A big heartfelt thank you to all those who participated in the 2015 fashion show at the conference in Minneapolis. It was fantastic! I think our Association showed our talents very well.
We had 43 garments in the general entries, 2 student finalists in the student design competition and 20 finalists in the Threads Magazine challenge for a total of 65 garments on the runway. There were also the clever creations by the ASDP board with their interpretation of fine works of art. Actually, they were hilarious. I truly enjoyed that and hope someone has photos to share. I was worried when the September 10th deadline came and we only had 2 garments entered in the fashion show, but this wonderful group of talented members came through and we had an assortment of outwear, costumes, casual wear, career wear, and evening wear. We had 3 restyled garments presenting “before” photos on the dual screens while the “after” was on the runway.
This is a new area that we might continue in 2016. While there were some technical problems, the show went on and I was told the audience never knew about the glitches that took place backstage. We had a great crew of volunteers and I thank you all for the help as you were so important in pulling it all together. A huge thank you is due to Ashley Roberts, a newscaster from WCCO-CBS in Minneapolis, who served as our guest commentator for the show. Ashley was funny, poised, and professional, rolling with the last minute changes that come as part of a live show.
Some models and volunteers came from the local colleges and I think this is a great way for our organization to tap into the up and coming designers. We need to get them familiar with ASDP early in their careers, and inviting them to participate in our fashion show is a good way to do that. Most metropolitan cities will have a college nearby with a fashion design or merchandising program. If we offer them the chance to participate in our fashion show, we can help feed their interest in the world of fashion. We had one model, Tara, from the Minneapolis area who is pursuing a modeling career and looks forward to having the photos from this event to add to her portfolio. Tara is going to NY in a few days for a modeling gig.
We also had a young gal from a local college, Anyse Mellot, who was a real trouper. Anyse is a student in the fashion design program at The Art Institutes International MN. She participated in the student design competition, but her garment did not make the finals so she offered to volunteer back stage. Well, this young gal was a godsend to me that night! I was able to give her numerous tasks and she performed each beautifully. She helped me put the commentator book together, helped with the garments backstage, and then ran the power point for part of the show. And then on top of all that, I asked her to model. For more about the exceptional capabilities and potential of using aspiring students, see more* about Anyse below. Thank you Anyse!! As I am looking forward to the 2016 fashion show, I am working on the details with the help of Denise Liss. We will work till we get the sign up link correct. I don’t give up easily; I guess I am a bit of a determined German!
The rules might change a bit. We are in discussion on that and we are thinking of new ways to get more of you involved as we realize more of our members are involved more in alterations than custom work. For those of you designing and doing custom work, start planning on putting a garment in the 2016 fashion show NOW. We are already working with the locals of Vancouver, B.C. to find models just as we did in Minneapolis.
Again a big thank you to those who entered garments, volunteered back stage, and modeled. It was hectic, but a lot of fun! There were many modeling glitches throughout the night and Anyse was the only one I had to fit in a particular dress. Well, as it turned out what she modeled was one of the big winners. She had arrived that night in her casual clothes and fashion boots, expecting to work backstage. Now she was on the runway! No, there was no time for extra make up or hair prep. She went from one task to the other and did it with grace and style. This girl will go far. But this is exactly how the fashion world can be. She went on the runway cold turkey and did a fantastic job. Her comment to me after the show was that she had a lot of fun and was very grateful she was able to be a part of the conference. She also said, “It was amazing to get to see another great fashion show and meet all the people that made it happen. I really hope these are the professionals I get to work with in the future!” She looks forward to hearing more from us and pursuing her career in fashion. Thanks a lot Anyse!
Written by Chris Kazmerzak
