Fashanne 2018

Hi everyone!

I’m Annie, a first year student at the University of Nottingham, and this week I’ve been doing a work experience placement here at Model Students. Coincidentally, it has been a very busy week here, as we have been preparing for Fashanne 2018.

Fashanne is an event where the top students from universities across the East Midlands can showcase their creations in the hope of winning one of 5 awards: fashion design; footwear and accessory design; knitwear design; textile design; or the people’s vote from the results of the exhibition. The show was held at St Mary’s Church in Nottingham, which created a very striking setting. This year 24 models were involved in the show, 21 models from here at Model Students and 3 celebrities: Paralympic gold medalist Richard Whitehead, BBC’s Lucy Martin, and Sian Green Lord. Along with the impressive panel of judges which included Patrick Grant, fashion expert and TV presenter, and Simon Platts, a sourcing director at ASOS, all of this set the stage for a fantastic evening.

However, unsurprisingly, the potential of the show could not be fulfilled without plenty of preparation. This meant that the days leading up to the event were filled with many jobs, from assembling clothing rails and buying snacks for the models, to organising a running order and timings for the event. This work continued right up to the beginning of the show, with outfit fittings and dress rehearsals being carried out throughout the day. Personally, my main job was to help direct groups of models throughout the rehearsals and the show, which meant that I needed to have a very clear idea of what everyone needed to be doing.

Despite the work, all of this preparation meant that everybody was ready to create a fantastic show once the evening arrived. After having their hair and make up done and changing into their first outfit of the night, all of the models looked amazing in all of the students’ creations. From colourful knitwear, to bold shoes and accessories, there were many things to impress the audience. As expected, the models carried out the show perfectly, and really showcased all of the students’ hard work.

So, in the end, all of the preparation paid off with a great show! Personally, I was able to experience something totally new which I found really fun and interesting, rounding off a great week here at Model Students.