Guide to Producing a Fashion Show Production 3rd Edition

92 | GUIDE TO PRODUCING A FASHION SHOW

projecting ticket sales will enable fashion this type of promotion and be responsive to
show planners to set realistic expectations future fashion show productions. The more
for spending money on such things as venue planning that goes into the show the more
and model expenses, hospitality, and staging confidence the show director and fashion
expenses. In evaluating the success of a show, show staff will have when it comes time to
fashion directors and retail executives will present the fashions. Planning will not pre-
always want to know if the show was within vent all problems associated with fashion
the budgetary estimates set prior to the show. show production, but it will help to elimi-
If the show comes within budget, the execu- nate many concerns and make the entire
tives are more likely to look favorably on experience enjoyable.

So, You Want to CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN | 93
Be a Fashion Stylist? . . . NOTES FROM THE RUNWAY

Reah Norman

A career as a fashion stylist is filled with
photo shoots, celebrities, exotic locations,
beautiful models, gorgeous clothing and
accessories, industry events, and rubbing
elbows with the “who’s who” of the indus-
try. I get e-mails daily from aspiring stylists
asking me for advice. Here is the lowdown
on what it really takes to become a stylist.

What Is a Fashion Stylist?

Fashion stylists are trendsetters, image
consultants, fashion forecasters, person-
al shoppers, fashion show coordinators,
fashion writers, magazine editors, and
bloggers. Stylist categories include the
following:

• Celebrity—dressing public figures for

the red carpet and special events

• Wardrobe—dressing actors for mov-

ies, television shows, commercials,

and music videos

• Print and editorial—dressing models

Courtesy of Reah Norman for advertising campaigns, magazines,

and other publications

• Fashion shows—dressing models for fashion runway presentations

• Image consulting and personal shopping—dressing private clients who want assistance

with wardrobe selection, shopping, closet organization, and packing for travel

• Model portfolio development—advising and styling aspiring models on their portfolios

and working with the agent to create looks that will appeal to the model’s potential clients

• Fashion writing—contributing to magazines, blogs, and other publications as a fashion

expert

• Product styling—products photographed without a model in a studio or on location

• Prop styling—creating an environment for a shoot or event, including anything from a

small table setting to a complete room

Stylists often wear several different hats, and our focus shifts as we work with different clients.
I offer all of these services in my business, but other stylists choose to focus on just one
category.

94 | GUIDE TO PRODUCING A FASHION SHOW

What Skills and Traits Are Needed to Be a Successful Stylist?
Stylists should be artistic, creative, fashionable, confident, personable, well spoken, outgoing,
and, most of all, highly organized with a strong attention to detail. These are just a few of the
skills that shape a successful stylist.

Be Organized
Being organized with a strong attention to detail is the most important part of being a suc-
cessful stylist. This shapes your day-to-day business—on a job as well as during pre- and
post-production. Time management is essential. As a freelance stylist, I set my own time,
scheduling clients and business meetings, doing fittings, and meeting deadlines. I organize
my fashion shoots, which involves labeling and putting the clothing in order on the clothing
rack; laying out shoes and accessories; and keeping receipts, tags, and shopping bags ready
for returns. Then I pin a garment onto a model, tape the bottom of shoes, and keep acces-
sories separate in bags.

Know Fashion, Art, and Design
Stylists are artists. Having a strong artistic perspective and being proficient in basic art and
photography skills are just as important as having a strong fashion sense. Of course, I put my
artistic touches into the looks I coordinate.

Stylists need to have an overall knowledge of fashion and all that it encompasses, including
design, merchandising, marketing, textiles, and retail. Having knowledge of clothing con-
struction and how garments fit on the body is also helpful. I also use my knowledge of fabri-
cations, textiles, fashion terminology, marketing, and selling when speaking with clients and
designers. Being educated on the history of fashion is also essential. Every era of fashion
is unique, and these eras continue to influence today’s fashion collections. You must know
where to draw inspiration from, especially when the concept is period specific.

