Fashion Is Art | Digital Experience 2021
9 min read | Runway | A.M.
Fashion Is Art is one of two major fashion shows produced by independent fashion production company Fashion District NW and represents an opportunity for local fashion designers to create custom showpieces that push the boundaries of the medium. Inspired in part by the World of Wearable Art fabulous live experiences in New Zealand, Fashion Is Art has positioned itself to become a venue of choice for fashion professionals and creative artists looking for a smaller scale venue to showcase their creativity. FDNW CEO David M. Bailey recalls his initial inspiration for FIA:
“The debate that continues in the fashion world is whether or not fashion can be considered art. You’ve got major players in the fashion industry who’ve said yes and you have others who’ve said it’s absolutely not an art form. I believe that fashion is a form of art especially when I look at designers like Jersey Virago’s orange couture ensemble. I just think, Wow, how can they come up with this? I haven’t seen anything like this before.”
“Originally, I thought maybe we can produce a show where we take fashion art pieces and put them in a museum. We can get artists in other mediums to make art from them and hopefully, we can put on a living gallery, a live art show. And rather than come into a museum and see finished works on the wall, you could see artists as the artwork was being created. I just thought it would be a great way to create a show that’s unique and different.”
But the events of 2020 would prove to be a defining year for different reasons altogether, as FDNW was prohibited from producing live events as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
HIGH WATER
Many designers that had contracted with FDNW had been working on collections since late 2019. Shortly after the state of emergency was declared, designers were told that they wouldn’t be able to show their collections until Fashion Is Art could be rescheduled. Then it was the end of 2020. Finally, they would wait until May 2021—a full year after the original show date—before taking their latest work to the public, by which time, for a handful of designers, it was already too late.
Part of the reason behind the urgency to show a collection results from the traditional runway business model. In order to sell a collection, fashion houses create elaborate runway experiences as a significant part of their marketing efforts. The shows create visibility and anticipation which, in the best case scenario, translates into sales. Without live shows, fashion businesses are forced to turn elsewhere to generate the excitement necessary to sell products. And for David and the team at FDNW, it’s especially concerning.
“It’s just been the weirdest of times. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, I think it might have hit hardest on events and public gatherings, which is exactly what we target, either through our networking events or our fashion shows. It was impossible for us to have an event, even at half capacity. Even if we sell half our tickets, we’re operating at a loss. In talking with some of the designers, they haven’t even been to a restaurant in over a year. It’s just hard being in a position where you literally can’t do anything watching others who can. It was crippling.”
While numerous fashion corporations filed for bankruptcy protections in 2020, seeing established brands either shuttering stores or disappearing entirely, the ripple effects for the larger industry became tidal waves for independent small businesses and solopreneurs in the Puget Sound region.
“When we were planning Fashion Is Art for 2020, we had six designers and 30 total looks. But every time we had to make new adjustments, we lost a designer. When we switched from May to November 2020, then to March 2021, we lost even more. Once we finally made the decision to produce an online experience, we again lost another designer, which is totally understandable. We tried to accommodate them, but it was just an impossible situation. All the designers wanted an in-person event, and the decision to pivot is not something we considered lightly. In the end, we had three designers that stuck with us."
If Fashion Is Art was going to survive, FDNW needed a plan. Time was of the essence. A decision to wait past May 2021 was not merely a decision to postpone the event itself. It could very well be the end of an organization—another casualty of circumstances beyond anyone’s control. Something had to give. And if live events couldn’t be attended, they could at least be recorded.
PARADIGM SHIFT
“When I approached our lead photographer Jared Ribic about doing an online show, I asked him what could we expect? What are our limitations? Jared has always been the kind of person who, if you ask him to do something, he finds a way to go above and beyond the call of duty. So when I approached him, I knew it would be a huge ask, but I knew he was up to the task. And in the end, it really did blow me away with what we were able to produce.”
The process of producing a live experience is somewhat straightforward. Everything generally culminates in a single date and location—from wardrobe fittings to hair and makeup, photography, video, etcetera. In the world of film production, all of that is extended over the course of days, weeks, or even months, depending on the complexity.
The world of fashion operates on budgets fractions of the size of your typical AAA television show. And in a time when there are no budgets or venues available for bookings, it complicates matters even further. FDNW would have to get creative if they were going to execute a film production successfully.
A view of the production venue for the live recording of Fashion Is Art. Model Lily Sanchez wears Jersey Virago Look 2 (left). Staff photographer Jared Ribic operates a motion camera (center). In the background, artists work on their croquis to render their interpretation of the moment. Image © David M. Bailey.
