18 sleeps…
18 sleeps and wish I didn’t have to count……….it’s getting closer and seems the list of to do’s is getting longer.
Since my last entry I have finalised the finale garments thanks to my dear friend Paul O’Connor. His meticulous attention to detail makes my job so much easier.
As part of the Design for Comfort project, a research and development project carried out the Dept of Agriculture and Food and the Curtin University of Technology, five WA designers were invited to produce a range of five bodies using the latest knitting technology. The results are more than beautiful and a fitting end to our Heavenly program, plus a little surprise has been organised, you will have to be there to see it.
I have also organised part of catwalk design, which entailed two trips to Gidgegannup with the fabulous Tony Salom, who organised the whole thing. Can’t say anymore than that, as then you will know what we are doing. Anyway this is only the beginning as next weekend I will be busy putting it all together. White spray paint is part of the process.
Been busy with emails to and from agencies that worked hard organising 100 models ready for a fitting, which was done today at my house!!
Many emails later and just a few changes to the original model selection, we saw and fitted over 70 models today, disappointingly we had about 25% no shows which means a lot of catching up to do and a delay in our finalising the running orders and fine tuning all garment details. Until you have done a show of this size, no one can really understand the amount of work it entails.
Today was intense but thanks to some wonderful people turning up to help I was able to concentrate on the job at hand and get the job done. Thanks to Mark Reid, our photographer today, who also turned up with soup for lunch, Satya, the scribe, Georgia and Sophie who did the first shift, Garth and Emili who finished the second shift. Mark Reid is my angel, he knows exactly how much pressure I am under at times and always manages to make me smile and make me feel better. He and I work closely together on this event, even more so this year, He has become a dear friend and I am grateful for his unending support. When Mark was on long service leave I found I had lost my inspiration, he is so encouraging in everything I do and try to achieve for StyleAID. I nearly gave the whole thing up at one point early in the year and the only thing that kept me going was………..I couldn’t let Mark down.
Thanks to all the models who did show for fittings and waited patiently for their turn to undress on a particularly chilly day and who still smiled when they had finished.
Thanks to the designers, especially those who were super organised, it makes our lives bliss and those not so organised, just make sure you follow up this week as otherwise you will have to receive more of those email you hate to receive titled, StyleAID………….urgent.
Monday morning I will be on the phone organising and re-scheduling models who didn’t show. Processing all the information we received yesterday and listening to all the music CD’s I received from designers to see if it all blends together well enough for the show.
Things to be achieved this week must include talking to hair and makeup to work out the call times for the day, the sooner I get these into the agencies the sooner the models can book out the time. It takes about 7 hours for the hair and makeup teams to prepare the models, great care has to be taken to ensure that the most difficult hair do’s and the most complicated make-ups are called first.
I must finalise the models for Material Boy, they were unable to fit this weekend so it gave me a bit of time to find their ‘look’.
Some of the emerging designers need help with styling and music so must look at this and come up with some ideas that are easily executed and that will make their collections just that little bit more theatrical.
Pia Bennett, new designer to StyleAID would have to get my vote for wow factor. Her collection will look stunning on the catwalk.
I think I will feel better after tomorrow……………will let you know next week when I write my next blog.
Less than 3 weeks to go
Here it is 12.22am Sunday morning and I have just come in from my friend Matt’s place…he had a bit of a gathering as both him and his boyfriend have just finished their final assignments for this semester and it is Cipri’s birthday next week so it was a great chance to get together and share some wine and food…
So after we got home from the Eagles game…we won by 2 points…and my voice is nearly gone with screaming for the team we headed over for a great night of good friends…
Should really be in bed as I have fittings in the morning under the creative eye of Aly May. I am just a helper on these days and have to say that I have learnt so much from her in the past 9 years observing her unique talent and professionalism when it comes to the parade side of this event.
She really is a visionary and I will keep on saying it, she is the best stylist in Perth and I am so lucky to be able to work with her each year on this event and count her as a member of my family.
It is as we get closer to the event that emotions come to the for as things get completed and tickets begin to get close to being sold out that you realise just how important the team is that puts this event together.
