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Show: Breaking Down the Event

Now we are gonna talk about breaking down the event. We've had our fun and now we need to think about what the next steps is. So, this is a part a lot of people forget about 'cause we just assume that all of this is gonna just happen magically. And, the first thing is for your staff you want roles and shifts. So, if you have a fairly healthy amount of time for the whole process, like from prepping and delivering the clothes, prepping the shows at the event, having the fashion show, and then getting the stuff home, that's a really long day. And you might have dedicated people who will stick with you through the whole thing, but you wanna make sure of that. I've had designers doing an event where they get all these volunteers and then the show ends and all the designers leave. I mean, all the dressers and everybody leaves because the shows over, and that designers left alone to fend for themselves, pack up their clothes, and all these kinds of things. So, make sure you have the staggered...

shifts so you have the person, the team that's gonna bring you there, and you have the team that's gonna take you back. Again, it depends how long the event is. It may be the same team. But you wanna make sure that team is willing to do that. This is especially true with volunteers. 'Cause I always feel like you never wanna ask more than like four hours from someone if they're volunteering, in terms of an event. So, I like to have shifts where if they wanna stay and work another shift that's great. But eight hours is a full days work. So, you know, these things, a lot of times they're doing it for the fun of it, for the experience of it. So, manage your volunteers accordingly. If you're paying people to stay the full eighth hours that's a whole other ballgame, so. Inventory, yes? So, how and when do you pay the models? The models usually will have you sign a voucher at the event once they've showed up. They'll, and then the agency will bill you. That's usually the traditional way. But you can work out all sorts of deals. Like if you're getting volunteer models, I mean, not volunteer models, but independent models you can say, you can have envelopes ready at the show, and you can pay them directly. But if you're working with an agency the traditional way to do it is that the, you don't prepay, but when the model shows up, because there may be a model who doesn't show up, they have a voucher, you sign it, they go back, and then you pay the agency, and they pay the model. And they sign some sort of model release form so that you can use their images. No, no they do not unless you ask for that. So, you can't assume, like you can use, most, this is very important with usage with photography and video. You need to talk about that with the agency. All you really need to do is have a conversation. They will tell you what you can, what they and their models are comfortable doing and what they're not comfortable doing. So, for instance, if I was shooting a runway photograph of a model I might use that in my portfolio. It's promoting me, but I'm not selling that image. But if I'm using it for advertising to sell product, that model should be paid for that and so should the photographer. So, it's a very important thing. And the key is all you have to do is start the conversation. Everybody's different. A lot of people are comfortable with giving you usage for things. But remember that especially if it's advertising, especially with models, you do not want to use an image for an ad later on from your show without knowing that the agency and the model and the photographer have signed off on it. So, and again, if you anticipate doing that then let them know in advance and say, would you like in the ad a credit to the agency and the model, and that might take care of that. You know with I mean, a little bit. Or, you know, or help adjust the cost of it. So, think about all the things you can do to make it something that they want to do. Packing, taking special care, after, oh, did I skip over inventory? Inventory, you wanna make sure you've accounted for everything. So that means you have to do inventory beforehand too. So, make sure you've written everything down that you've put out there. And then you wanna account for it on the way back. And the easiest thing to do is just to have a list of every accessory, every garment. If you have other things like shoes, or whatever it is, and then the packing is really important. You don't want to just throw it in an bag and take it out. You're wanna remember that you're gonna have to do so much to refresh that garment afterward if you treat it that way. So make sure that you take special care of it. Exit points, you wanna have a strategy for leaving. Because the party may still be going on and you might wanna leave, or at least get your clothes outta there. So, ask yourself, is there another way to get out. Because you do not wanna be walking through your event with your rack, see ya. You know, it's like you want to make sure that you have a way out that's actually out of the way if the events still going on. And then transportation, we touched on this earlier. But make sure that you've planned transportation, where they're gonna be, you know, what exit they're leaving from the venue, the timing, and then also, today is a little easier with phones. Make sure that you're in communication and getting an ETA, kind of treating it like a car service, even if it's a friend or someone on your team. Okay. All right, and then when we're talking about packaging the show, refresh and repair, and unpacking show content, refresh and repair, you wanna make sure that the clothes are as good as when they left. Because, you may get requests to have it photographed, or a stylist might want to use it in an editorial, or in a commercial. There may be reasons