How do you get the best photographers, models, djs and a whole crew needed for a fashion show to work for free? Simple, you turn the event into a benefit/fundraiser and hope that your friends in high places love you enough to work on a project that has a zero budget.

After countless u-turns in the streets of China Town and no help from my map-quest directions,  I finally made my way through the web of confusion and walked up to Bamboo Gallery that was delicately hidden in a small alley way.

Equipped with a bag of shoes and spirits high, I was ready to put in my time as a volunteer/model.

  My eyes flourished when I saw the garments that were hanging on the clothing racks. Peeking at me from between the clothes was an Asian-cut, deep fuchsia dress by Forbidden City.  I put up my arms to have the dress fit over my head and to my surprise I could barely get it passed my shoulder blades. When it got down to my bust it was clear that our affair was over. With some help I took off the dress and couldn't help but feel a little envy when the other tall, lanky blonde slipped into to it without a struggle.

With my mood a little dampened, I went over to the next line. After trying on Annatarian's storybook dresses, I was pleased to find that they perfectly embraced my size four figure. The last line, Lavish, showed me some love as well, the stretchy material of a hot red dress being held together by yellow shoelaces hugged me without any intention of splitting at the seams. Little did I know that the fitting was only the beginning of a chaotic, bizarre and an eventful evening.

As the hours went by, the amount of people that were coming in and out was slowly rising. In just hours an otherwise desolate gallery came to live with models, photographers, designers, hair and makeup team and everyone else that were volunteering to make the event a success. 

With little resources to work with and thirteen models that need to get all dolled up, items like trash cans and construction ladders were used to set up the work stations for the hair and make-up team. Random mirrors of all shapes and sizes were leaned against the bare walls. Even a storage closet was transformed into a working station. In some odd way it was these little resources that seemed to tie everyone together. While Adria Heath, who produced and styled the catwalk, was slammed with phones ringing off the hook and blaring questions form all directions, tunes from an Ipod boom box followed by a flow of bubbly champagne transformed the atmosphere and added soars of laughter along with the ongoing chaos.  It was as if we were living it large and sipping Dom Perion instead of the four dollar Andre. 
                                          

  With shoes getting misplaced, to djs being late, to constant fidgeting with stage lights, to models vanishing and re-appearing right before the show, the scheduled run-through was somehow turned into a five minute speed walk. Nevertheless, with no more time to spare, the show had to begin.

While the models were anxiously waiting in the back to strut their stuff on the runway, the guests were fashionably late and slowly filling up the seats inside.

With cakes of make-up on and hair teased to oblivion, you can imagine it was more then problematic when it came down to making the models' clothing changes. With thirteen naked girls in the back and not enough dressers to get them changed, the show had its glitches.

In less then half an hour the fashion show was over, the audience excitingly clapped and whistled away weeks of preparation and headaches.  Adria Heath came out to greet the guests in a brown polka dot dress by Lavish that flawlessly fit her smart, elegant and beautiful persona as the guests lingered behind to indulge in the wine drinking, mingling among the models and photographers.

The fundraiser for Lacommons.org turned out a success and in the end everyone walked away fulfilled.  Although this fashion show was not that of a Smashbox Studio, it compensated with its unique turn from a typical show to a complete art experience incorporating a blend of live music, dance and art. As for me, after the show I reconfirmed that a modeling career was definitely out of question, although I loved dressing up and being in front of an audience, I realized that I make a lousy runway model and love food too much to give it up.

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