collegecandy.com: When you see a runway show, either in person or on YouTube, it’s always a beautiful vision. The runway is a crisp white, the models flawlessly strut in beautiful garments and the audience is in awe. But while the audience may see a perfectly executed production, a frantic staff is working amidst organized chaos.
5 comments:
Working NYFW sounds a lot like working backstage for a show. You don't get to meet the famous people in the audience, you hold the responsibility of making sure your actor gets onstage on time and with all props and costume pieces necessary. A fashion show is definitely a type of performance, but what is important is different. In a fashion show, it is all about what they are wearing and making sure everything is worn correctly and in the right position. With backstage for a show/musical, it is more about finding ways to make sure the actor/actress gets onstage on time, and sometimes that means altering the costumes to make the change faster. This artic l was written simply and highlighted certain brands and spaces, but overall it was an interesting read.
I think it'd be so interesting to work as a dresser on a NYFW show. It seems like just the kind of show I like: high stakes, a lot of adrenaline and one chance to get it right. It reminds me a lot of performance art. There is one chance to show the audience exactly what the message is and you have to do it perfectly or people will miss the point. Fashion is a type of art that people often neglect to acknowledge because it is used every day. However, fashion involves a lot of complicated creative and technical elements.
NYFW, in the way it is high stakes and high energy, reminds me heavily of what is expected of someone working backstage for a theatre- particularly in the realm of the costuming department. A fashion designer makes bold choices in their art to compliment the world's views and entice the people. A costume designer makes bold choices in their art to compliment the show's views and entice the audience. A dresser for a fashion show must make sure the garments are worn in the correct way to convey the right message and a dresser for a musical or a play has to do the same. The similarities between the two are astounding, though I know the differences are equally incredible. Regardless, if I were given the opportunity to work for NYFW (or any of it's equals) I would jump at the opportunity to do so and take in as much as possible about the art form that is today's fashion.
I am in total agreement with my classmates who commented above: working as a dresser on New York Fashion Week shows seems a lot like working behind the scenes of any theatrical production. My past crew work has mainly consisted of working in the wardrobe department, doing quick changes and fixing actors' costumes so as to perfectly capture the original image of the designer's work in the physical clothing that has come out of the shop. This work can be high-stakes and detail-oriented, but in the end, being able to perfectly tell something about the character through their clothes is worth it. I would love to have the opportunity to work backstage at NYFW, and it would be interesting to compare that experience to that that I have had in the theatre world.
Working New York Fashion week would be such an incredible experience. Being able to work in an environment where the pressure is unbelievably high. The integrity of the piece that must be maintained by the dressers is key. In an event that is completely focused on “the look, it is the job of the dresser to ensure that the look, created by the designer, is flawless when it comes in view of hundreds of critics and influencers alike.
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