Brainstorming recently ... PART 1

It has been a long while again since I last input a blog entry here, feel so lazy for this, but I also feel great that I'm never able to forget about this place, where I can talk to myself once in a while, nevermind about anybody is reading this or not... I've never been a great fans of writing blogs online.... but strangely, i found online blog gives me the vibe to organise the information in my head much more clearer as I have to write them out, and praying if there's really anyone reading them, at least my words make sense!

I also found myself usually writing blogs in here when I'm half asleep....like right now i just got out of the bed... before I go brush my teeth and have my breakfast, here I am, sitting here, writing a blog... what a dirty girl i am...

Anyway...

I wanted to record a few things that happened recently....

1) First time art directing a fashion show for students from City University, London
2) Finally worked with the photographer - Joseph Story , after a great deal amount of conversations before we actually set out to do the shoot together...

:1: City Look Fashion Show 08:
Well, where should i begin? Through a contact, I got commissioned to art direct this student fashion show especially for the Chinese Student Society of City University, which also in conjunction with Imperial College, University College of London, London School of Economics, and Queen Mary. So we are talking about many chinese students altogether, from crew members to models are of all Chinese. It was quite a sight for me, coz except being able to see so many chinese except in China Town, I've never seen so many gathered around in a place in UK... or maybe its just me...

It was a very challenging project to do. Altogether from organising, training models, rehearsals, etc, etc, etc, spent us 5 weeks in total. In normal circumstances when you have so many people working on a project, it shouldn't felt rush at all... but in this case, its a bit different since nobody in the crew had experience to host a fashion show. So there's this huge amount of pressure fell on my shoulders, and it felt so crazy that I was speaking literally every second when I was with the models or the crew members, for just to go through details with them and all that. On an evening of catwalk training plus the meeting, I'd have down a bottle of coke and water for my extreme thirst from constantly speaking. For a month, I avoid as much speaking as I could in any other times, and I didn’t speak much when I got home.

We spent about 4 weeks training the models who were auditioned from the London Universities menitoned above... we had 12 female models and 10 male models, some had a bit modelling experience before which i found its a relief. Unluckily I didnt get the chance to audition them as I'd really like to audition people, coz I believe I have the eyes to spot talents... and I like the idea to give people chances who deserves it. But I didnt have the fun. Unlucky.

I started with training the girls the basic poses, turns, and basic walks. At the first training session, we'd have let them watch a few clips of various fashion shows, motivate them and let them get an idea what they should be like on the runway. I think how you carry yourself as in attitude and mood is very important, coz the whole feelings perceived by the audience would be different if you don't have the right attitude. Some people think its just a walk, becoz maybe these people are natural with walks, and they can imitate any walks just by instinct. But honestly tell you, not all are the same. Some girls I had on the training, they had to put a greater effort than some just to walk a straight line. So we are talking about many training sessions just to let them practise with basic things, then move on to different walks, such as Rock, elegance, and casual. We also put a great amount of time to help them to perfect the stopping & pose (3 seconds) at the end of runway, the t-stand turn, and walk back routines.

After 3 to 4 sessions, we then started on practising different routines...coz then I still havent had the chance to look at the venue and to see what the stage would be like. So I had them practising the timing on how to walk together as a pair, coming out from the sides and meeting up mid runway or crossing each other mid runway ...these usual kind of routines, etc. with different background music tracks to accompany the mood they should portrait.

Meanwhile, I was still waiting to see all the collections we would have on the show, so I can make a decision on the music tracks and how to put the collections in order, also the order of  for the models to be on the stage, etc.