A NIGHT TO REMEMBER - TOKYO DOLL FASHION SHOW

Here is a recap of my experience putting my first fashion show together. It’s not the cleanest story but I wanted to share it anyway, to help anyone who may be considering a fashion show, and to honor the night. I spent almost two months preparing for this event and once it was done, I didn’t have much chance to reflect upon it because I began moving and setting up a shop pretty much the next day which has been a huge adjustment. As time passes, I am very proud of all I have achieved. So I’m here to share it. 

When my friends at Tokyo Doll asked if I wanted to put on a fashion show at their venue I said yes straight away. I knew it would be cool but it wasn’t until what lay ahead sunk in, that I decided to push myself as hard as I could to create something spectacular. Although it would be a lot of work, I had already promised myself that this would be the year to focus only on growing my brand, and what an opportunity. 

I am so grateful that I don’t have a partner right now or any other commitments that take up time and energy because when I tell you I was working hard, it’s an understatement. It was one of the most creatively inspiring and difficult periods of time and I can honestly say that due to the challenges, I feel like a much stronger and more confident version of myself. I realized that I can do whatever I put my mind to and learned things about myself that I can’t explain. Did I have a few mental breakdowns? Not until afterwards. I was too busy to have mental breakdowns. I also had a broken toe but didn’t give it a second thought as I got up every day to do whatever I needed to.

There were so many elements involved - the designs, sourcing, sizing, models, music, MC, styling, vibe, venue, sponsors, promotion, pricing, dress code (+ what am I going to wear!?), dressing room, accessories, props, print outs, coordinating with so many people, timing, the nerves of the models, being asked 100 questions at a time and literally having to tell people to stop talking to you. Now I know why designers can be fierce. It’s a lot to handle and when you have a unique vision that you have put your heart and soul behind, you won’t let anything come in your way. 

Back to the event itself. The restaurant was packed and the pink neon lights were shining down. Perfect. The models were walking through the restaurant exclusively to Beyonce, wearing a collection created for the night, adorned in handmade jewelry from Boyaci and giving out gifts to the audience such as teddy bears, flowers and candy. The show was split into 5x ‘concepts’ which I figured would be the best way to showcase my work only when I started working on it and feeling all the feels of what certain things mean to me. I had a looming deadline with complete creative control and a supportive team of people who were there to make it happen. I was stressed and pinching myself at the same time.

I wanted the show to make sense and to mean something, so I wrote a short (and cheesy) poem to go with each 5 concepts and printed them on a card for everyone sitting in the restaurant. Did the patrons read it? Did they understand it? I am not sure, since I was out the back in an abandoned shop which we had converted into our dressing room by newspapering the glass walls. 

I was doing more on the night than expected, running between the dressing room and restaurant to give the DJ a thumbs up. Then back to the dressing room to tell the models to come out NOW! It would have been good to have an assistant and if I could do it again I would have. But it’s all a learning experience. That space was full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, props, screaming girls, and a buzz I haven’t felt before. Unlike a photoshoot, you have one shot to get it right. But it’s OK if you don’t… Just improvise and engage with the crowd! Look confident and have fun. Don’t forget to smile!

The ‘dressing room’ also had no electricity (LOL) so we had torches and fairy lights to trust that everyone was looking great. And they did. I was sooo pleased to see the pieces I had spent weeks sewing being worn by the models and the way they came to life. Each model took the pieces and matched them with their personality and it was cool to witness the power of creation. If only I had more time to take photos…. But each time I poked inside the restaurant all I could see were people filming with their iPhone. I couldn't hang around because people kept talking to me so I had to run away. It was so overwhelming. 

At some point, the Woolworths security guard came knocking and asking if we had permission to be there. His timing couldn’t have been worse and I must have looked like a crazy person yelling at him to leave. “We are doing a fashion show and the girls are about to walk out. You need to leave!”. He didn’t understand. I am not sure what happened to him but I didn’t see him after that. 

I knew people were watching me and I thought I would feel confident since it was clear the event was going well, but I felt shy and overwhelmed with the attention. I am definitely more of a ‘behind the scenes’ type of person. Next time I do something like this I will take that into consideration and try to practice my demeanor or at least wear more comfortable shoes so I wasn’t walking so awkwardly. Difficult with my broken toe, but the champagne helped with that!

If I could do it again, I would. And I will. Only next time I will have an assistant on the night and take more photos. I did end up with some cool pictures and I’m sure there are more out there, but I am reluctant to share them here because, well…. you had to be there. There’s no other way to explain it. Thank you so much to the models, DJ, Tokyo Doll, and Boyaci for helping facilitate this night ~ a night to remember! And the biggest thank you to everyone who came and showed their support!