We have to rely on each other to ensure that we are able to give the best of ourselves to this event. Aly and Tony especially work their butts off and with the amazing Carol and Paul looking after hair and make-up the parade side of things will again prove to be one of the highlights of the night.
This morning I finished proofing the last 3 pages of the StyleAID magazine for this year. It looks sensational…notice I didn’t say stunning…I sometimes get critiscized for using stunning, wonderful, sensational and such words when it comes to describing things associated with StyleAID…I can’t help it I get so enthusiastic about my work that I fall into PR speak and gush about the event so much…oh well I am proud of the work that I do and the work of those around me who help to make this event so stunning…there I said it again.
But the magazine really is amazing and I think everyone will really enjoy reading it. Desiree and Gavin from Lasso media have done a phenonimal job with it and the proof will be in the reading. I can’t wait to see the final proofs at the printers and then of course the finishing touches…
Anyway to bed with me and I will keep you up with how the fittings go after tomorrow…
Mark xox
Pat’s update…
Wow only 3 weeks to go before the big event and am starting to stress a little as this is a busy time of the year, with spring summer preps and production plus designing a new autumn winter range for next year plus the big event!! plus I also have the store to look after as well (lucky I have the best staff in the world who are always so helpful!!) wow my head is starting to go a bit crazy just trying to keep track of dates and deadlines!
Fitting’s are this weekend, and some of my garments are over east on product call for magazines and unfortunately only had the one sample and have had poor Georgia running around trying to ring it all in!! (I know Georgia next time, next time must have more than two!!).
Though having done the MAFW show think should be ok, as have seen it altogether on the models..plus experience of last Styleaid and other shows in Perth is always great, as am now familiar with most of the models (sizes, hair colour etc)
Will just be checking how things look on the models and will probably have to do new garments to fit them (the guys). The girls are usually pretty similar sizing though, all skinny and gorgeous!! so two weeks or so to get it all done.
Plus also have the pleasure to dress Mark Reid again and am currently sorting his outfit out as well..which is a total breeze as he’s so easy to please and looks fabulous in anything!!! (just in case you’re reading this Mark!!) but it is true….! I must say he did look rather dashing last year, let’s hope can make him so again this year!!
Also next week I think we will be starting to put up the Styleaid garments up for auction in the store window so make sure you all check it out and bid for them on…. [Mark you might need to fill this bit in as I’m not sure on the correct details…].
The garments will be on display at Saints in Subiaco, Preacher in Mt Lawley…..[did you want me to add this info in at the end for extra reminders? Even though you have it in the website?] so will see what sort of “heavenly” window display I can come up with!!)
4 weeks to go…
4 weeks to go !!!!!! Fitting times are scheduled models casted ……what am I going to wear ??? which shoes??? things starting to get serious….
Living with HIV today…
Here I sit at 3pm on Thursday afternoon contemplating my workload and dealing with a shitty day in terms of medication.
It is funny, I can go for weeks without any side effects and completely forget about being HIV positive until I go to take my drugs at night just before I go to bed, but on other days like today I am reminded constantly.
When I am not feeling 100% and dealing with those little niggly side effects like the diarrohea that hit me this morning, and the head ache that just will not go away no matter how many pain killers I take, it is sometimes hard to just keep smiling and get on with things.
But, when you do the work I do, you do just keep smiling and get on with things. I suppose that has something to do with my positive approach to life and my ability to rise above things and just look at moving forward and not dwelling.
The flu/head colds are going through the office at the moment and I think I am dealing with a slight head cold as well…joy of joys…
No more dwelling on that, there is much to do and I am really excited because this afternoon I will get to see the committee shot that photographer Ivan Shaw took on Tuesday. I always love to see our committee gathered together in a pic as it is usually the only time we are all in the one space long enough in the hectic last few weeks leading up to this event.
It has been nearly 19 years since I was first diagnosed and it is interesting that today people do not have HIV on their minds the way they did when I was first diagnosed. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. Is it complacency, have we been too good at what we do? Or is it just that we have all moved forward and as not that many of us are dying at the moment, here in WA at least, it has moved off the front pages of the paper and out of the minds of most people.
HIV invisibility has become a thing here and I hope that one of the ways that I can keep some sort of visibility up is by sharing with you, readers of this blog, some of my experiences in the lead up to StyleAID.