Understand Customer Service and Communication
As a stylist, I use my customer service proficiency every day. I am so thankful for my days work-
ing as a receptionist and in a retail store where I learned these skills. I am constantly working
with new, creative personalities and must be able to adapt to those personalities, interact
graciously, communicate ideas and concepts eloquently, and establish trust that will allow the
professional relationship to grow. Because stylists are asked to speak as experts at fashion
presentations and workshops, being comfortable in front of an audience and public speaking
is also important.

What Is Involved in the Business of Being a Stylist?
As a freelance stylist, I am running my own small business. There is much more that goes into
it than simply styling a client. Having a formal college education has definitely been an asset

CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN | 95

to my business in many ways. I am much more confident in my abilities, not just as a stylist,
but also as a small business owner. There are specific skills, including marketing, accounting,
communication, merchandising, photography, art, and public speaking, that I learned in col-
lege and use every day.

The business of styling has a huge financial responsibility. Stylists must have established
credit—and lots of it—in good standing! Stylists use their credit cards to make purchases for
the job, and are reimbursed after the job is done—anywhere from 30 to 90 days after the job
is completed. In many cases, stylists are given a budget by the client or producer. Then, the
stylist will shop using her own credit cards to put looks together for the shoot. Items that are
not used for the project are returned after the shoot. Daily accounting and managing finances
are essential so that you are not charged late fees or interest.

How Can You Get Started as a Stylist?

My journey to a career as a fashion stylist started as a young girl, playing “photo shoot” in
my bedroom “photo studio.” It was fully equipped with a white sheet tacked to the wall, a
Fisher Price camera, and my dolls and stuffed animals as models. I have always loved creat-
ing magic with pictures. Throughout high school, junior college, and at the university, I took
photography courses. I received my B.S. in merchandising with a minor in photography from
Northern Arizona University. After graduation I moved to Los Angeles and completed a visual
communications program at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). I was
certain that I wanted to pursue styling as my career path, and upon graduation I landed my
first job as a stylist.

Many stylists get their start by working as an intern or assistant for a working stylist or at
a fashion house, magazine, or PR agency. Assisting established stylists is the best way to get
firsthand experience—working and learning the “ins and outs” of a stylist’s daily tasks. Many
interns and assistants do not get paid at first. If you have a great work ethic and prove yourself,
the stylist will eventually hire you to work on paid assignments and will recommend you to
other stylists as well. Your work is your reputation and word-of-mouth recommendations carry
a lot of weight. This business is all about building your reputation, networking, and getting
recommendations from satisfied clients.

Does this sound like you? If so, go for it! Being a stylist is creative and rewarding. If all of
this makes sense to you, styling is definitely a dream job!

Reah Norman graduated from Northern Arizona University and served as the Merchandise
Coordinator for the fashion show Wear to Go. She lives in Los Angeles and regularly com-
mutes to New York City for assignments. She is a well-respected fashion and product stylist, a
plus size fashion expert, and the Executive Fashion Director for PLUS Model Magazine.

NOTES FROM THE RUNWAY96 | GUIDE TO PRODUCING A FASHION SHOW

Budgeting Is Vital for
a Successful Fashion Show

Cynthia Tripathi

Budget—it’s not exactly the most excit-

ing or creative part of developing a fash-

ion show. For me, however, it was the

perfect job. As a junior in college study-

ing merchandising, I took the role of

budget coordinator for our biennial fash-

ion show. Not many other students were

jumping at the chance to take on this

role, so why did I want to take the lead

on the budget as opposed to the fun job

of coordinating the merchandise, for

example?

Directing the budget is a way for some-

one to be involved in every aspect of

a fashion show. It is also vital to the suc-

cess of the show. Every committee has its

own responsibilities. Get Your Fashion Fix

on Route 66 was composed of the mer-

chandise, model, stage, publicity, and,

of course, the budget committees. What

does each of these committees have in

common? They all have necessary expens-

es in order to carry out their duties. That’s

Courtesy of Cynthia Tripathi where I stepped in.

