outfits which you can use to promote the event. Then you want to give them a chance to practice changing from one outfit to another, get familiar with the catwalk they’ll be using, where they have to go backstage, transitions etc. 

Advertisement

The most cost efficient way to promote your event is to use social media. You can create an event and post pictures of the outfits and venue, write a compelling announcement and create a bit of buzz to get people interested. You’ll also want to invite VIP’s, journalists from local newspapers, TV and radio stations, fashion bloggers and social media influencers. If you’re raising money for charity then you can submit a press release regarding the event and the cause you’re supporting. 

About six weeks before the show you can start selling tickets. Keep the target audience in mind. You can visit universities, community centers and work with other vendors to distribute them and increase your sales. Make sure you have a refund policy in case the event gets cancelled as this will make potential buyers more comfortable. 

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