Charity Fashion Show Recap

It's taken me a while to get my ish together to write this, I've experienced a rainbow of emotions.. so here we go, bare with me.

It's night of the show when I am extremely stressed trying to finish my gown (sold to the lovely Miss Jennaway) and trying to look like a designer, my boyfriend leans into me, kisses me on the cheek and say's everything is going to be ok. *sigh* I've been nervous about this show for the past week (ever since the designers were announced) I looked at all their sites and thought to myself, there is no way my stuff will be remembered, their clothing is much more "high end" looking than mine. My clothing is also VERY wearable and I wouldn't be caught dead in some of the clothing I saw. I explain to him I am also worried that the stylists wont know how to put my pieces together (even though I sent pictures) and he tells me not to worry, everything is out of my hands now. So I finish sewing this gown, throw on some makeup, he tells me I am gorgeous, takes my hand and suddenly everything is ok.

Now it takes us FOREVER to catch a cab and I am already running late (my fault) but I keep telling myself that everything would work out, that I would meet lots of potential clients and really jump start my career.

I should have known that I was only kidding myself..

 So we get there and we have to wait in line.. VIP line is longer than general admission.. why I do not know. The event apparently said BYOB.. but I missed the memo or I would have been chugging Champagne in the cab on the way over. I find my friends, say hi and realize that I know almost no one except them.  Te fashion sense of some people made me feel like I was in a bad soap opera and I just couldn't help but think... oh shit.. this is not going to end well..

So.. they gave us seat numbers... but no one who worked there knew how the seats were working and for about 45 minutes I and hundreds of other people scrambled around searching for the seat with our name on it. Trav and I were placed towards the beginning of the runway.. allowing the two of us to get up close and personal with the first garments coming out... not great seating.. but what do I know.. This is the first fashion so I have ever WATCHED and not modeled in.

The designs are interesting, original and half the time I spent wondering... "that doesn't look handmade.. that looks store bought.. either I need to learn those sewing skill or that designer is a fraud." The sew skill part is true.. but I think I was still just on edge.

Finally 11th on the designer list, my name comes up on to the screen. Everyone around my gets excited and I grab Trav's hand bracing myself for excitement... there here is what I see walk down the runway first:

 My plaid dress that everyone loves, with hand braided straps... only it has some scary looking model in it, a long sleeve T that doesn't match, a flannel shirt tied around the waist.. and legwarmers.. WHAT??!!

Please tell me this isn't happening??!! I look around me, my heart starts racing. I'm upset and then the next outfit walks out:

No... just no... this looks so bad I could scream

 My recycled t-shirt dress, with  arm warmers, ANOTHER flannel shirt and fishnets. By this time I am freaking out and my friend Danielle yells at me to run backstage and see what's wrong.

Well here is what you might not know. I didn't make the leg/arm warmers or the flannel shirts. I did not know they were even going to be put on the models. I was not allowed to pick hair or makeup styles and was told that looks would also not be released to me. I had no choice in who was modeling for me, or the music that would be played during the show. If any of you have ever been to or participated in a fashion show you would know that it takes the whole package in order to make something look good. The hair and makeup must enhance the clothing, the models must enhance the runway and the music brings everything together. I wont even lie about trying to know what kind of music they played during my segment. I saw two models walk out and I ran back... then here is what I see about to walk out.

This dress isn't even mine.. my dress is UNDER this entire outfit!

This dress ISN'T MINE!! The dress that I made was UNDER the dress and the jacket that they put on the models.

I'm start screaming at people, "This Isn't my clothing, what are you doing to my line??!!" and they tell me that they aren't the person to talk to. They direct me to someone else who can not be found and I just go on a rampage at her assistant to tells me that since I did not show up between 2p-4p that day to see how they were going to style my clothing.. that this is somehow my fault.

I don't think I have ever been this mad in my life. I argue with her over the fact that they sent clothing down the runway that wasn't mine, they chose a look at doesn't represent me style and made me look bad and she continues to tell me that it's all my fault for not showing up...... even though showing up was optional and they didn't express the idea of styling clothing quite like this. I thought it meant jewelry options, show options, show options all of which I couldn't comprehend at the moment. 

So I decide that since my segment is probably over I want all of my clothing back cause I am leaving.. HA.. it was like trying to find needles in a haystack. Each model had their own bag filled with the looks that they would be wearing for the evening.. but here was the problem. They weren't putting their clothing back in their bags. So I had to walk around searching for my garments. I found some under tables, in a bathroom sink, under a chair, and 2 in their actual bags. I had to have been searching for at least 20 minutes before I finally gave up and left. I knew there were pieces missing but no one would help me find them, so I had to go without. Hoping that the next day Thom, the producer, would send out a thank you note to all the designers for participating in the show while also letting everyone know whether or not they had items that had been left or things that had gone missing. I still have received NOTHING from him at all.

Note to self: No matter how badly I want to make it in this industry I promise that I will NEVER EVER let this happen to my designs or my name EVER again.

Many of my pieces have been ruined, some lost and some unsellable. I have had to discount them over 50% just so that I can sell them.

Here is what I missed while I was backstage.. Enjoy.

Biker look with pink tights and leg warmers?? eew.

Trailer Trash... I HATE FLANNEL.. leg warmers on everyone? That girl is too big for that orange dress.

Hair BAD, Plaid jacket... ALL BAD.. and the best part of this dress is the back... which is hidden!!

This is a high-waisted skirt and it has a top and a mesh shirt that goes with it... WHERE ARE THEY?

one of my favorite pieces.. covered with a jacket i didn't make

best part about this is the jewelry

I'm still at a loss of words for what to say to Thom. I finally emailed him today after I got a hold of some images to see exactly what I was missing and went through my inventory.

p.s. I'm pretty sure this is my mesh shirt.. only cut up..  and on a model who is NOT wearing my clothing.

Such a shit show.. I don't even know what to say anymore.

*Sigh* I'm never doing that again!

Until Next Time......