Fitting at the Issey Miyake Catwalk Show
Fanny is finishing her third year in Fashion and Textile Design at LISAA Fashion. She worked with a dozen students from her year on the Issey Miyake catwalk show as part of Paris Fashion Week.
REHEARSALS AND FITTINGS WITH THE MODELS
This is not the first time that Fanny has worked with Issey Miyake. The first time was as a result of a job opportunity shared by LISAA. Today, the person in charge of fitters knows Fanny and calls her two weeks before the show to arrange with her directly.
This year a dozen third year students on the Fashion and Textile Design course at LISAA Fashion and students from Chardon Savard worked together on the catwalk show that took place at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.
The day before the show, a meeting takes place at Issey Miyake’s office on Place de Vosges to meet the team and the models to be dressed. In general, each model walks the runway twice and so wears two different outfits. Students and models rehearse the fittings together and take notes to stick to the outfits which will be helpful on the actual day.
The male models do not walk in the traditional way on the catwalk but carry out a small choreography around the musicians. Students take part in the rehearsals the night before by standing in for the models.
EFFICIENT FITTERS FOR A SMOOTH SHOW
On the day, three or four hours before the show, the fitter students brief the fashion assistants on the outfits and then there is a dress rehearsal with music, for which the models are in clothes and makeup. When the moment of the catwalk show arrives, the students have to be focused as everything happens very quickly.
Fanny explains, “After the models’ first walk along the catwalk, the outfit change is very quick before their second walk. Some outfits are very complicated to put on and we run after the models to finish dressing them—sometimes we are doing up the last button as they are walking out onto the catwalk… But the students always help each other out.”
The moment when all the models come backstage after the finale, everyone applauds. There is a great atmosphere, the pressure drops and everyone is happy.
Fanny, third year student in Fashion and Textile Design at LISAA Fashion
Fanny’s favourite memory? “The moment when all the models come back backstage after the final and everyone applauds. There is a great atmosphere, the pressure drops and everyone is happy. It’s a great experience, the Issey Miyake team is so nice and there is always a great atmosphere, a great welcome and they remember us when we come back to work with them.”
Catwalk photos: Imaxtree
