Continuing from where I left off in the previous post, I'm going to share about helping backstage at
Atsushi Nakashima's show through a friend's introduction. Now, this was awesome :D I had the chance to see them rehearsing, willowy out-of-this-world models fooling around, and I even got to speak with the designer Nakashima himself (*____*)
-show off- HEHE be jealous!!
My friend Ai and I arrived 3 hours before the start of the show, and met with the girls who were going to help with the show. They were mostly students from fashion design societies and/or fashion students, I felt like a fashion student for a day too hahaha.
We were brought up via the cargo lift, and when we got to the hall people were already busy setting up the show. Models were being rushed and fitted, tiles for the runway being laid, lighting people scaling the scaffolds etc. everyone had something on their hands. The person in charge of us was a no-nonsense Onesan and basically we were just trying our best not to get in the way while waiting for instructions and people were rushing around all over the place.
Then finally we received orders to help set up the benches and runway. So, carrying the benches to the runway and setting them in place right? Seemed like a pretty easy and 地味 ("jimi"<-plain and boring) job but even then, every thing was measured to perfection.
The gap between the runway and the bench, distance between one bench to another (60cm), everything was measured precisely with a tape and nudged into place so that nothing was even a millimetre off the line. Something about this precision and perfectionism was just so Japanese. Love it.
And then we were hustled back backstage and told that there was pretty much nothing for us to do for another half an hour and we could just stay put and observe the preperations. That means free for all oogling at pretty girls and hot guys and getting to see how they prepare for the shows up close!
Yup, that's No-Nonsense Onesan in a stylo navy blue jacket giving instructions. And the guy in the shiny blue shoes next to her, that's the designer Nakashima-san being chill.
omg she's coming she's coming!! -fumble snap: blur picture T_T-
Those shades were so badass haha.
Right up to the last moment, Kaneko-san was smoothening out the creases of the silk shirt. Lol, a lady in charge was like "who can do ironing here?!" and I was secretly thinking "omg ironing is something not everyone can do uh *___*". And if you look closely at the back you'd see like a orange legginged-leg? That guy was like hemming away like mad til the last minute. Pre-show rush omg so awesome.
And then we were told that we were allowed to watch the final rehearsals! Whee!
See the cool board where the light is shining through from? I helped to set that up どや >:D
Checking how far forward to walk on the runway etc. lol they were like messing and joking around but when the lights went out and the music came on it was like bam! model-mode.
Unobstructed view ♥
I really loved the vibrant colours in this collection, and the shapes, and the 立体感 omg my English is failing me, haha. the 3D-ness? of the construction of some of the pieces was really awesome. Like there was this bodice that looked like it was weaved out of ropes or something, but it just looked so flattering and curvaceous o__o like the models boobs were weaved on and super perky or something o__o
本番！
Backstage was a frenzy though, people were yelling ("HERE BENJAMIN! GET YOUR JACKET OFF!!"), fumbling for/with/to take off/get on clothes. No wonder the music has to be so loud lol.
We were also allowed into the audience during the actual show, and I also got to meet the peeps from CoFesta who came to see the show! I wanted so badly to come watch this show with them at first, but I'm so glad I decided to help out backstage and got to see all these cool stuff in the makings instead :'D The whole thing was over so quick though, and we had to take apart everything.
Rolling up the carpet! I thought the blue safety helmets were really cute haha, much cuter than the yellow ones you see in construction sites in Singapore anyway XD
And a picture with the girls :)) omg they were so cute. I need to diet.
The model-wannabe in me couldn't help it hahaha 調子乗っちゃっいましたｗ Did I mention I love my short hair? :'D
I got to take home one of the goodie bags sponsored by Maybelline New York who did the hair/make up for the models too! :'D
So this concludes part 2 of my MBFW Tokyo post :'D Hope you guys enjoyed the peek backstage as much as I did. There's one last part to the fashion week events though! In which I watched a show outdoors with famous bloggers (!!!) whom I thought would be snobby or something but were actually really very nice and sweet and lovely people (*_*)
