Esz, Kesenya, Me & Marianne – Photo by Nada
Making things look easy is hard work! Yesterday I gave the first of two lunch time session workshops for Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, and I have to tell you, pulling something like this together is no easy task.
Given that this blog and pretty much everything I do is a one woman show, I have to be super organised and multi talented to make it work. The last few weeks have really put me to the test to see just how much I can do and has also taught me that without a good team, there are some things that just can’t be achieved.
I’m sure that over the course of this week, you’ll be reading all about the highlights of MSFW, the shows, the clothes, the models; so I want to give you a different view into what goes on behind the scenes. Here’s what it takes for me to put on a one hour session, and keep in mind this isn’t a whole production with multitudes of garments and models – that would take an army!
Firstly, you have to come up with your concepts. This is the bit that most people enjoy the most, things like mood boards, topics, the imagination part. Then you have to work out how you’re going to turn that into something that entertains and informs for a whole hour.
There is a set to stage, making sure that things look pretty and that it all works. That your guests are warm and dry and that everyone can see and hear what is happening. There is a mood and ambience to set, all of which require props, lighting and people to make it happen.
Given that what I’m presenting isn’t really a catwalk show I needed to come up with ways to illustrate what I’m talking about and make the hour more than just me on stage like a bump on a branch. So I’ve been pulling together several outfits, beautiful models, doing fittings, repairing garments, writing booklets and doing all the graphic design, DVD presentations… all sorts of things!
The long and short of it all is that I’ve been working about 14 plus hours a day for the last three weeks just to pull together a one hour session. It sounds like an insurmountable task, which on some days it does feel like, but one of the most fabulous things to come out of all this has been the great team of people who have pulled together to make it happen.
Esz, Nada, Me & Marianne – Photo by Kesenya
We’re a small crew, but the marvellous Nada has been helping me prepare models backstage, Kesenya of Alice Jean’s has become my “Adrianna” (only you Australians of a certain age will know what that means), and the wonderful Marianne from Esme & The Laneway and Esz from Kitty’s Drawings, put up their hands to show how beautifully vintage can be worn.
So with all that prep time in mind make sure you get down to see Thursdays session at 3.30pm in City Square! Now that we are officially in Spring the weather is bound put on a good turn out for us… (positive thinking works).
It was such a super busy day yesterday that I didn’t even get a chance to take any proper outfit shots of what I was wearing! But you can get a fair idea from these pics at least. It was…
1940’s Silk Taffeta Blouse – via Etsy
French Navy Wide Leg Pants – Made by Me
Shoes – Black faux snake skin lace ups by Kumfs
White floral headpiece- by Samantha Sultana
I’m thinking after the last few weeks that it might be time to bite the bullet and hire an intern…. any takers?






































