Style of Networking Fashion Show

Our call time was 1:00 pm at QC Social Lounge. The majority of us showed up right about 1:45pm, which Jennifer was happy and impressed with, thankful that we all managed to show up on time and even early. Earlier that day, she had sent a schedule of arrivals and some details, which I shared in a group chat to all the volunteers to make sure we all had a copy of the schedule and could stay on task or answer any potential questions.

MODEL ARRIVAL SCHEDULE

2:00 PM

Flow By Tara Davis

Sloane Legrand

3:00 PM

Nashona

Dressed

704 Shop (Women)

4:30 PM

Alton Lane

Banana Republic

704 Shop (Men)

Tuxedo Lady

PRESENTER ARRIVAL SCHEDULE

3:00 PM

Flow by Tara Davis

Nashona

Sloane Legrand

704 Shop

4:00 PM

Alton Lane

Banana Republic

Dressed

Tuxedo Lady

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Plan your drive, parking and other details necessary to ensure you have no problems on the day of show. I will not be available to take calls, respond to text messages or check emails the day of show. Based on your arrival time, you could be spending a lot of time with us. Once the show starts it will move quickly. Do NOT bring others with you to the show. Only models and show personnel will be allowed to enter the venue. If their name is not on the list they won’t get in. After checking in at the door, have a seat and someone will direct you from there. Show run through WILL happen at 5:15 PM. Everyone will participate and this is the time to have it together. I really don’t want you all to have to keep starting over. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Everyone will be dressed and ready to start at 6:45 PM. Models walking for more than one presenter will have a stylist/volunteer assigned to assist with the quick change. Share the address and entry details for QC Social Lounge with your friends and family planning to attend. Inform them QC Social is next to Imperial and to use the double door alley entrance. HAVE FUN! Although I will be in the zone until after the show, I want everyone to have fun! You all have been a wonderful group to work with and I thank you for your time, patience and making this show a success! Until we work together on the next show… Tag your photos! The official hash tag for the event is #CharlotteNetworkingWeek #ImageFashionCLT

Once we got there, we immediately began stuffing gift bags as an assembly line. This was Cytara, Imani, Michelle G, Kim and myself. The five of us stuffed 75 goodie bags with an assortment of items, including business cards, flyers, scent testers, mints, and greeting cards. Each of the items had a different number, so some ran out before others. We got through them quickly because we're awesome. While doing this, Xae and Jordan were helping Jennifer set up the upstairs model area. This was before Sherae and Michelle KW showed up.



We had a little bit of downtime after stuffing the bags and setting up the model loft area. During this, I acquired Production Schedule and Run of Show to message everyone in the group to keep us all in the loop for planning purposes. We helped set up the hair and makeup stations to cycle models through once they arrived, acquiring necessary items such as extension cords.

With this, I was tasked with creating cue cards with every designer's model line up in order. I had to redo these multiple times due to changes, also hunting down the people in charge of each of these brands to get their lineups. A few, such as Banana Republic, were changed a number of times due to forgotten garment bags and model changes but everything worked out as we had the lineup set before the show! This is about when Sherae was able to find parking and started helping with social media by posting plenty of prep pictures.

The models started arriving around 2:00pm with most of the girls arriving by 3:00pm. Jennifer assigned every model a number to go through the hair and makeup lines. We had them sit in the chairs that were previously set up in order, just to make sure everyone got through based on their designer. Thankfully, we had some down time while the models were getting prepped to get food. During this time, Michelle KW arrived and Michelle G and Cytara were downstairs checking models in to ensure everyone was accounted for. Imani helped Jameka with last-minute tasks, and she and Cytara also continued to add items to the gift bags as presenters arrived.

After everyone had finished hair and makeup, we started rehearsal around 5pm. I lined everyone up, which was a little challenging as no one was dressed yet and it was difficult maintaining the models lineup with their respective designers.There were also further changes to the line up due to some models needing a little more prep time and had to follow the lead of others. I noted these changes on my cue cards as they were made. Benny gave me some great suggestions on how to line the models up, to make sure to be more assertive, and general advice. He was a great mentor that day and gave us so many awesome tips and hints on how to get things done. I also partnered with Alexis, Jordan, and Kim to square away the four models that needed quick changes, when they needed to happen, and to line up their garments. Xae was in charge of Jennifer Michelle's change from Nashona to the show finale.

After rehearsal ended at 6pm, we really started to get everything set. I had no idea the time it actually took to get models dressed. During this time, Jennifer had to get her own makeup done so she had to delegate the lead of this to myself and a few others. I helped to make sure everyone got dressed immediately, from lining people up to having the Banana Republic men get dressed because we did not know a timeframe and making any style changes in line versus clustered in the back, to making sure every group got a group picture to commemorate their designers.

Benny, Alexis, and Kim did a great job getting the men dressed. Xae was responsible for Nashona. Jen & Jordan took care of Sloane Legrand. Everyone else was up in the air or with their respective designers. Right at show start, we had to get really serious. Four minutes until show and we were still putting final touches, I had to keep models in line in their respective orders and positions, make sure their cell phones were put away, and simply keeping them in line. The tip on getting assertive was great and needed, as I had to make sure the models knew the importance of being in place as once things started, things would just have to happen and FAST.

And just like that, we were starting and just as quickly, it was over. The quick changes were so fast that I did not know how much of the show happened during them. We had four models to change: Ingrid from Flow by Tara Davis to Dressed, Tyrone and Art from Alton Lane to Tuxedo Lady, and finally Eric from Banana Republic quickly to Tuxedo Lady. Then, we all got to take pictures.

Once pictures were done, it was time for clean up! Us volunteers had a lot of waiting around while models talked to people downstairs then quickly cleaning them as they got back upstairs. Benny ran the men's, Dressed, and Tuxedo Lady with Alexis and Kim to get everything packed back up. Let me tell you, Alexis is born for something like this! Xae packed up Nashona while Jordan packed up Sloane Legrand. We had everything packed quickly in order to return to the line reps when they were ready to collect their garments. Finally, myself and Kim stayed latest to pack up Benny and Michelle's cars. Then off to home and passing out! What an exhausting yet amazingly rewarding experience.

Sources:

• Photographer @capturedbykevin
• Producer @its.jennifermichelle @jswmediagroup
• Event by @mrresourcemogul
• @tuxedolady @1janetfan
• @dressedclt
• @704shop
• @nashona_
• @david_hantz @bananarepublic
• @sloanelegrand 
• @christopherpaul11 @altonlane
• @flowbytaradavis