Spring Showcase 2012

The Aesthetic Design Style House Spring Showcase 2012 took place on December 10, 2011.  This was an "industry only" event and invitees were fashion professionals with credentials. 

  

A showcase differs from a fashion show and that is fact #1.  A showcase is just that - an event to "showcase" designers and their collections for buyers to purchase.  It is an up close and personal way for fashion professionals to buy in a setting conducive to finding items for their organizations that fit their clients best.  This way one is able to inspect craftsmanship, feel fabric, and get a first-hand impression of the designer and their collection.  Models are placed strategically throughout the space and are expected to know who they are wearing and a bit about the piece they have been lucky enough to be chosen to wear. 

 A Fashion show usually involves a runway presentation and has a short time frame for which the show begins and ends.  Models are sent walking down a catwalk (in one aspect or another) and are used as a "hanger" for the collection in which they are showing.  Attendees are lined up usually 2 to 3 rows deep along the edge of the runway or catwalk.  There are media, buyers, and fashion professionals in the audience along with moms, dads, friends, family, etc.  You hope you are able to catch the attention of one of the aforementioned fashion professionals in order to get your collection into the hands of the right store or stores.  There is no up close and personal unless you have been invited backstage before the models run out of the clothes. 

We carefully chose the showcase option because independent fashion has more to prove, unfortunately.  Meaning we have to work harder to show that we are just as good (or in some cases BETTER) than large world renowned fashion houses.  Showing someone quality is always better than telling them about it.  They must be able to see for themselves and that is exactly what a showcase is able to do. 

Now, we are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and this whole showcase thing was baffling to some.  Even the models were a little confused as to what we were doing and what we were trying to attain.  Once the "waiting game" and the hair/make-up portion was over everything came together and the vision came to life.  Now, a showcase isn't as action packed (at times) as a runway show so for some they aren't sure how to act or interact for that matter.  A showcase is all about business and there is one main purpose that one attends - to buy new collections for their organization.  There are all sorts of ways to present a showcase and we have learned so much from our first one.  They can be fun but keep in mind we do this for the business side of fashion.

Don't get me wrong - I am a sucker for a good runway presentation.  They are fantastic and they have their place in the industry.  However, the showcase has it's place but doesn't get enough credit for all it accomplishes.

We were lucky enough to have some amazing people who believed in us and what we were trying to do:  Peachtree Hotel Group, Barr Display, LModelz, Halakar Property Management, Angiee's Kitchen, Little Independent, PATTERN, Re-Creations by Christopher Thompson, Anna Ziemniak Photography, Marceli Chase Photography, and Karen Stewart Works.  These individuals and organizations worked hard to help promote and also lend their vision to our event and to them we are undoubtedly grateful!!

And of course we have the GREATEST team on the planet who helped to pull it all off as well.  Believe me we all had our own separate small breakdowns at one point or another in the planning process but we brought it all together in the end - that's what a great team does :)

This was a learning process and we are so excited how it all turned out.  We truly were blessed with fantastic press and exposure for our designers.  On top of that we had many orders and at the end of the day that was the goal!!

Stay tuned for FW12 and be looking for your invite ~

Until then:  "When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained."- Mark Twain