As I said in my first posting, I hope this can give you a bit of an understanding on what living with HIV is all about in 2006. Mostly this is a good experience for me, I have had 19 years to get used to it, but some days like today it all gets on top of me a bit and leads me to this sort of rambling post…oh well…I am finding the chance to put how I feel into words here quite cathartic. I just hope someone is reading it…
Enough for now…stay tuned for the next episode in the blog of my life and of course of the great event that StyleAID is.
Mark xoxo
VIP’s get the lot…
Our fabulous VIP guests this year who are all paying top dollar for prime seats at the event will also receive a swag of goodies that have been secured just for them.
On top of seats right next to the catwalk so they feel like they are part of the fashion parade they will also receive Veuve Clicquot Champagne served at the table, as well as a bottle of Baileys that will be served to them when dessert comes out.
They will be provided with special gifts from Bulgari fragrances, M.A.C cosmetics, vmoto, SONY Music and more as our way of saying thank you for paying top dollar to support StyleAID, WA Fashion and the work of the WA AIDS Council.
And there are still 4 of these great tables left…so if you or anyone you know would like to get more information on the VIP tables please give me a call at the office on 9482 0000 and ask for Mark and I would be happy to take your booking.
News from Aly…
(Aly May last year - stylist supremo!)
Only 28 sleeps to go before the BIG night and planning is well under way for the parade. It’s been intense this year with the introduction of the photography project, why did I open my big mouth!!!
Dealing with 20 photographers and 20 designers even got to me at times!!!
However, the results last Tuesday at the Sponsors evening were much more rewarding than I could have ever anticipated. So good to see so many people excited about their work.
Ivan Shaw deserves a mention, what a talented boy!
You forget how important these local initiatives are for new talent, I often think, why would anyone want to do this?
it’s only Perth and StyleAID, not so important in the global scheme of things but, that’s where I am wrong. It is important to nurture all talent here in Perth and I am happy that we could involve even more of the industry this year.
Last Saturday we held our model casting, involving all the model agencies here in Perth. The girls are getting taller and even more gorgeous. The standard of models has improved so much over the nine years I have been doing StyleAID. I remember we could barely find enough talent in the early days to book 30 girls and boys, now we are swamped with choice. I would include everyone if I could but the constraints of having enough makeup and hair artists means I have to keep the model numbers down to a mere 60 odd. Imagine my delight when Carol Mackie last night, during our hair and makeup briefing said,
” Why don’t we give the designers their own models this year Aly?” I nearly kissed her!! This means we can book 85 female models and 20 male models. THANKYOU Carol and Paul for making this possible.
So now it’s down to me to work out all the right looks and book all the models today ……..this is the fun part.
Thanks to my StyleAID helpers who came round for cups of tea last Sunday to talk about how we can bump in our backstage dressing room more efficiently than last year. Thanks to Satya, Garth, Penni, Louise, Jackie, Mardi, Kim who all put up with my lists and schedules. And welcome on board the new people to the backstage team this year.
Next exciting Blog, the fittings………
Diamonds are a girls best friend and maybe a boy to two as well…
Interest is running high with our fantastic 1 carat diamond from Stefan The Diamond Centre being offered to one lucky guest on the night.
As was mentioned at our launch party last week one of our guests who purchases a red wrist band with a key attached will be able to try the lock to see if they unlock the treasure chest…if they do they will get the stunning diamond and also get to have it made into a superb piece of jewellery.
What an amazing prize and all thanks to one of the newest sponsors for this year Stefan The Diamond Centre.
Media frenzy and committee pics…
Watch out for the media to follow on from the STM pics from the sponsors do last week in the West on Wednesday and the Western Suburbs Weekly.
Great to see such support from the print media of Perth for this event.
They have always been great in getting behind StyleAID and the WA AIDS Council.
Tonight we are having one of our last committee meetings before the event and photographer Ivan Shaw (his pic was on the front cover of STM the other week) is going to come along and take the annual committee photo.
This will be then be used on our website and also in the nearly completed StyleAID magazine which will be seen on the night of StyleAID.
Time is ticking fast and interest is gaining…still a few tickets to sell and we are getting on top of that now…
Better head up stairs and prepare for the meeting…