I have a dreadful confession.

As you all know who know me well, your humble Mess has an inexhaustible adoration for conceptual costume, fashion, & wearable art (for those who don’t know me well, heart weird clothes 4ev!). As a purveyor of strange wearables, what better to attend than slews & slews of fabulous runway shows on the constant, right? But can you believe I, with all my talk of Wardrobery, had never even attended a fashion show?

Sure, there was the SMB XII .. but never had I witnessed a real bonafide live fashion show! Well, as of last Saturday that shame is no more! Yours truly attended a fashion show, a real one with a runway, couture, the works! And not only was I there, I was a dresser!

I’ve dressed many people, including myself, many times. But never have I been titled a dresser before! It was exciting to see the productivity backstage and, eventually, be part of it .. See, a good deal of what a dresser does takes place just moments before the models and outfits are sent down the runway! The majority of time before consists of people asking me what my job is, and me responding with “see my drawers?” Most people got it..

The show included 9 designers; 5 sport & street-wear, 4 couture. The first portion (boasting mostly men’s-wear) featured presenters Dumb Fresh Clothing, along with One Verses Many, ScrollnArtz, Pedestrian, and a line of children’s dresses by Gennette Diggs. All these looks seemed to come together by themselves: tees plus Artistic Sole sneakers for the boys, & of course the little-ones had their mothers there to style them!

The couture portion of the show, however, included such complicated designs as one could only hope to be among at one’s first ever live fashion show! Closing designers Adare’ Cartel’s line alone bore bubbles, feathers, and folds so that to dress a body in them correctly demanded much attention! Not that I minded my focus engaged in the arrangement of lace and sequins; the finished result of opposing textures and mangled silhouettes was truly breathtaking!

Lines by B. Des and Magnami Style & CO showcased spring-coloured creations with suit-coat textures & stiff frills. And, I was happily surprised to see a familiar face among the designers! I knew Dantrese Canady of Dahnistry when she studied as a seamstress at my costume shop, years ago! She’s been following her dreams of designing ever since, & gazing upon her creations of technicolor Griechen gowns and immaculate swimwear was one of the day’s chief pleasures!

In these ways, my first runway show experience managed to exceed my expectations! Its’ amazing what a lot of work & a little artistic dedication can produce! A big thanks to Ryan from Dfc & director Pari for getting me involved. I can’t wait to be part of the bustle again!