You’re a debutante on the fashion circuit, and you’ve just been invited for a number of shows at fashion week (any of the numerous fashion weeks which take place in every nook and corner of the country). It’s your first time, and you want to to know what it takes to survive all five days.
No sweat! We at MissMalini are fashion show regulars, and we’ve pretty much seen it all. So here’s a personalized guide for what you should and should not do to keep yourself going, right till that much hyped grand finale!
1) fashionably comfortable:
We know you want to look your fashionable best, and that’s fine. But whatever outfit you choose, the most important thing to remember is to wear comfortable clothes and footwear. Leave the Lady Gaga heels at home and ditch the miniskirts for pants or longer silhouettes.
Since walking around takes up considerable time at a fashion week – trips to the lounges, trips to the stalls, trips to the loo, trips to the smoking zone – you don’t want to trip-up by wearing 6-inch heels.
As for your clothes, avoid anything short or mini, especially if you’re sitting in the front row. Constantly adjusting the length can be quite tiresome, and you wouldn’t want headlines of a wardrobe malfunction if your outfit rides up!
2) THE LATEST IT-CESSORY:
To gain entry into the hallowed ranks of front-row seating, you need to look the part (especially if you’re not a patron of the designer whose show you are attending).
An easy way to achieve this is to flaunt the latest It-cessory (“It” accessory) from an haute fashion brand.
Even though there will be many Bangkok doubles sported out there, a true fashion insider can spot a fake from a mile away. So beware and make sure that your accessory is more London than Lokhandwala. And for heaven’s sake, don’t repeat it – at least not for the next six months!
3) avoid model-envy:
Fashion week means a lot of hot models on the ramp. These tall, statuesque beauties would make any woman envious with their curvaceous and bootylicious bodies. But constantly staring at these lovely creatures can start gnawing at even the best of us. What to do?
The best way to survive model-envy is to feel your fabulous best for the week. Hit the gym, tone your body, indulge in a regular beauty regime. You may not be in supermodel shape, but at least you’ll feel good about yourself will be less likely to compulsively compare to the professionals – people who are paid to be really, really ridiculously good-looking. And who knows, maybe some designer may be inspired enough to make you the muse for his next collection?
4) GOSSIP & GUP-SHUP:
Gossip is what a fashion week thrives on. It’s fuel for seasoned fashionistas who know exactly who’s doing what to whom, and where!
Keep your ear out for juicy tidbits. Which model is dating which designer? Which designer plagiarized their collection from another designer? Which Bollywood star pulled out as a showstopper at the last moment? All this is very important news at a fashion week and eats up considerably more newsprint than the clothes displayed on the ramp. Pick up a few stories to share and you’ll be surprised how quickly you might be welcomed into the fashion fraternity.
5) CONFIDENCE:
As a last resort, if some or all of the above is impossible to achieve, nothing can get you through an entire fashion week like a healthy dose of confidence.
The key is to know your fashion and make sure you talk intelligently when mingling with a group of fashionistas. Nothing befuddles them more than a newbie who knows their Muccia Prada from a Jaya Prada.
So to survive a fashion week, you’ll need to fit-in and look the part – whether that’s internally or externally. The rest, as they say, is a cakewalk…. err… catwalk!