A fashion show requires planning. The budget is perhaps the most important part of the

planning process. One simply cannot spend freely on whatever he or she wishes. Every show,

whether small or large, will need to stay within a budget. Estimating costs is significant, es-

pecially if the show plans on generating a profit. Get Your Fashion Fix on Route 66 was pro-

duced to raise money for the Merchandising Leaders of the 21st Century Scholarship fund

at Northern Arizona University. Staying within a reasonable budget meant the opportunity

to raise more money for the scholarship, which was beneficial to many of the merchandising

students.

How does one even begin planning a budget? Because our show was biennial, I began by

looking at previous budgets. This gave me an idea of all the expenses that would go into the

production of the event. I asked each committee to draft a budget for all of their projected

expenses. I took these documents and examined them carefully. I added a miscellaneous

section to each budget to account for anything that may come up in the course of produc-

tion. After adjusting some numbers, I compiled a master planning budget.

CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN | 97

Although a budget needs to remain flexible, it is also critical to uphold control of
all expenditures. I asked all the committee coordinators to approve any spending with
me and the faculty director prior to making their purchases. Upon my approval, they
gave me every single receipt. This helped me not only to control the outflow of funds
and stay within the budget, but also to keep track of all expenses and reimbursements
accordingly.

Now one may think that the budget is the only responsibility of a budget director. Al-
though it is the primary duty, I was also in charge of tickets, sponsorships, donations, and
various other tasks. Organization is key in successfully developing and maintaining a budget.
I had to keep track of all tickets, receipts, money, donations, letters, and so forth. It is essential
to be organized and keep a record of everything.

Money

All fashion shows need funds to produce and execute the event successfully. A good
source of income is fund-raising. Get Your Fashion Fix on Route 66 relied primarily on
ticket sales, silent auction sales, as well as sponsorships from friends, family, and the
community. As with any facet of preproduction, this too requires planning in advance.
My budget team was responsible for contacting local businesses to ask for sponsorships
and donations. I drafted letters explaining the details of our show and how the proceeds
would go to a scholarship fund to benefit hardworking merchandising students. Individu-
ally, members of my team each went to various businesses around the community with
the letter in hand.

Businesses will only be willing to donate and support an event that carries a professional
image. When physically contacting businesses, I ensured that my team dressed profession-
ally, kept a positive attitude, possessed confidence about our show, and always had a smile.
Professionalism is absolutely crucial in any event planning.

Directing a team for the first time gave me hands-on experience in how to be an ef-
fective leader. The two main points of advice I would give anyone who is in charge of a
team is to have open lines of communication and delegate tasks among members. Com-
munication is imperative among team members and all staff involved in production. It
is necessary to be available at all times to solve problems and deal with any issues that
may arise.

As the budget coordinator, I had to make certain that all of my team’s obligations
ran smoothly. Leading a team doesn’t mean taking charge of all tasks. I learned that it
is necessary to delegate tasks appropriately because it is nearly impossible to prepare
everything on your own. Directing involves overseeing the work of your subordinates and
providing the necessary guidance and support to ensure tasks get completed in an ef-
ficient manner. I constantly asked my team for their opinions and ideas for improvement

98 | GUIDE TO PRODUCING A FASHION SHOW

throughout the course of our work. This is where communication was vital and completion
of work provided immense contribution to the fashion show itself.

After months of planning and hard work, the day of the show finally arrived. The work,
however, wasn’t complete. As a team, my committee was mainly in charge of ticket sales
on show days. We checked guests into the show and kept their tickets in order to track at-
tendance. We also set up a table for additional donations, purchased food for everyone in-
volved behind the scenes of the production, and ran several errands to guarantee the show
ran smoothly.

Watching Get Your Fashion Fix on Route 66 finally come together was an indescribable
feeling. Almost an entire year of planning and work went into the production, and in the end it
was worth it. It was a huge accomplishment knowing that I, and countless others, contributed
to producing an entire fashion show.

After the show was over, I completed a final budget. This showed actual expenditures,
revenue, and total profit from the event. We remained well under budget and were able to
make a generous deposit to the Merchandising Leaders of the 21st Century Scholarship fund.
I also sent out thank-you letters to all the friends, family, and businesses that supported our
production.

