Fashion show agency
Fashion show agency
Fashion show agency – before a fashion show can take place in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich, a lot has to be planned and organised. Every fashion show is unique – as an agency, we make sure that nothing goes wrong during the event. The designers and organisers get in touch months before the event and plan everything down to the last detail, then PR agencies come on board, and finally the big day arrives. Everyone is there: clients, bloggers, editors, models and media representatives. To make sure everything is truly perfect, including the marketing after the fashion show, the agency has to take a number of aspects into account. If you have never planned or even attended a fashion show yourself, here you will find all the key points for planning a fashion show with the help of an agency – like CM!
The concept: brand, strategy, plan
As a rule, though, every fashion show focuses on a few key points! At the end of the article you will also find a complete checklist (do it yourself). First, let’s look again, more generally, at what the most important points of a fashion show are, and answer the question of why an agency is extremely helpful for planning, and what you need to consider in the first concept.
Agency and responsibilities
✓ Consultation and show roadmap
✓ Creative and technical concept
✓ Location scouting
✓ Influencer and celebrity guests
✓ Fashion show and choreography
✓ PR before / after the event on request
✓ via office@cmmodels.com
Stephan M. Czaja
Owner | CM Models
Case (above): Final Show @ Berlin Fashion Week, Saturday 8:15 pm
Planning: event, location, guests
A fashion show is a large-scale media event, so there is a lot to think about when planning one. Besides the models, the location and the designer fashion, other elements also play an important role. From music and lighting to guest service, there are a number of points that can make a fashion show a complete success. One thing is especially important: a fashion show must convey a coherent image that evokes the right emotions in all guests, whether clients, bloggers or media representatives, when the models walk the runway in the new fashion collection.
Every plan is made up of various factors, small and large. Organising a fashion show is not that easy. Depending on the complexity of the project or the client’s requirements, the preparation for a fashion show can stretch over days or even months, for example if complex stage sets are added.
It is about much more than just the show, it is about:
- Preparing quotes, organisation
- Impact and show
- Model casting and booking
- Arrival and departure schedule, overnight stays (if necessary, desired)
- Checking the fitting, rehearsal, choreography
- Runway music edit, show-optimised
- If applicable, hosting
- Contracts, client agreements
- Dress rehearsal, running schedules, walking plans
- Clothing log, handover at the end
- Client meetings, and more
Case: Marc Cain @ Berlin Fashion Week, real and virtual models
Questions? Contact
What does a fashion show agency do?
Needed list, models & choreography
Needed list, castings, models, choreography, music, electrics, seating, atmosphere – there are many factors that need to be taken into account before a fashion show.
Needed list: planning in bullet points
What does an agency need to consider when developing the concept for a fashion show? Together with the client, the fashion show agency’s team creates a so-called “Needed” list (in short, a classic requirements or to-do list). In this first briefing, all the important points needed for a successful fashion show in the client’s interest, for example a designer, advertising agencies or the PR agency, are recorded. Once all points are neatly noted down and details such as catering and rehearsal space have been considered, we as an agency prepare our kick-off meeting for the show. After that, a consultation tailored precisely to the client takes place in person or by phone. Many things are defined more precisely there, and the models, the choice of music, the staging of the show in terms of styling and choreography, rehearsals, castings and much more are discussed.
As described above, the intensity of this individual consultation varies depending on the client’s budget. After the consultation, we as a fashion show agency get down to creating the show concept and its presentation.
Needed list means:
- Big “checklist” with all to-dos
- Organisational tasks
- Technical tasks
- Media tasks
- Catering tasks
- Event day and guests
- Follow-up (media / client)
Choreography: planning the individual “pictures” (scenes) with music
The music for a fashion show is usually also taken care of by the fashion show agency; in some cases the client handles it themselves. The music edit is presented for approval, and the DJ ultimately takes care of optimising the beats and fits them exactly to the choreography of the fashion show. This is important, because the entire staging of the show has to be coherent. Music is generally essential to a successful fashion show, as it conveys emotions and a particular atmosphere that influences the whole show. On Youtube you can already find ideally compiled playlists for catwalks and fashion show videos. You can find out more about the different walking styles in the article:
The choreographer designs “pictures” for this. That means they think about how the models act in the fashion show. It makes a big difference whether it is, for example, haute couture & prêt-à-porter or a fitness fashion show at a sports trade fair. Depending on the setting, location, audience and client, individual scenes are created that present the fashion collection to its best advantage. The show has to be staged in an exciting way so that the audience, whether in row 1 or row 8, is thrilled and talks about the fashion afterwards.
Why is choreography so important?
- Planned running order of a show
- Coordinated flow between the models
- Music and individual walks in harmony
- Positive effect on the audience
- Strong images / videos for the media
Preparing a fashion show: planning, marketing and PR
Planning, marketing and PR – the core element for the day after:
Public relations: preparing the fashion show
When planning a fashion show, the organiser (agency or do it yourself) should clarify a number of questions in advance. For a perfect fashion show, potential problems should be eliminated beforehand so that the designer and their helpers can focus entirely on their own tasks on the big day.
