How to Hold a DIY Fashion Show

The fashion industry is often very cutthroat and in order to succeed, you will have to fight a lot and make opportunities for yourself if no one else is willing to provide them. You will have to promote yourself and show off your skills through various channels before you get noticed. Displaying your creations will often require you to hold a fashion show but, without a huge budget, this can be a bit challenging. To help you out, we gathered some essentials for organizing a DIY fashion show so take a look below.

Make sure your creations are ready

The first thing you have to ensure is the readiness of your creations. Regardless of how interesting and well-executed your fashion show is, if the clothes are not good enough, there is no show that can hide that. Therefore, before you even consider organizing your exhibition, work hard on your designs and produce high-quality garments.

Gather the right people to model the clothes

There are a few ways how you can approach this. One, if your friends are up for it, you can ask them to walk down the runway and show off your creations. If they are not professional models, this can make the show seem more DIY but it can also give it a laidback vibe. Then, you can hold a casting call and interview the people that show up to see whether any of them have what you need. You can do this through social media or by putting up flyers around the area. On the other hand, you can also turn to model agencies that usually have plenty of models that you can hire for this occasion. If you have the budget for this, you will need to figure out how many models you need and what their sizes need to be.

Find a location where you can hold the event

When looking for a location where you can hold your fashion show, consider bars and clubs. These venues are likely willing to host events such as this as they get to attract a new clientele for an evening, they are seen as more hip and this provides their patrons with a fun time. So, if you already have a place in mind, don’t hesitate to ask the owner or manager if you could use their premises. The worst thing that can happen is that they say no, and then you can move on. However, if you’re thinking of doing something on a bigger scale, you can even rent a warehouse or an empty gallery space. This approach will allow you to bring in more of your stuff and decorate it how you want.

Build the stage and the runway

What you will need to build or purchase will mostly depend on the venue where the event will be held. Seeing as how plenty of bars and clubs have some sort of stage, maybe you can make the most out of it. Also, if there are a lot of chairs and booths, you might not have enough space for a runway – which is why it’s very important that you plan your show with space at your disposal in mind. If you rent an empty space, you will have more freedom to create what you want, whether it’s several runways, platforms or podiums. Moreover, bear in mind that fashion presentations can be more affordable than runway shows. So, if you’re working on a small budget, you can rent or make your own platforms which are much cheaper than runways. Plus, don’t forget about the music and the lighting when planning the show.

Create a backstage area

Regardless of who your models are, you still have to make them feel pleasant and comfortable. That is why you need to create some sort of a backstage area where they can go to get ready and relax. Seeing as how some individuals are not comfortable changing in front of others, providing all of the models with a portable changing room will help with that as well as allow everyone to get into a new outfit much quicker. Ensure everyone knows which outfits are theirs to avoid any confusion and go over everything with the models before they hit the runway – especially if they’re not professionals.

Set up hair and makeup stations

Of course, we cannot ignore the importance of hair and makeup. Decide on the hairstyles you will be doing beforehand and consider even doing a test before the actual show. The same goes for makeup – decide on the palette and style and whether you want it bold or neutral. While DIY could mean that you are the one doing all the hair and makeup for the models or they are doing it themselves, it would be best to hire an expert or ask a close friend who is great at this to do you a favor. Set up stations for the MUAs and hairstylists to do their thing and create an efficient schedule so that everything can go smoothly.

Work on getting a lot of publicity

Seeing as how you’re putting all of this time and effort into your fashion show, you need to ensure people know about it. You are definitely not doing it for a few people who may be in the crowd of a bar you choose as your venue. With that in mind, promote the event on your social media profiles and ask your friends to do the same. Put up flyers around town and even hand them out to people. Then, you need to contact the press so that your show gets publicity. Of course, you cannot expect all of them to show up, especially if this is your first show, but you should be persistent and keep trying. Finally, if your goal is to score a contract with a big name in the industry, you need to invite them as well. You never know what might happen.

As you can see, putting on a DIY fashion show is not the easiest of tasks but it can be done. In order to succeed in this field, you have to understand that sometimes you can only rely on yourself. So, work hard and success will come.