MILAN, ITALY — As a fashion design student, one of the most important events on my calendar is Fashion Week, which is held four times a year: mid-January and late June for the menswear collections, and mid-January and late February for the women’s wear collections.
The amount of talent this city attracts is definitely first rate. You’ll recognize the signal of a new season when models of all types are scattered all over the place. It’s a great time to see Milan get busy, bustling and brilliant with all these fashion shows being assembled in different venues and private spaces.
Entry to the shows is strictly by invitation. I’m lucky that the school that I’m in has close ties with leading fashion houses, giving students like us easy access.
Working backstage is an experience that is hard to quantify. It brings me endless pleasure to know I am surrounded by people who are all immersed in fashion — from designers, models and stylists to make up artists, photographers, buyers, retailers, and of course the media.
Although the shows take up a lot of my time, I see them as a perfect venue to get myself acquainted with Italian fashion. There’s nothing quite like experiencing it firsthand: meeting and interacting with faces fronting the shows, seeing models bring the clothes to life, feeling the energy and drama of a show that lasts all of 20 minutes, and even discovering up-and-coming designers as well as homegrown labels such as Gaetano Navarra, Cesare Paciotti, and Valeria Marini, just to name a few.
You never know who you’re bound to bump into at Fashion Week. I’ve had a number of OMG moments, like getting a glimpse of French Vogue’s Carine Roitfeld stepping out of her limo, seeing Donatella Versace being chased by the paparazzi, standing beside supermodel Eva Herzigova, and having an autograph signed by the Sartorialist himself, Scott Schumann.
What excites me the most is getting to preview the latest collections Milan has to offer. I’ve always been curious to see what’s next.
Back in Manila, working as a fashion editor, I would devour sites like Style.com or flip through Vogue, W, and Elle to keep abreast with up-to-the minute trends.
It amazes me how I’ve managed to land here backstage, standing amidst racks and racks of prototypes I can touch and examine closely.
I can’t deny the challenges I face while dressing up models who tower more than a foot over me. Who would’ve ever thought that a proper tuck or fold could be so important?
Stylists are critical about this, as it can make or break a total look. Oh, and did I mention that instructions are laid out in Italian?
This used to be a minor setback in the beginning when I worked at the Costume National show as I could barely speak or comprehend the language.
It may sound simple and easy working behind-the-scenes but it can be quite overwhelming as things move at a rapid pace. Backstage, all clothes have to be neatly arranged and accounted for. Clothes have to be in perfect condition and nothing should be missing before and after the show. Smudges, smears or snags of any kind are not tolerated. Thus, our eyes need to be razor sharp as every minute detail is inspected and magnified.
Needless to say, the experience has proved to be rewarding. Working behind-the-scenes not only allows me to understand the creative process better, it trains my eye and helps me gather ideas and inspiration for my future work. I’ve learned about determination and commitment on a whole new level — and that makes all the difference.