Tips on Throwing a Fabulous Fashion Show

Planning a successful fashion show is much more than it might seem when looking at the glamorous models walking down the catwalk.

Behind the scenes lurks a very stressful and demanding process that needs to be executed nearly perfectly for a fashion show to attract the right attention and be profitable. And there isn’t much room for error – even small mistakes can turn an otherwise potentially god fashion event into a disaster.

So here are a few tips to help you get on track with organizing a fashion show you can be proud of:

Develop a Strong Theme

One of the most important aspects of any fashion event is its theme – it’s what gives the event a face and a purpose and allows you to market and target it accordingly.

There are many theme options, and your only real limitation is just how daring do you wish your event to be – if you want a more traditional fashion show, seasonal or holiday collections are always a great choice, but you could always go a step further and allow the designers to offer more extravagant, experimental or futuristic fashion designs. This could help the event generate more traction and might even get it some free publicity.

Finally, what the theme often comes down to is a branding experience – you have to be able to tie back the event to a brand, making the showcased range designers and crafting the theme around it to make it profitable. This requires experience and a certain know-how, but a fashion show is a business and that can’t be ignored.

Incorporate Technology

In today’s ultra-competitive world of fashion, any edge you can get over competing shows is important, so why not use technology to make your show more appealing and interactive?

First off, it’s very important to utilize social media for the promotion of your event. Making your event visible online and getting people talking about it is a big step towards making it visible way beyond the event itself, which should be one of your end goals.

During the event itself, you could use big screens to give the attendees a better look at the clothing, as well as allow it to be seen from different angles.

Select the Right Staff

Your responsibility as the fashion show manager is to find the right staff to make sure the event goes as smoothly as possible – if you feel up for it, you can take on the event producer and backstage manager roles yourself, but there are some staff roles that need to be filled with specialists.

A casting manager will definitely be needed in order to make sure you get the right models. The show will also need a stylist and a hair and makeup artist, both of whom will all be essential during the fashion show, when you need to get the models out on the runway ready and in an orderly fashion.

Also, you have to carefully select a choreographer with enough experience to make sure the fashion show itself is a success – someone has to be in charge of working with the models and preparing them to go on stage. Subtle things, like matching the clothes to the style of walking and even the face expressions, can make a huge difference in the crowds’ perception of a design.

Venue Selection is Key

You can’t underestimate the impact that a well-selected venue can have for the success of your fashion show. While this is true for most events, it can be especially daunting to have a poor venue when you’re in the heat of trying to make sure the fashion event goes without a hitch.

Therefore preparation and planning in the initial phase is all-important – making sure the venue has the required runway size, enough seating for the guests, a suitable backstage area to fit all the staff and models, and even a press area so that you can ensure good coverage of your show.

Finally, the production requirements such as lights, audio, screens and rigging also have to be thought about, and if the venue does not provide them, you must make sure that the venue allows for you to use your own equipment properly.

Written by: Ant Hampel

Let’s talk about your next project.

Acknowledgement of country

Alive Events Agency acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.