Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: Behind the Scenes on Romance Was Born
By Mia Lazzarini
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is coming to an end with only one day left to go. The heavy weights in the fashion industry are growing tired, angry and hungry as the week draws on. Unfortunately the general public does not get to attend MBFW, merely watching from the sidelines and waiting for the latest trends, hits and misses to hit the net. As an aspiring fashion tycoon myself, I had the privilege [daunting task] of volunteering at the opening show of MBFW, with Romance Was Born.
It was a 9am show, which meant all were expected to be there at 5am. So in the wee hours of the morning, I was awake [in a state of delirium] and attempting [struggling] to get myself dressed and out the door in time. Despite all doubts, I managed to accomplish this. Upon arriving and finding the [freezing] warehouse in Pier 2/3, most were already positively wired and caffeinated, and ready to delegate demands to us lowly volunteers. Things started off with running around, adjusting floor mats and taping, moving around style kits, using blow-dryers to dry wet floors – the usual. And then the 7am run through came and a lockdown ensued; everyone must stay backstage and never step a foot outside those curtains. And if your foot did happen to go beyond those curtains? Well the creative director would come at you with a chainsaw, so you’d better start running. Fortunately, all avoided this scenario.
Once the run-through was completed and all were accounted for [fortunately no one was chainsaw-ed], then came model preparation time and the final touches. My specified job was as an usher, which meant wearing a white painters bodysuit and showing people to their seats. It also meant being stampeded by photographers desperate to get that shot of Lara Bingle or Sophie Lowe, being completely invisible to the fashion elite, and being tugged, shoved and repositioned by the creatives.
But once all this was over we got to see the show; the opening show to MBFW by Romance Was Born. We may have been at the very back of the crowd, restricted from moving any further forward by security, but we still saw most of the comic book-inspired garments and the set. We also walked away with the satisfaction of knowing that we had helped in the production of that show, we had helped things to run smoothly and on-time [it was only 15 minutes off schedule] and we also had the privilege of meeting Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales, the designers of Romance Was Born.
Although I am relieved that I was not volunteering for all of MBFW, as I don’t think I would be here today to tell the tale, I was delighted to work on Romance Was Born and it was an amazing show overall. A magnificent comic-book inspired collection with down-to-earth, lovely designers; a rare find in the fashion world indeed.