and you don't want those clothes to be stuck in a bag all wrinkled. The minute they get back they should be getting back to full good condition. And then the real important part of packaging show content, 'cause the clothes are content, and then the video and the photography. You want to be sure that you have a plan for it. And this includes arranging with the photographer and videographer a time when you're gonna get the content. And depending on what you're asking for you have to figure out what's realistic for them and also whether they're volunteering or paying. My general rule of thumb is, if I can get the raw images by that night or the next morning then I can get to editing, only because I can do that. But if you don't and need the to edit, and to just give you the good pictures, if you say to them I need at least one good picture of every outfit, 'cause they should be shooting multiples, then that could be their goal for editing. They're gonna make sure they send you the best picture of every outfit, and they can help you with that. But you also wanna do it in a really timely fashion. You want them to have budgeted their time after you show to say, I've got time to do that tonight, or the next day, because for press and for social media you don't wanna lost the momentum. You want to ride on, yes we had a great night, and look at all these incredible photographs, and video, and whatever it is that you planned on with the photo and video. And then also what the messaging around it is, how are you going to package it in terms of the story, getting back to the story. What's the new story, because you're not doing a show anymore, it happened. So, why is this still exciting. You know, the event captured this glamour, everybody had a good time. Now we're doing this. So, you know, have some sort of idea of what you wanna say, not just slapping up the pictures, having great comments, captions I should say. And also a great opportunity to credit people. So, if you have, if one photographer shot all your runway shots post a gallery on Facebook, or on Tumblr and make sure you credit the photographer and put a link to their website, even if you're paying them. Like make sure that you're acknowledging people because all of a sudden his audience, or her audience, is going to be curious about what you're doing too. And you're expending and expanding. So, what issues can you anticipate after having had someone wear your garments in a show? So, what do you think are some issues you've dealt with? Anybody, after somethings been used or worn. Stuff can rip, stuff can tear, things can fall off completely and be left behind. Oh. I've not personally experienced this but heard horror stories of theft from models, so being sure that someones responsible for making sure everything's returned when they're done wearing it. Just a little, this is more on the like fine jewelry side, like some shows, I don't recommend it, but if you do have anyone wanting to partner with you that's really sort of high end jewelry often they will bring in security person. There'll be a table for that jewelry and only one person designated for it, and then one security person. And often models will be asked for their drivers license, or their ID, or something like that, and just keep it til the end of the, the security guard keeps it til the end of the show. And then when everything is accounted for and the jewelry comes off as the girl, the good jewelers are trained in it. The jewelry is coming off as they're walking off the stage. So it doesn't even get into the back room. So, with anything of value like that you wanna have a plan. And jewelers do a really great job of that. But you can do it with shoes, you can do it with any aspect of it, so. Also on that note it seems like you'd have that ask the models not to wear or bring any jewelry that could go missing. Anything of value. Yeah, because I've had that happen were there are shows and a model will take off her jewelry and it's her engagement or something like that, and all of a sudden that's missing. So, and this also brings up other issues which kind of a bigger context, like who's responsible for things like that. So, you know, do you have insurance? Does the venue have insurance? Do you have security backstage? 'Cause sometimes you might want one person who's just security. And it's not so much just to watch the models, but it's more to keep people out of backstage. So that person could help manager that so that there's not any shenanigans. It doesn't, its only be a real rare occurrence, but it's something to anticipate, and it also makes people feel a little safer, so. Yeah. Another potential problem that Little Richie brought up was smoking, if models are smoking while at the. No, not allowed. Just not allowed. And the, you know, if a model is a smoker, and if she's smoking in advance of the show and after the show, not an issue. But backstage there should never be. Nowadays most venues are nonsmoking. That's not an issue. Yeah, but there's certain things, like you have to set, I was very definitive about that 'cause I feel strongly about it. But yeah, you have to figure out what your gos and no gos are. You know, like, and when you're, getting back to models a little bit, when you're asking for models you also have to give them directive. Models will often have, if you're not doing your own shoes for a show, let's say, models will have a shoe bag. And they'll also have like hair accessory bags, and if they have fun with their hair they'll have little puffs and things that they can do very quickly. So, good models have that kind of stuff. And if they don't you wanna say, okay I need her to have a pair of white unused, 'cause that's a key thing, set of sneakers. Like white clean sneakers, I need her to wear, have knee high black leather boots. I need her to have a silver pump, or whatever it is that you