Working Backstage LA Fashion Week

Working backstage Los Angeles Fashion Week was unforgettable. I worked about 8 hours each day and I was exhausted by the end of the day because I was running around so much. This was a lot different from the first time I had worked at a fashion week in New York City. New York Fashion Week is more well known, and is more prestigious. Los Angeles Fashion Week (I just recently learned 😂) has designers that are not as known and there are less celebs and influencers in the audience. Basically anybody could go if they paid for the tickets. (I was still very appreciative to be there working for these amazing people).

Each day there were 3-5 different designers . My roll backstage was considered a "dresser". I would be assigned two or three designers to help with each day. Some designers were extremely organized and had all their looks ready, other designers needed a lot of help.

This was one of the boards that the designer made with the looks on it. This designer was really organized and had the number of look, the model's name, and a picture of the complete outfit.

After the models were done with hair and makeup they would come to us(dressers) and we would put them into their looks. After each model was dressed we would have to line them up in order. It was our job as dressers to see if any of the models had to change DURING the show. If there were outfit changes we had to bring the outfits backstage before the show started. If the models had outfit changes during the show (which was very common) it got very hectic.

Once we got all the models in order and all of the second outfits ready, then we all went upstairs. We all waited for the audience to be sat in their correct seats. The hair and makeup artists double checked that each girl looked ready to hit the runway. There was loud music playing and everybody was super excited right before each show. None of the models looked nervous at all, some were practicing their walk and some were just having fun dancing.

Right before the show started the music got louder, and then we heard the director say "go" and point at the model that was first to walk the runway. It was so exciting for me because I love this. I knew how fashion shows worked, but I forgot how much fun they were. Us "dressers" waited until our assigned model came off the runway and ran straight to us. We literally had 10 seconds to rip off their first look and change into their second look. It was so fast and exciting. Sometimes the zipper got stuck, sometimes the girl had the wrong shoes on, and sometimes the designer forgot the headpieces and we got yelled at. It is so easy to get things wrong, but it was so exciting to get it all right.

This beautiful look was from Lakris Designs. It was her second look and it was very complicated because of the many buttons that we had to put together in the dark, but we pulled it off and it was BEAUTIFUL.

I was so thankful and excited to get to work backstage LAFW. At first I only did it to put on my resumé, but it really goes beyond that. I am so thankful that I met so many amazing, inspiring, and motivated people.

XOXO,