A SIMPLE PLAN
“So after talking it over with the team, here was the plan. Everyone would adhere to COVID-19 regulations of course. We would start with models entering our filming venue one by one for a 20 minute period of time. They would begin by walking a very short runway we’d setup for filming. Then they would head over to a pedestal for about 12 minutes so that our fashion illustrators, who’d be spread apart in a horseshoe around the pedestal, could record the look in their respective mediums. Then Jared would have several different cameras recording many different angles while he’d go around with his main camera on a gimbal. There were cameras setup for timelapse, others hanging from beams in the rafters, one of which was on a track that would run across the stage like those ones you see used in the NFL on cables for a cool aerial view. I would take some pictures off to the side for a kind of behind-the-scenes look as if it were a live event. And at the very end, the models would head over to Tim Lawrence for studio photos that the designers could use for their social media, and I would provide photos for the models to use for their portfolios. And we would do it all in one day, which in hindsight, would have been way better if it were two or more days. But if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right.”
The plan was set, but finding people to execute it proved difficult. Many felt uncomfortable being around others in an enclosed space, regardless of the legality or adherence to protocols. So the team at FDNW looked at every way they could improve working conditions to exceed expectations, which as they discovered, wasn’t difficult, but looked a lot easier on paper.
“We had a few staff members that looked at the data and recommendations and they said that we can do even better. We kept our numbers down the whole time, well under recommendations. We restricted having extra staff onsite during filming. We couldn’t allow people to have plus-ones come in to watch. We couldn’t have food or beverages coming in from the outside. We bought face shields and special equipment for the staff, hair and makeup. Hand sanitizer was everywhere. Only the model was allowed to be without a mask, and even then, only when the cameras were rolling. We just didn’t want anyone to ever feel that it was unsafe, so we did everything we could to go above and beyond the recommendations. Their safety was our number one priority.”
FDNW has a history of collaboration with Gene Juarez who’ve worked on nearly all of FDNW’s runway events. And Fashion Is Art was no exception. But the challenges they faced required creative solutions to practical obstacles that threatened to jeopardize the creative.
“I asked the wonderful artists at Gene Juarez if they could take creative license with hair and makeup design. I thought they could just go big and bold and have some fun with it. This could be an opportunity to really create a mini hair show that was unique and creative. For this year, we really talked about some of the practical concerns, namely that we couldn’t have as many people or give the artists the amount of time they might need. But they were on board, so we tried really hard to make sure everyone had a great experience and provide an opportunity to really swing for the fences.”
JERSEY VIRAGO LOOK 4 WORN BY NORMA ALCAZAR. © Tim Lawrence.
JERSEY VIRAGO LOOK 1 WORN BY LATIVA. © Tim Lawrence.
MAJ-BRITT KREFT LOOK 2 WORN BY RASHAN MITCHELL. © Tim Lawrence.
MAJ-BRITT KREFT LOOK 1 WORN BY JAKE HARN. © Tim Lawrence.
IVÁN DELFÍN FASHION LOOK 4 WORN BY GIGI. © Tim Lawrence.
IVÁN DELFÍN FASHION LOOK 6 WORN BY KAYLA RENEE. © Tim Lawrence.
IVÁN DELFÍN FASHION LOOK 4 by JOANNE KU.
IVÁN DELFÍN FASHION LOOK 6 By JOANNE KU.
JERSEY VIRAGO LOOK 6 BY MICHELLE OSBORNE.
IVÁN DELFÍN FASHION LOOK 1 BY JOANNE KU.
And swing away they did. In all, Fashion Is Art featured 13 models wearing 15 looks by 3 designers illustrated by 4 artists. One fashion label, Jersey Virago, is based in Seattle, while the remaining two are international additions—Iván Delfín Fashion based in Mexico and Maj-Britt Kreft based in Germany, both of whom connected with FDNW over social media.
Gene Juarez sponsored the hair and makeup design for the filming and created looks that were classically inspired—as was the case with Iván Delfín Fashion—and avant-garde with organic textures—as was the case with Maj-Britt Kreft. With the filming complete, it was time to move on to post-production and delivery. Everything was riding on the success of their first digital experience. With the hardest steps behind them, FDNW prepared for the premiere.
Watch the entire Fashion Is Art digital experience video above.
THE ROAD AHEAD
“In the long run, I’d love to have 4-6 events in a given year. Our five-year plan includes quarterly events, if not more. I’d love to see more unique events and experiences, leveling up to make a real impact so that people can feel like this is the way of the future and can feel a sense of joy and excitement to be a part of local fashion.”
As of this writing, Washington State has lifted many of the venue bans and restrictions related to COVID-19 proclamations. Other fashion companies have now announced live events, including FashioNXT in October and Metropolitan Fashion Week in August, and we’re certainly enthusiastic to witness their offerings. But while others sat on the sidelines, Fashion District Northwest will be remembered, not just as the fashion-engine-that-could, but as an independent fashion business that couldn’t sit idly while a community was in need.
Editor’s Note: A VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN OUR Summer 2021 ISSUE. LINKS ARE PROVIDED FOR FURTHER READING. WE DO NOT MAKE A COMMISSION. Images provided by Fashion District NW reprinted with permission.
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