Models stand near clothing racks waiting to be dressed in their first looks just before the show began.
San Francisco — Though the Oscar de la Renta Resort 2011 Trunk Show was on view through yesterday evening at Saks Fifth Avenue at Post and Powell, a select few at Keep Tahoe Blue experienced a trunk show of a different kind on Saturday, August 7.
The chance to be a part of another Oscar de la Renta show is not one to be passed up, and when the lead show producer John Martinez asked me to assist in the production of the Bay Area trunk show, I jumped at the opportunity.
While partnering with the Saks special events manager Konrad Janus and his team, countless hours were devoted to the success of the show — pushing through casting, fittings, bus rides, first looks and striking the show — to ensure perfection. This is how it happened.
8/4/10
8:30 a.m. – John meets Konrad and his team at the Saks offsite warehouse. Day dresses, ruffled minis, evening gowns, and suits were organized by run of show in preparation for fittings.
12:30 p.m. – Casting begins. From model walks to model wobbles, the top contenders from San Francisco, and a few on request from LA, donned Oscar’s sophisticated shifts and python platforms. Teenagers being helped into sample-sized separates, by awe-stricken assistants, in hopes of landing a place in the lineup. Comp cards fall into piles, some more quickly than others. Decisions were made and nineteen girls walked in the show.
8/5/10
9 a.m. – The styling team assembles at the offsite warehouse. Fittings begin. Model bags are made, accessories bags are made, as well as shoe charts and share charts. A fitting goes a lot like ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’; try, try, and try again until something fits just right. There is always of course “the dress.” The one that for whatever reason is cut incredibly small. This particular dress was navy, silk faille, strapless party dress, with silk organza and feather embroidered skirt. It was our biggest nightmare until it fit one girl like a dream.
4:15 p.m. – With fittings completed, shoes and accessories distributed, there are still a few things left to take care of before the team is finished. Extra shoes must be bagged by size and style, final line-up charts are written, and supplies are packed.
8/6/10
9 a.m. – Konrad, Dusti and Justin, his styling assistants, meet at the offsite warehouse to shrink-wrap and pack the collection into the truck.
11 a.m. – The collection departs with the driver to Lake Tahoe, with John, Konrad, Dusti and Justin close behind.
4 p.m. – The production/styling team arrives in Tahoe, and swiftly begins preparation for the big day. Model boards must be filled in with photos, descriptions, and styling notes so there was no room for confusion come show time. Model bags are checked and rechecked for the right shoes, bags and jewels.
7 p.m. – An evening of rest sure couldn’t hurt. Having prepared as much as possible, the team was allowed an evening to gather themselves before the mayhem ensues in the morning.
Ron, the hair stylist, touching up a model’s hair in the middle of a quick change, before she goes back out to the runway.
8/7/10
4:30 a.m. – More of the production team, hair and makeup, and of course, the models, board a bus at Union Square to begin the drive to the show site, deep in the Tahoe woodlands. Some of us were fortunate enough to wake up in Tahoe, others endured recently grated mountain paths even without the enveloping security of a lap belt. The ride felt more Space Mountain than anything else.
9 a.m. – Models reported straight to hair and makeup. I reported straight to the tent, where steaming was the major task — with 61 looks, it took three hours.
10 a.m. – I managed to snag a few backstage photos of rehearsal while I was steaming the last of the ball gowns.
11 a.m. – The dressers arrive and they are a group of ladies like I have never seen before. Ages ranged from that of my mother to that of my grandmother and they could not have been more ready to help with the show. They were each assigned to a model to have dressed and ready in time for her next trip down the runway.
11:30 a.m. – Models begin arriving in the tents, and John calls, “First Looks!” The dressers scramble for shoes while models begin stepping into skirts. Lineup is called and the girls are ready to walk a runway that extends into an evergreen forest, surrounded by tables adorned with flowers, china, and programs.
12:20 p.m. – The music starts, and the show begins. In a ten minute storm of sprinting models, dropping dresses, kicking shoes, and being re-primped by hair and makeup as they walk out onto the runway, the show begins. Before anyone can really get a clear picture of how things are going, the gowns are up and finale is called. A round of applause and high fives, and the show is over.
12:45 p.m. – The models change back into their street clothes, the styling assistants arrange the racks, and the collection is left hanging for clients to come back and view.
1:15 p.m. – John and I, along with the models board the first bus back to San Francisco. The drive is much like the one before. If you were lucky, you woke up in Union Square.
5 p.m. – The ride was over, as was the show, and it was a whirlwind experience for certain. Almost like it didn’t even happen.
(Photo credits: Philip Washington)
