Let there be by RILey LAW Son
fa s hiO n.
style@rileylawson.com |w w w . r i l e y l a w s o n . c o m Since I was a young girl I’ve had a love for fashion. It’s always been something that provokes an inner warmth and happiness leading to overwhelming excitement and joy. Last year, in its inception, Saskatchewan Fashion Week made me feel that feeling more than I’d ever experienced before. Some of you may not even be aware that the event happened last year. Perhaps you knew but didn’t attend. I want you all to get as excited as I am about this event – not only for myself as a designer, but for our city and province and the people in it. We have a lot to be proud of and I’m so excited about the addition of another artistic and collaborative event for everyone to enjoy! This year, 28 emerging and established designers wil have professional models showing off their garments on a runway in City Square Plaza in downtown Regina. Runway shows wil begin in the evening on Thursday, May 9 and continue through to May 11, with some afternoon shows on Saturday the 11th as well. Last year I was lucky enough to have been involved on the back end of the firsttime event as a retail stylist and backstage coordinator. Tia Zelinski, a designer and stylist, as well as a good friend, and I partnered together to style the wardrobe with the retailers who showcased on the runway alongside the emerging and established designers. We did days of fittings, styling over 100 outfits to show off the local contributors and prove that great shopping absolutely does exist in our growing city. When it came to show time, Tia and I could be seen backstage with clipboards in hand instructing models and dressers on where to be and what to be doing. We made sure they were on the runway, in the correct outfit, in the correct order, at the correct time, and back to their section to get dressed for their next walk, in a total of about a minute and a half. We had so many wonderful backstage volunteers who helped models in and out of shirts and pants and dresses, helped them to change their shoes, and put on the accessories – all while maintaining the make up and hair that the expert team spent all day perfecting. If you attended the event last year you may have had no idea that this is what was going on backstage! This year wil be no different. A frenzy of models, creative hair stylists and incredible make-up artists wil come together to present a collective showcase of wearable art. If you missed the first year of Saskatchewan Fashion Week, you should be sure to catch the second. For more information about the event, to purchase tickets, or to find out about how you can get involved, please go to www.saskfashionweek.com.
FOR SASKATCHEWAN WOMEN | VOL. 2 ISSUE 4, APRIL 2013 | 19