We recently participated in a high school fashion show at Colleton County High School where we supplied them with items from our boutique. Though it was a lot of fun, it was also a lot of work! Join me as I describe the ups and downs of another facet of owning a boutique!
The Invitation
This wasn’t our first high school fashion show but it had been a few years since the high school had hosted it. One of the teachers came to the boutique to invite us to participate a few months back, and knowing what fun it is for the students, we accepted.
They asked us how many models we wanted and we settled on a number. We like to include a nice number of students but also don’t want any two people having to wear the same outfit! This year we had the added perk of some guys joining the fashion show and showing off our men’s items! Typically it is just the girls in the fashion show. The guys seemed to enjoy being “Mr. Cool” with their sunglasses and nice shirts.
A few weeks before the show, the students started coming in to try on their garments. Some were easy to find something for “ooh, I can wear anything!” whereas some were more difficult. As much as the easy students were such a breeze, I couldn’t help but identify with the girls who had a harder time picking something as sometimes I have nothing to wear in my own closet!
Show Prep
Before participating in fashion shows with the boutique I had never been in or around a fashion show. I’m not entirely sure how they are supposed to go or if they is certain protocol that is typically followed. Right or wrong, this gave me the freedom to make it up as I go!
Instead of having a specific wardrobe and lineup picked out, I let my models pick their garments. For the most part this works really well as they gravitate towards what they are most comfortable in. There were a few exceptions in this most recent high school fashion show where I had to gently guide them around some interesting color choices. “Not navy with black,” I told them, adding jokingly, “otherwise they’ll send us both back to elementary school to learn our colors again!”
The Big Day
Ooh the adventures of the big day itself! We were all set and ready, outfits on hangers with accessories for each person, all that was left to do was to load up and drive over! To celebrate the fun day, my sister and I made a milkshake … and I’ll let you guess where this story is headed – yes, it ended up getting spilled!
The plan was for my sister to watch the shop while I went on to the fashion show. We walked around our boutique as we sipped our milkshake putting together a bag of extra accessories – hats, wristlets, sunglasses, etc. Just little pieces to add a bit of “extra special” to the students’ day!
As we rolled the clothing rack out to the vehicle we laughed and commented how easy it was to tip it. (Somehow at all our events the rack ends up catching a gust of wind and blowing over) Well, for some reason my sister had to run back in the shop for something and left me holding the bag, err, holding the clothing rack.
All was going fine until a gust of wind came blowing along … I was holding my milkshake in one hand and steadying the rack with the other … as the wind blew I considered throwing my milkshake cup so I could use both hands on the clothing rack, but didn’t want to spill milkshake on the clothes so didn’t. Long story short, the clothing rack blew over and instead of throwing the cup and getting it on the clothing I ended up wearing it! Ooh well, it is the crazy stories that make the events more memorable, right?!
Showtime
The high school fashion show itself went quite smoothly. Once I got to the school a few students came out and helped me get the clothing unloaded and inside. The show was in the auditorium which boasted a nice big stage, lighting, speakers, backstage dressing rooms – the whole nine yards! It felt like a real production!
I hung out with the students for a while and made sure they had what they needed. Helped some girls with their jewelry and swapped some accessories for other girls. Everyone was excited for the bag of “extras” and picked something to carry.
Another boutique owner was there and we decided to sit together to watch the show. We ran to the top of the bleacher seating as folks started to arrive. The students did really well showcasing their outfits and with their wardrobe changes – and they had a good time! Afterwards, they took some photos before they got changed back into their own clothes.
I hope the day was memorable for them! We had some really good conversations around all the prep and I hope it was a bright spot in their year!