My Year in Review — Part 2

The Collections class (all of us designers)  met with the Production class (the class who planned the actual show—promotional stuff, booked the venue, etc.) on January 24 to show them our illustrations, explain our themes and lines, and talk about styling (how we wanted to do hair, makeup, etc.) At that time the teacher, Heidi, asked if we could each have at least three looks finished by February 14 so they could use them in a photo shoot for promoting the show. So just as the semester was starting I was in a panic to try to complete three of my dresses. This was going on at the same time as my Public Speaking class. That was a fun class, but I was taking an accelerated version which meant that I had two major assignments due each week of the class—an outline for a speech and then the speech itself. I also took my Portfolio class this last semester; it was a good class but we had tons of homework. So in-between researching, writing, rehearsing and giving speeches, and building my portfolio, I worked into the wee, small hours of every night this semester.

This is the introduction page to my portfolio (only the real thing doesn't have a white border). This represents many hours and days of work at the computer.

There was some drama in the Collections class about getting those three outfits finished by Feb. 14, and about having them sort of on display before the show, and about who did or didn't want pictures done... Eventually the production crew decided to not use any of our pieces for the photo shoot, so I was sort of off the hook for that rushed sewing job (although I got close to finishing). Instead of using any of our pieces, the production crew went to a Persian rug shop in town and took some really cool pictures using clothes from the collections of past graduates. Then they Photoshopped them into something really ghoulish; I didn't care for the promotional postcards.

I sewed through February and through March, staying up until midnight or later every night, waking up between 5 and 6 a.m. every morning (gotta love my fantastic body clock!), and still with the nagging worry over whether I'd get models to fit the dresses or whether I'd have to do ten million alterations. I decided to not quite finish the dresses—I got them all put together but didn't line them, put in zippers, or hem them. That way the alterations would be part of fitting instead of my having to tear apart a completely finished piece to make it fit.

one dress in production

On March 28 Productions had a model-casting—models were invited to come and audition for the production crew and for the designers so that they could choose models. Not a lot of people showed up for the casting calls, but those who did show up were told they would be notified within the week if they were chosen to be in the show. Yay! I'd be getting models in a week! Or so I thought.

Lindsey was going to model a dress for me. This is her bodice being draped.

It took about two-and-a-half weeks before I got my model list, and then it was about three more days before I met with my first model. So I was starting the alterations and finish-work on April 14, with just shy of three weeks to get all the work done. Besides the sewing I was still doing illustration and computer work for Portfolio, and I had to make an ad-board to display at the show on May 2.

This is my adboard (look familiar?). Now it's going to hang in my sewing room or in the hall right outside the sewing room.

In the middle of all the sewing and print-making madness, a lot of my cohorts were talking about the photo-shoots they were doing. They arranged fabulous places, models, makeup artists, and photographers to get pictures of their designs. Way back when Productions decided to not shoot our pieces I had thought that I'd like to arrange a photo shoot for my things. Then when the sewing got hectic, hairy, and harassing I decided I wouldn't do one after all—or I'd do it after the show. But when we met in class to show our adboards my friends were all talking about how much fun their photo shoots were, and how great the pictures were, and I wanted to do one after all. So on a Friday (April 11) I contacted Hillary (a fellow-student who is also a model, knows people, and has some experience) and asked her to help me arrange a photo shoot. She told me to find a place to do the pics and she'd arrange everything else—for the following Tuesday (April 15)! I had errands to run for my family, and more zippers, thread, etc. to buy, so I wasted a day looking at local recital halls to try and find a place.

This was my best bet on the recital halls and I wasn't thrilled with it.

We decided to push the shoot to Tuesday, April 22 (one week later) so I'd have time to actually finish some dresses. On Wednesday, April 16  I met the lovely Rio Van Zant (a model) who said she would pose in some of the dresses for my intended photo shoot, but Hillary and I had lost contact somehow.  So Rio called Alex Weisman—a photographer friend of hers—to see if he could do the shoot and he said he would. But a couple days later I realized I had just way too much work to do, and wouldn't have enough done by the 22nd.

During the week of April 21 I met most of my models, had them try on dresses, and pinned in the alterations I'd have to make. Fortunately most of them fit really well and didn't require much work—except for the linings, zippers and hems that I'd put off doing.  And that would be a lot of work. :-/

OK. So when I was looking for photo-shoot places I'd put out a question on facebook: Does anyone know of someone who has a fabulous home with a grand piano in it?  It turns out that my cousin Wendy's neighbor Lori had one and was willing to let us shoot there, but she felt like her room was too small to do a photo-shoot. So she called her friend Cathy who also has a grand piano to see if we could do it at her house. On Friday, April 25 (one week before the show) Cathy called me and said I'd be welcome to go use her house; she even emailed me photos of her piano room (which is beautiful).

Much nicer, don't you think?

So I contacted Rio, she contacted Alex and a makeup artist, and the photo shoot was back on, scheduled for Wednesday April 30—two days before the show. And now I was really scrambling to get things done!

It was probably a really bad idea to take a day off from sewing and do that photo shoot, but it was a lot of fun (and a much-needed break). Cathy was really excited to have us at her house and see the dresses and help out in any way she could—she even made us some lunch! Sophie did a beautiful job on the makeup. (Michael would disagree because the makeup has to be so heavy for a shoot like this.) Rio modeled most of the dresses and she was amazing. Lindsey modeled her dress, and Alex did a great job helping Lindsey get good poses and looks, and was just all-around great.

watching Rio get her makeup done

Lindsey in the makeup chair

Lindsey in full makeup

There's Cathy, our hostess 

and Alex starts shooting

I was really impressed with the way Rio could get into a pose and stay put—I swear she was only balanced on her left cheek and it was only her tightened leg and tummy muscles keeping her up on that piano.

Lindsey fixes her hair

and her earrings

I really like this picture. :-)

Rio dramatically plays "Families Can Be Together Forever."

There's Rio doing another amazing balancing act.

Michael holds the light card

And this is the last dress that Rio modeled for me that day (you can almost see it in this photo).

So the photo shoot really was fun; in hindsight I am super glad we did it. Actually, I was glad then. (And it would be fun to do another one and shoot the rest of my dresses!) But it did add a lot of stress to the sewing that still needed to be done.

And that's enough for this post. When I get my pictures from Alex, I'll post them. And I'll tell about the final week before the show and the show itself on the next post. :-)