My year started with a Big Bang, I really wasn't expecting it, but just as one door closed another opens, just like that.
As many of you may be aware I was working at McQ by Alexander McQueen for the past year, however that chapter closed just in time, right before 2016 ended and 2017 began. And I couldn't be happier!
One of the first projects of 2017 for me was working on KTZ's London Fashion Week Men's show. A friend of mine was familiar with my styling work and recommended me for the job.
We started working a few days before the show, the in house team had started before us. We sort of got stuck in straight away and my oh my was it hard work! Even though it was tiring and stressful, it was still very exciting and kept me on my toes. Exactly how I like to work.
It was such a great environment to be creative in. I loved every minute of it.
We started with castings, which was a great experience, It was the first time I had seen the whole process happen. Hundreds of models walked through the door to be casted for the show just days away. When the designers loved someone they would pick a look for them hoping it would be ‘the one’.A lot of alteration were done during the casting and even to the last minute before the show, I headed this department.
As the days went by we finalised looks for the models and fitted them, the music was then chosen for the catwalk.The day before the show we started rather early and finished around midnight. Cans of red bull lined up as we rushed around to get things done. 'I NEED a coffee!' you would hear random times of the day. Cigarette breaks became a great de-stresser for those who smoked. The stress started to get to us lol, but it mad sense, there were very few female models in London at the time due to the time of year.
The day of the show was finally here! Everyone was so excited, nervous..and of course tired. We jumped into cabs and took over backstage at The Strand. Make Up started setting up, students who had been hired by LFFW came through the doors in groups and were assigned areas.
We had the outfits all ready and laid out. Models came through and went straight into hair and Make Up. 'CATWALK REHEARSAL' was called at which point the models were taken away from hair and make up and had their one and only rehearsal walk. Back into make up they went after this. What was around 10-15 minutes after felt like 5 seconds, SHOW TIME!
The models were rushed into the dressing area and had their looks put on them. Very few models had two or more looks, actually our one female model had THREE looks, she killed it though. The adrenaline kicked in as the models walked out to the runway, one by one, and the show kicked off..before we knew it, it was all over. It all goes so quickly.
Photographers came heaving in backstage and put their huge togs in our faces lol. The models were undressed, we packed up..and so forth.
Looking back at the whole thing, I am so happy I was involved in such an amazing show, it was a great experience and I would do it all over again.
My favourite thing about doing this project was seeing things that I had personally sewn/altered and put together come alive on the runway. For example the scarf below. I hand sewed all that detailing, my god, it took soooo long. I was doing it on the train home and in the uber to the studio lol! But so worth it, it looked so good on the model as part of this look.
