It’s 3 o’clock on May 4. At the end of a dark and quiet hallway on the first floor, there is a light that emanates from the only room open. As you come closer to it, the buzzing of voices and machines becomes louder and louder. This is the fashion room; the walls are colorfully painted, and the the space that isn’t taken up by cabinets or tables is plastered with collages and student work. More importantly, in the very center, the fashion girls (this year’s class is all-female) are working briskly. The second annual joint Niles West and Niles North fashion show is in less than two weeks, and garments must be finished well in time before the eminent night.
For most of fashion teacher Kay Coughlin’s students, the thought of the show has only crossed their minds recently, but some of the workshop girls, the more advanced students, have been working on it since fall of last year. To give you an idea of how much work goes into the one-hour event, it’s best to list all the things that the workshop girls need to get done prior to it: a color scheme, preparations at the Holiday Inn (the location of the show) publicity, art for the pamphlet and invitations, incorporating new garments into the lineup, and completing the lineup. On top of this, the girls have to work on their own garments in class, participate in FCCLA, a sewing competition many of them compete in, and look over the work of the first-year students.
Although it may seem hectic at times, the girls know what they’re doing, having learned from last year and starting early. Cooperation had been a problem in the past, but this year, both schools are working together more efficiently.
“Niles North and Niles West have had a much easier time working together. We have all been on the same page for the most part about decision making,” says Ariel Tidhar, a workshop student from Niles North.
Despite all of the organization, problems still arise daily, especially when the show is so close. There is a slight fevered feeling in the fashion room as many frantically work on completing their pieces.
“The hardest part is finishing garments and motivating girls to continue to work after they’ve been working for a long time,” says Coughlin.
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And were the garments finished on time? It seemed so. After doors opened at 6:30 p.m, models took the runway 45 minutes later. At this point, most of the girls had been at the Holiday Inn for more than seven hours.
It began with arranging the goody bags, provided to the district by Avon. Then, the workshop girls in charge split up to prepare separate things–one group directing the models and the other organizing and tagging garments. This is where the first problem came up.
Garments were missing and a few students backed out last minute, taking their creations with them. To resolve this, new garments took their place and some were brought later.
“In every fashion show, no matter how much you plan it, there’s always going to be something wrong, but we’re always going to try to resolve it by the time the show starts,” said senior Zena Salam.
Naturally, other problems followed, as there were almost 100 total models and designers there. By the last hour, however, girls were eating pizza and doing hair and makeup with no worries. Everything was set.
At 7:15, two seniors, Salam and Tidhar, came out and introduced the show. Music started playing as the first model came on the runway, introducing the fall segment. With it came pants, sweaters, coats, and dresses made of dark, heavy, or animal print fabrics.
The spring segment was next, displaying a series of flowy skirts and dresses; there were a lot of floral and tribal print garments on display. Succeeding this was perhaps that most exciting part of the show–the reconstructed and recycled fashion. Dresses made of bottle caps, newspapers, and just about every type of recycled plastic stunned the crowd when they came out on the runway.
These crazy dresses transitioned into the cocktail dresses, made up of lace and just about every color of satin possible, that made up the semi-formal segment.
As the audience watched the fashion students’ work, a lot was happening off the runway. In the “backstage” area, a room behind and under the show room, models ran off the stage to put on their next outfits, designers helped their models, and the workshop girls in charge of the show did everything from helping prepare the models to lining them up.
But everything backstage quieted down as the last models lined up for the formal segment. A series of long gowns made by the workshop girls concluded the show, the final dress being made by yours truly. In the very end, the seniors that worked on the shows were honored and gave flowers to Coughlin and Julie Lear, the North fashion teacher. Every model and designer then walked down the runway for the last time as the audience applauded.
Immediately after, the celebration began. All those who worked on the show felt relieved and could finally celebrate with the friends and family that came. For the seniors, some of them being in fashion for years, this was their last show.
“Since I was involved in fashion for four years, this show was really sad because it was my very last, and I’m not going to be with all these people and Mrs. Coughlin anymore… I’m think it was sad for all the seniors,” said Salam.
