I’ve always been drawn to art in different forms, especially a good fashion show. I love seeing what designers come up with and the “theater” of it all. One of my favorite fashion shows is from Christian Dior Fall/Winter 2004. The royal themed dresses and makeup are just perfection! I remember going to a nail salon with my mom in the early 2000s. On their television they had us watching the fashion shows. There is just something so intriguing about fashion shows that I just can’t look away.
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My path into fashion began when I studied fashion design and fashion merchandising at the Art Institute of Orange County. One of my teachers asked the class if anyone wanted to volunteer to work backstage at fashion shows. Of course, I said yes. I did a total of four fashion shows ranging from students to professionals in the fashion industry. Each show gave me a different perspective, and together they shaped my understanding of how much work goes into what the audience eventually sees on the runway.
If you would like to look at some of my favorite finds from Christian Dior, you can look at my ShopMy shelves.
If you would like to take a look at some of the fashion show booklets from the shows, I went ahead and put them here for you.
Sweet September Fashion Show 2011
This show is called Sweet September, a student fashion show held at the Art Institute campus. The theme of the show was fall and the colors were red, yellow and purple. Honestly, I’m glad that I got to start out with a show that was simpler. This show was such a long time ago that I don’t remember what the models were wearing but the show was very casual.
Sweet September Fashion Show Art Institute of Orange County
Cotton Couture Fashion Show 2011
The Cotton Couture fashion show is another student production held at ANQI Gourmet Bistro and Noodle Bar in Costa Mesa. This show was so exciting to do even if it was still a student show. This show included guest judges from different areas of fashion and entertainment, including:
- Gretchen Christine Rossi from The Real Housewives of Orange County
- Elizabeth An — owner of ANQI, whose restaurant is known for hosting fashion shows twice a month, featuring a signature 65-foot glass runway as a focal point of the space
- Jenny Lee who is a bridal designer and founder of Jenny Lee Inc.
At this show I was expected to wear all black to make sure that everyone knew I was a part of the backstage crew. The design students that were featured were:
- Alyssa Corrine
- Daniel Magana
- Roxanne Phillips
- Jessica Pinney
One of the unexpected things I learned during this show was how resourceful students had to be when putting their looks together. For example, some designers would purchase the exact shoes they wanted to complete a runway outfit, but because budgets were limited, they would carefully protect them with red or black tape before the show. This allowed them to keep the shoes clean enough to return afterward, which was a practical solution while still achieving the look they needed for presentation.
Here is an article on the event from Haute Living.
Soroptimist Women’s Charity Fashion Show 2011
This was a charity fashion show held at Luminarias Restaurant and Banquet Hall in Monterey Park, California, hosted by a women’s charity organization focused on supporting women and girls. Unfortunately, I don’t have any images for this because it was a private charity event, but I can tell you a little about the Soroptimist Women’s Charity.
Nothing But the Blues 2012
This fashion show was called Nothing But the Blues, presented by Cameo and held at the Long Beach Convention Center in 2012. I attended this show again, as a person who helped dress the models. This show combined multiple elements: a fashion show, a live auction, and a “Viette red ticket” drawing with prizes.
- First prize: $1,000 cash donated by Farmers and Merchants Bank
- Second prize: 14k white gold diamond ring valued at $1,000 donated by JNL Jewelers
- Third prize: Four-night stay at a Tahitian Village Resort in Las Vegas valued at $720
One of the most memorable moments of the show was the live auction for a Maltese mix puppy that went well above $1,300 and was adopted that day.
The designers that were featured here you have probably seen their designs before, but I had no idea it belonged to them.
David Meister
He is known for sophisticated, body-conscious womenswear and red-carpet designs worn by celebrities such as Katherine Heigl, Queen Latifah, Sigourney Weaver, and Sharon Stone. This is a video of him and Wendy Williams in 2015 talking about the Golden Globes.
Lourdes Chávez Couture
Lourdes is a FIDM graduate and Bob Mackie Outstanding Achievement Award finalist, known for architectural eveningwear and Oscar-worthy gowns.
Elizabeth Saba Custom Knits
Elizabeth specializes in rich color, dramatic detail, and custom client-based designs inspired by Chanel and St. John aesthetics.
Lynn Francis Hats
Lynn works with Parisian-inspired millinery including berets and sculptural hats, influenced by British royal millinery traditions.
Here is an article about the event from the Signal Tribune.
The London West Hollywood 2024
After years of working behind the scenes at fashion shows like these, I eventually attended a fashion show as a guest at The London West Hollywood for the Physicians Formula and Modern Day Wife event. Going into such a beautiful hotel without staying in a room almost feels illegal. Like I am invited, but I didn’t pay for anything- like browsing in a TJ Maxx and not finding what you need and leaving. LOL!
The lobby had a beautiful chandelier and fireplace but the place for pictures and waiting for the rest of the event was on the rooftop. I don’t know who the influencers were, but they managed to go to the rooftop before me and just leave the pillows on the couches a mess for someone else to clean up. I’m so glad I was raised with manners.
The runway show seating was not reserved so I made sure to show up early for a front row seat. I’m not sure that there will be another time when I can experience that, so I made sure that I could. The models wore everything from athletic wear to “mob wife” aesthetic bathing suits, to beautiful flowing gowns. There was even a segment that was country inspired.
If you are loving this fashion content, you can check out my blog post called “Pink Feng Shui Guide“.
I hope that I get to go to another event like this. Knowing the amount of work that it takes to get a fashion show to run smoothly, really makes you look at the show differently. It really was full circle to be able to finally be in the front row instead of behind the scenes. If you liked hearing about my fashion adventures here, let me know in the comments! If I happen to get invited to another event, I will make sure to post about it here.