First, an exact date should be set for the fashion show. Make sure that no other major event is taking place in the area on the chosen day. Otherwise there could be competition, and potential visitors to the fashion show might not attend because of timing or priorities. School holidays and the holiday season should not be overlooked either! A calculation should be made of the times at which most visitors are expected, similar to measuring TV ratings. Press coverage must be secured, which means: when, where and to what extent the fashion show should be reported on. Further advertising measures, such as posters or similar, need to be considered, and the invitations organised and printed. This raises the question of which people will receive an invitation or be put on the guest list.
We always recommend organising such large events with a lead time of at least 4 months. That leaves enough time to invite important people such as VIPs, bloggers and media representatives.
Public relations for a fashion show:
- Timing of all content
- Photo and video production
- Contact with media and PR agencies
- Contact with relevant influencers
- Contact with relevant bloggers
- Contact with fashion magazines
Show: location and invited guests
The target group of the fashion show, and therefore of the collections presented, must be clearly defined. For booking the location, the maximum number of visitors should then be set. The location should suit the fashion designer and the style of their collections. The designer’s vision is conveyed not only by the collection actually presented, but also by the atmosphere of the location. An elegant red-carpet design, for example, fits better in an exquisite upscale venue than in an urban underground club. The technical equipment must be checked so that faults are not discovered only on the day of the show.
Staff must be booked, for example for drinks, the sound system, the lighting technology or the cloakroom. Finally, you need to think through how tickets reach guests. In other words: will there be advance ticket sales, invitations or reservation options? And how will guests be informed about the various ways to buy? Seats must also be reserved for the press, and photographers must be given opportunities to take photos in an organised way.
Arrival and welcome: planning in detail
When choosing the location, you need to clarify what options the audience has for getting there. In other words: is there enough parking? How good is the public transport connection? At fashion shows, the reception is an important start to the whole event. This is where guests notice whether the fashion show has been well organised. Every guest must be welcomed in an exclusive way, for example with a glass of sparkling wine in the foyer and a pointer to the cloakroom. If international guests will be present, the welcome and the hosting must be done in several languages, at least in English. The length of the hosting should be perfectly matched in advance to the show and the designer’s vision.
All of this ensures a smooth process, down to the last detail.
What a lovely evening! That was a great show!
Case: Model coaching for fashion shows, shows with choreography (Rehearsal)
Questions? Contact
Show running order: opening to finale
In a fashion show, the selected models enter the catwalk in a set order, following a set choreography. The designer is free to express themselves; there are no requirements, only a general framework serves as guidance. The opening model is of great importance to the designer. The first impression of the designer’s fashion collections on the audience counts and shapes the entire show that follows! The closing model is just as important an element of the fashion show. They usually present the showpiece of the designer collection. The audience includes press, buyers and celebrities, as well as fashion bloggers and fashion-loving spectators. Each model presents at least one outfit on stage, and usually several follow. For this, models have to be fast, because the outfit must be changed backstage under time pressure. The choreography must not be interrupted. On the catwalk, you cannot tell the models are under backstage stress; they walk the runway unfazed and composed.
Press work – after the show is before the show!
Now it’s time for PR! Ideally, detailed lists of contacts at press outlets and PR agencies should be ready well in advance. These contacts should be sent photo material, texts and, if possible, videos on the day itself or the day after. The magic of a fashion show can fade quickly once the next big Fashion Week begins in Milan, New York or Paris. The easiest way is to place your own fashion show in online magazines. Getting into the big magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar & Co is a little harder. That is why it is advisable to start not only planning the fashion show months in advance, but also the PR planning for the fashion show!
Fashion show checklist: process at a glance
In general, the following points need to be worked out:
- Project planning
- Preparing quotes
- Model casting
- Music edit
- Choreography
- Model booking
- Rehearsal
- Show days
- Hosting
- Catering
- Contracts
- Client meetings
- …
Then come many individual details, depending on the size of the show, location, duration and so on. Of course, also many details concerning models, helpers, organisers, clients and more. Details such as:
- Interface between model and client
- Clothing info for models
- Backstage behaviour
- Arrival and departure schedule
- Checking the fitting
- Overnight stay
- Times
- Dress rehearsal
- Running schedules
- Walking plans
- Clothing log
- Handover at the end
- …
CM Agency: castings for your fashion show
Our casting agency for actors provides a reliable nationwide research network for Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Cologne. Always the best selection: we arrange model castings for your next fashion show! As project managers, we always stand by your team’s side, whether it is for the first casting or for the final fashion show in store. Your complete satisfaction and that of the event team is our highest priority when searching for fashion models. Smooth processes behind the scenes, guaranteed. We value consistent quality and development potential. Together we achieve high-quality, representative results that convince with your brand. Our job is the perfect cast.
More on fashion & castings
On live or e-castings you will not only find the ideal cast. Your event works just as well as a digital marketing campaign: models wanted!
