SHOWTIME: David Jones S/S VIP Launch 2004 (Part 3)

Helen Lee - October 2004

In part 2 the show was about to start, unknown to the VIP crowd out front everything was going smoothly. But little do they know what will happen next backstage. The nerves, the slips and the cream.

8:12pm
The lights are dimmed as the models line up in their show order, all dressed in their first outfits, hair all perfectly tied, pinned and sprayed while hairdressers and make up artists are fussing over them, perfecting what is already perfect. I take Pia's second outfit off their hangers and put her shoes out as she sits plays with her phone before they call her to take place in line. While in line models are slathering on last minute body lotion so their skin looks soft and silky, I can't help but wonder is the expensive Estee Lauder stuff will last the entire 3 days worth of shows at the rate the models are going at it.

The first outfits are by Jayson Brundson, models come backstage again in gorgeous gold silk gowns inspired by Maria Callas. Linda Evangelista looked fabulous in her gown, a little washed out perhaps as she looks a little too tan. There isn't much for me to do backstage, Pia's disappeared for a while and isn't due in her second outfit for another 20 changes or so. Model after model rushes off to their rack as soon as they step off the catwalk and there is a flurry of activity everywhere, discarded shoes, clothes, accessories, you name it.

Finally Pia comes back, her second outfit is by Vicious Threads, a strapless pink cotton mini dress with a black Alice McCall black diamante bow belt, fluoro mesh socks and fluoro Flornarina heels and a mesh bag. Quite and odd outfit, but it was probably her slowest outfit to change into. Unless you count the white top and white skirt with 3 blue necklaces - with specific instructions on which one should go on first, second and third. Her other ones consisted of dresses and strappy heels. Easy!

After Pia's hopped into her third outfit a dresser runs towards me, abusing me for "just standing there while she's so busy" and grabs the shoes from Pia's first outfit and run's off. Her problem was that I didn't walk over to her rack (all the way on the other side of the room) with her shoes, instead she had to walk. Talk about frazzled nerves - on her part. But I suppose there are people backstage at fashion shows who do forget to breathe and get a little caught up in the activity around them. Oh well.

During a few quite moments, Hannah and I decide to hang around the VIP party for an hour or so, after all we have a 8:30am call time the next morning. But who can turn down free champagne and yummy little canap's?

Pia comes back from her last walk down the catwalk and changes into her regular clothes while other models are still struggling to get into their Willow outfits. They all had pretty sequined caps, with an array of dresses, sequined tops and leggings. I tidy up my rack and help out Stephanie's dresser with Stephanie's fidgety shoe buckles.

As the finale, Linda Evangelista does a once down the catwalk with Willow designer Kit Willow.

Then backstage is filled with models getting back into their everyday clothes and discussing what they're doing next. A few are stand in front of the mirrors trying to pick the sequins off their hair and off their eyelids. The make up artists and hair dressers have packed up too and getting ready to join the party as Hannah hangs Genevieve's stuff back on to the rack ready for the public shows on Friday and Saturday. I throw all my stuff back into my bag as we get ready to leave backstage for the night.

8:40pm
Hannah and I navigate the crowded VIP area and grab a glass of pink Moet being passes around by waiters as we stand and survey the room. We watch as Australian fashion designers Kit Willow (of Willow) and Alannah Hill are chatting away to the TV camera, and we spot the odd television and small time movie personalities. Then we wonder who half of these "VIP" people are, after all there are an awful lot of them and we can't even recognise half of them!

But trying to figure out who's who got boring after a few minutes as we spot the trays of canap's being passed around, the menu was suppose to made up by Donna Hay, author of a zillion cook books and a some time celebrity chef. There was skewers with dip, mini sausage rolls and meranges. A few meringues' later I put down my empty champagne glasses on a tray passing by. The waiter convinces me to have another glass, his reasoning was that it was free and normally quite expensive. How could I argue?

A little while later there are mini cups of sorbet going around, in delicious flavours like Pistachio, Chocolate, Strawberry and Coffee. A mini cup or two of sorbet later I was a new fan of Donna Hay.

9:20pm - ish
It was about time to call it a night, after the few glasses of champagne the bubbles were going straight to my head. Plus I was suppose to be back at David Jones by 8:30am the next morning, and if I stayed it would not be pretty. Plus I had to go home and have some proper food, something that didn't contain too much sugar!

On the way out Hannah and I were given David Jones goody bags (dressers technically aren't suppose to be given goody bags, but seeing as we our dresser 'uniform' of a black top and jeans was half covered up with a jacket no one could tell). Inside we found a free full sized Estee Lauder mascara, Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eye shadow in a pretty grey/blue shade, an Estee Lauder Intense Lip Creme, and the icing on the cake was a mini bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut Rose champagne. This was definitely the best goody bag I had gotten - ever. Especially if you count the ones that are usually filled with catalogues or brochures and maybe some sort of lollipop or something.

So on the way home on the train I was chatting on my phone and wondering if I should have tried to get another goody bag...

So that was the VIP night, March had better hurry up and get here... anyone for the Autumn/Winter shows?