I warned my husband that he would need to listen to me tell the story about how I made a dress that went out on the 2018 NY Fashion Week runway at the Manhattan Center. He might have to listen to it every day for the next 20 years. I still can’t quite believe that it’s true — like someone pinch me!
My Friend Invited Me to NY Fashion Week
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When my friend, Lee Richter, who owns an event planning business invited me to attend NY Fashion week, I had no idea what was about to happen. I mean, when they ask if you want to usher, check in the media or dress the models, who wouldn’t choose dress the models?? (only a crazy person)
Getting to Go Backstage for NY Fashion Week Was a Surprise
I was helping designer David Tupaz with his show when extra models started to arrive. Like any rockstar designer would act, David didn’t let it phase him. He pulled a scarf off the rack. Even though it was meant as accessory, David made a dress from it.
I was able to weave around the people backstage to be close to David for most of the time. Luckily my Asian upbringing of getting to the front of the line and small stature helped me with that. I happened to be in the right place at the right time when the next model arrived — David turned to me with a safety pin and pulled another scarf off the rack and told me to, “Make her a dress.”
How I Made the Dress the Went Out on the Runway
Oh hallelujah, my mother had been a seamstress and I knew exactly what to do. I had already seen David make the first sarong. I just followed his lead, listened and watched closely as he told another volunteer that the first dress had to hide the pins.
And although I had to pin it up twice, the model was half a foot taller than I and had to bend down for me to secure the tie behind her neck, I did it! I made a dress out of designer, James Stanford’s silk kaleidoscope print scarf, I had pinned it without the pins showing and it lay just right. The model wearing it even made a kick pleat out of the slit.
It was so exciting to see my creation go out on the runway — I had always wanted to go to art school and was highly discouraged from that profession. But David told me to go for it, it’s never to late and that creativity was our gift to the world. There just might be something from me coming to the fashion world soon!
Creating the Same Dress for Myself
This past week, I ordered one of the scarves and was able to quasi-recreate the look (no, I don’t usually put my hair up, so I’m not sure what to do about that if I want to look like the model). Upon encouragement from some friends, I did order a yellow headband but it’s on the slow boat from China literally and won’t be here until the end of Oct. I’ll maybe post again when I get it and figure out what to do with my hair.
Ever been to a live fashion show? What would you have created with a safety pin and a large square scarf? Put your comments in below.
Check out more photos from NY Fashion Week at the Manhattan center by my daughter effie@effiesstudio here: https://www.effiesstudio.com/fashion
And the video I took from the second floor (the 3rd model in the scarf dress is mine)
Vickie Gould is a fashion and travel blogger. She is a clothes and shoe hoard who sometimes wears mismatched outfits to the store (hoping she doesn’t bump into someone she knows). She loves unique, colorful things and new experiences in town and out of town. Her biggest message is to encourage people to live with no regrets.
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