Directing the budget committee was a valuable experience. It certainly wasn’t an easy job
by any means. Dedication and persistence were necessary on my part throughout the plan-
ning process. It was rewarding to see that our show was produced well under the planned
budget, and we were able to play a significant role in providing for the scholarship fund.
I eventually came to be one of the recipients of the scholarship and took pride in the fact
that I made an impact in helping scholarship recipients, such as myself, to pursue academic
success.

Cynthia Tripathi, from Tucson, Arizona, graduated with a B.S. in Merchandising from North-
ern Arizona University where she was the Budget Coordinator for Get Your Fashion Fix on
Route 66. She completed two different minors in business and in photography. In addition
to her involvement in fashion, she is a certified personal trainer.

CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN | 99

The Plan—A Recap

• The first step in creating a fashion show plan is to develop leadership, which differs
between professional designer industry events and consumer-oriented retail, educational,
or charitable events.

• Responsibility documentation helps keep all people involved in the production aware of
what needs to be accomplished and when the deadlines are.

• The target audience for fashion week shows includes traditional and digital media journal-
ists, influential customers, friends of the designer, and celebrities.

• For consumer shows, audiences include fashion-forward trendsetters, working women
searching for new career-oriented looks, or individuals on holiday wanting souvenir apparel;
audiences are targeted based upon demographic and psychographic characteristics.

• Scheduling and timing the show are set by industry standards and educational institution
expectations. The day, date, and time of the show must be established early in the planning
process.

• Fashion shows will have a theme with a creative title, which defines the nature of the fash-
ion show and assists the fashion show staff in promotional activities. If the show promotes
several themes, each scene will also have a theme connecting it to the overall show theme.

• The planning budget is an estimate of the revenues—income from ticket sales, silent auc-
tions, donations, sponsorship, or vendor support—and expenses—model fees, staging
costs, venue rental, food and refreshments, hair and makeup artists, and any other costs
necessary to produce the fashion show.

• The security of merchandise, equipment, audience members, and show personnel must
also be investigated to ensure safety of the participants and protect the show producers
against legal damages.

• The fashion show plan defines the theme, leadership team, type of show, schedule, place,
target audience, and planned budget.

Key Fashion Show Terms knockoff
lease agreement
budget merchandise coordinator
budget coordinator model coordinator
celebrity stylist nonprofit organization
created audience planning
demographics program editor
design piracy promotion coordinator
diary psychographics
editorial stylist responsibility sheet
Fashion Calendar show producer
fashion director stage manager
fashion show director theme
fashion show plan usher
gratuities venue
guaranteed audience
host

100 | GUIDE TO PRODUCING A FASHION SHOW

Questions for Discussion

1. Were you on a prom, a wedding, or an anniversary planning committee? What steps did
you take to make it a success? What would you do differently next time?

2. How does the leadership differ between an industry show and a consumer-oriented show
produced by a school or charitable organization?

3. How does the audience differ between that of a designer industry show and an audience
attending a school or charitable organization show? How do you attract the target audi-
ence to your show?

4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of holding a fashion show at a hotel, restaurant,
or campus venue.

5. Who creates a fashion show theme?
6. What types of expenses should be included in a fashion show budget for a show you plan

on presenting? How far in advance should you start planning the budget?
7. What should be included in a fashion show plan?

Fashion Show Activities

1. Break into teams of four or five students or fashion show volunteers. Each group should
suggest a theme for a fashion show. The team will present their ideas to the group, explain-
ing why they think it would be a good theme for your group’s fashion show.

2. What kinds of permissions will you need to put on a fashion show at your school? Put
together a list of all the people with their contact information whom you will need for
approval of your fashion show.

The Capstone Project

It is time to start planning your fashion show. Put together a fashion show plan, which includes
the following:

• leadership job descriptions
• process for selecting merchandise, model, budget, stage, promotion, and budget coordinators
• show type, show theme, and scene themes
• show date, time, and location
• target audience characteristics and size
• planning calendars for each team
• anticipated revenues from ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, or advertising
• anticipated expenses for each team

Templates for the fashion show plan and budget are available on the CD-ROM included
with this book. Please refer to the CD-ROM for tools that may assist you with this section of
the fashion show planning process.

CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN | 101

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