need. Oh yes, and the undergarments are really key. And you wanna think about nude undergarments that are not going to interfere, strapless bras, thongs, hosiery without any kind of seams, things like that that are going to, and again, it depends on your show. You might want white bobby socks, depends on what you're showing. But figure out what needs to go under and won't show through. I remember this guy, it's like, we had a guy in a fashion show and he had white trousers on. And we couldn't see it backstage, but when he got on the runway and the lights hit he was wearing Mickey Mouse underwear. (audience laughing) And it was, it actually ended up being this adorable moment on the state, it was very funny. And he had no idea why everyone was ooign and ahhing. (Jay laughing) But think about that. So, you know, like, remember also to look at your clothes under really powerful lights. Because things are gonna happen, so. But yeah, you can send directives to the agency to give to the models and say, this is what you're gonna need. Often if it's something really, really special you'll need to provide it. But if it's a basic, like black pumps, I need a satin pump, and a patent pump, that's something that should be in every models kit. And if it's not she should probably invest in it. So, all right, so what is the purpose of taking photos at your show. We actually kind of touched on this. So, those categories of where you wanna have images taken. Same thing with the video, what is the purpose of shooting video at your show. What kind of messages would you attach to your imagery. So, once the show is done how are you feeling, what do you wanna share, and really define that. Yes. So, could you give us, a couple things, a Fashion Time says I wanna hear what Jay does with all of his photos. What I do with all my photos. Yes, maybe some more examples there, and then some examples of the messaging as well, more about what you're talking about there. Yeah, so at different points in my career I've taken photographs for different reasons. Like I said to you guys in, I forgot which session, that I started taking photography out of necessity because I needed document my work. And I was terrible. And over the years, and I've never taken a class, of probably will now on Creative Live. And they key to it was that I was very instinctual. Like, I didn't know the tech part of it. And photographer friends used to tease me because I said I knew I got the shot by the click. Like I know what I was seeing, and if I heard the click at the right time I know I got the right shot. And it was just very instinctual. But at the time I was shooting runway. I, you know, that was about a look, like little boxes of models that would be distributed on a page. At the time I had a little magazine, and I already knew what I needed it for. So, I think that's the key to the whole strategy behind photography. More recently, since I've been doing this this long I trust the photographers who are there shooting the show to go for those shots. What I want is lately my big thing is sort of moments, and textures, and atmospheres. So, you know, the empty runway, the model on the phone, all those kinds of things. And if I get people in the front row I don't go up and ask them to pose for me, to smile. I try to get them in a moment where they're having a real conversations. So, for me that the fun thing. And then I'm always shooting the photographers. Like, I love getting photographs of the photographers in action. And they love it. They're at work and no ones paying attention to them, but I love it because it tells these great stories. That's why I emphasize stories so strongly cause I think whether it be words, or images, or video, you want to be figuring out what stories you want to tell. With the messaging I think I tried to make it so that it's, like right now when I do an event and I capture those images I try to come up with that the common denominator is in the images I took because I don't always know while I'm shooting. You know, I use to have, always carry a camera around my neck, and I was kind of known for that. It was weird to see Jay without a camera around his neck, but now since the phones have gotten so good I take out the camera when I need it, but the phone is my go to. And so I don't always know what the story is gonna be while I'm shooting, but I try to let the pictures speak to me and say, oh, it was, you know, the mood behind the show, or this thing you didn't see, all the things you didn't see, have a more well rounded experience. So, again, strategy about what you think is fun and interesting. And you can also ask people. I think it's kind of a cool thing, well you can do two things. You can ask people and get feedback about, well, that were you favorite parts of the show, and why did you like it. But you can also do that kind of fun thing that people do on Facebook and things like that, which is captions. Take a great picture and ask for the best caption, and have people play with it and interpret it. And again, there's where you have that storytelling, but a dialog as well, yeah. What about hashtags Jay, do you try to facilitate those and get those going. I do for the bigger picture. You know, for Boston Fashion Week we used to do BFW and the year. But I realized now there are all these other fashion weeks in cities with Bs that are all too BFW. So, I've had to come up with a way, so this year I think, I'm not sure, don't quote me on this, but I think it's gonna go, you know, BOSFW and then the year. So, because we just wanna, you know, you need to, nowadays with everybody doing it chances are you're gonna have repetitive hashtags. So, yeah, you need to kind of fine tune the major ones I think, and then let people create new hashtags. Like, model moment, someones going out there shooting all the models, whatever their focus is, and encourage them to do that.