What I Learned From Helping Produce a Fashion Show
As many of you may know, I joined a fashion org at UT this past year called University Fashion Group (UFG). All year, the org works on producing a student-run fashion show at the end of the year, and that is what I’ve spent a large portion of this semester working on.
It is now a week and a half after the fashion show, and I can wholeheartedly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life thus far. It was definitely a lot of work, and included many moments where I had to step outside of my comfort zone, but I grew so much as a person and learned so much about myself and my capabilities. It also gave me a little taste of what working in the industry would look like, and yes, it did increase my passion for fashion! I enjoyed this process so much and learned a lot from it, so I just wanted to share with y’all some of my reflections + lessons from this experience.
How a fashion show works
Ok the first one is an obvious one. Before this, I never really knew the ins and outs of producing a fashion show, so this gave me an in-depth look at all the hard work + communication that happens behind all the glamour.
Producing a fashion show is TRULY a team sport
How UFG operates is it’s made up of different committees (i.e. set design, model coordinating, exhibition room, etc.) Each committee has a whole list of responsibilities that they need to carry out in order for the show to run smoothly. This past semester, I joined the Model Coordinating Committee, which is basically in charge of organizing the models who will walk the show. It was a TON of work from beginning to end. It was so much work, that I felt like I barely had time to see what the other committees were up to. On the day of the show, when everything came together, I realized just how much work all the other committees had to put in. There were things happening and things that were organized that I had no clue were in progress during the whole semester. And I am so in awe of all the talented + hardworking individuals in every. single. committee. Imagine if there was only one committee in charge of everything, that… would be terrible. Every committee needed each other, everyone was integral to the process, no one committee was more important than the other, we were all there to support each other, and I think that’s what I loved most about working on this fashion show.
The importance of professionalism
All throughout the process, UFG worked with various companies including modeling agencies, fashion brands, a broadcasting network, and much more. Oftentimes, that meant working side-by-side with people significantly older than us, or what I call, “real adults.” Honestly, I expected these “real adults” to treat us differently because of our age, but they treated us like they would any of their other co-workers, in other words, they treated us like equals. I can’t speak for the rest of my teammates, but I personally didn’t receive any condescending remarks/attitudes from them. They all treated us like professionals, which I think comes from UFG’s history and how past members have proved that college students CAN be professional and have earned the trust of “real adults.” Because of the way they treated me with such trust and respect, I was encouraged to take this whole process seriously and act professionally.
Grace
Before I dared to step into the fashion industry, I had actually prepped myself to experience very little mercy. I think in my mind, people in fashion were all very uptight and unforgiving. So I was just waiting for the day I’d screw something up and then be reprimanded endlessly for it. But I never experienced that… ever. There were many times when I did mess up, and I would immediately brace myself for the hits that I thought would follow, but they never came. Instead, what I received was gentle correction + gracious reassurance. During the actual show, when I was helping a model into her dress, I put it on wrong, but didn’t catch it before she went on the runway. And I felt TERRIBLE. I thought for sure the model AND the designer would be furious. So when the model came back from the runway, I apologized profusely. But all she said was “It’s ok!” and she smiled at me. There was no trace of passive-aggressiveness or any frustration with me even though it was clearly my fault, and I appreciated that + her so much.
The beauty of relationships
Being a part of the Model Coordinating team was literally all about building relationships with everyone involved and facilitating relationships between different groups of people. It was definitely difficult, but it was also my favorite part about being on that team. I got the opportunity to develop relationships with amazing people whom I’d never be able to meet otherwise. And then through building + blossoming those friendships, I was so lucky to experience times of love + times of giggles + times of learning. I am always so in awe of the people I get to meet and interact with and I always consider myself so lucky + honored that they think of me as their friend. <3 SIDE NOTE: I think this was the first non-ministry community that I really felt a part of, and so it amazed me the amount of love I got from a community that was definitely outside of my comfort bubble. I love you alllll mwahhhhh!!!!
There is so much more to fashion shows than just the glamour
Foreals tho. On the outside, fashion shows seem so glamorous, with all the beautiful garments + models, and just the whole sophisticated air surrounding it. When you’ve got all these celebrities and fashion bloggers constantly posting beautiful pics from fashion shows on IG, it’s hard to imagine them as anything but glamorous. But honestly, I think fashion shows involve a lot more hard work than they do glamour. I mean, yes, I think fashion shows are amazing spectacles, BUT, it’s important to recognize the persistence, lack of sleep, heavy lifting, and yes, tears, that go into producing one. But I think that’s the true beauty of fashion shows. It doesn’t come from the sweeping + elegant garments, but from the characters of everyone involved. Through this experience, I really got to know my teammates for who they really are. The stressful nature of producing this fashion show revealed to me everyone’s ability to stay focused + determined + gracious even under pressure. And I have nothing but respect and admiration for them. :’)
I can’t express enough how much joy working on this show brought me. Even now, I’m still trying to process this experience. In fact, I’m a little frustrated with this post + myself because I feel like I don’t have the words to adequately express any of my TRUE reflections and emotions. But y’know, I’ll make do with what I got. Finally, I just wanted to close by saying I’m so grateful God opened this door for me and I’m so so so PUMPED to do this all over again next year!!!
~jo