SHOWTIME: David Jones S/S VIP Launch 2004 (Part 2)

Helen Lee - September 2004

So in Part 1 we had rehearsals after rehearsals, with the drama of Pia arriving late and yours truly having to walk down the catwalk! Then the pretty Tozzi sisters arrived looking tanned and like your girl next door. At around 4 or 5 the hair and beauty team started on beautifying the models, while I sat at my model's rack (nicely positioned a mere meters from the hairdresser) breathing in the hair spray. Nice.

So what happens after 6:00pm?

6:50pm
With the VIP guests arriving at around 7pm the caterers are pouring seemingly endless amount of glasses full of Moet & Chandon Rose Champagne. Needless to say the hair and make up people and models are rushing out to grab a glass (or two). It'd probably not a good idea for the models to go out with their hair all done up - giving everyone a sneak preview of their hair. Which is all slicked back into super sleek buns, with sequins glued to the front near their razor sharp side part.

Model Emily plops herself down on the floor near our racks and has a bit of a rant about how terrible her dresser is - obviously her dresser forgot during rehearsals that Emily can't actually get into her next outfit until she's helped out of her previous one. And pushing her next outfit towards her isn't going to make the whole process any faster! Hannah, the dresser dressing Genevieve next to me, and I spend the rest of the night trying to figure out who her dresser is. We assume it's a newbie, but sadly it's not. We did offer to dress Emily and swap with her dresser, but Pia & Genevieve weren't quite open to that idea!

6:55pm
A show organiser realises that models are rushing out to get drinks, and she's not happy about it. Obviously she thought that giving everyone a sneak preview of the hair and make up wasn't a good idea either.

7:15pm
Bored, bored, bored. I nibble at my Pringles and flick through the copy of New Woman I had brought during the last break. Unfortunately there wasn't much to read so I just sit and watch everyone buzz around.

Backstage we can hear the crowd outside growing, while the hairdressers are putting finishing touches to the male model's hair. None of them are too pleased about having side parts and slicked down hair. They look like little boys - so cute and... well boy-ish. Male model Tim didn't agree, he'd snuck off before they could grab him, so a hair dresser had to go find him. Haha.

7:30pm - ish
Linda Evangelista has arrived, I must have missed her initial arrival because she's all made up and dressed in her first outfit. I wouldn't have noticed her at all if there wasn't media fawning over her and asking her to pose for pictures.

She happily poses for pictures for the media, models, dressers and who ever else happens to be backstage! I just snap away with my digi cam of everyone else snapping away at her. My shots are so very blurred - either because no one stayed still or I just had too much sugar & coffee and couldn't hold my camera still! But I can still buckle strappy sandals and put on accessories, otherwise the show organisers would be rather peeved at me. Obviously.

7:55pm
First outfits are called. Finally. Pia's first outfit is a pretty pink Alannah Hill cami, satin mini with lace trimming and a gorgeous beaded and lace cape. Though the shoes aren't particularly fabulous... the metal heel looks almost tacky and every model says it's horrible to walk in.

8:10pm
Finally, the lights are dimmed and VIP guests take their seats as backstage the hair and make up people give the models one last once over with the hair spray and add some extra gloss to the lips. Show time!

Continue to PART THREE to find out what happens next....