I give the AI fashion show 3.25 stars out of 5
Location/Venue~ 3.25 stars
The Art Institute Student Fashion Show had a great location- The Scottish Rite Cathedral located in our fabulous downtown. Unlike most venues downtown, this one actually has it’s own parking- so that is a plus. They used a very lovely (though oversized for what they used it for) ballroom for the pre-show reception. The actual show was in the theatre across the hall, with a shorter-than-usual simple white runway, with the Ai logo illuminated on the black drapes on either sides of where the models came out.
Models~ 2.5 stars
As I’ve never worked a show in another city, I don’t know if this is the usual, but here- models bring their own shoes, and these girls were not bringing it. Several models came out in flats, unless the flat is a shoe made by the designer and being showcased- it is inappropriate on the catwalk. Also, you always want to start out with a strong walker for your opener, and the first couple of girls were awkward- high stepping, too quick, in flats, doing “print photo” faces, and it took a little bit for them to settle in. The girls have great bodies and great faces (hair and make up were wonderful), but they definitely needed some coaching, and need to stock their show shoe collections. I personally know one of the students who was appalled with the shoes he had to work with (or lack of) to go with the gown he created.
Service~ 2 stars
When I got there I was very pleased and excited to see such a line so early in the evening as I was there right around 7 p.m. when the reception was going to be starting. The tickets were $25 dollars without a student ID, and $10 with. Here in the Midwest this is a little pricey especially when these aren’t collections you can necessarily get anywhere, it’s a student showcase. Also, after this ticket price gouge, no one ever looked at, checked, or took my ticket in any form. What was the point in paying if you could just wander in and out as you pleased?
The Designs~ 4 stars
The students did a wonderful job - there was some very impressive construction, and it’s obvious that they work very hard to get to the point of being in this show. The only drawback is that there were some wearable, some non-wearable. For this part of the grading, it’s just my personal preference - either do a Haute Couture show where it is just showcasing how innovative and artistic you are, or do a show of wearable items that shows what you could really do as a marketed designer. (Design Below by Heather Davis)
The Wrap Up~
I loved how they did a little intro video to each section of the show interviewing students and instructors on what we were going to be seeing next. The Scottish Rite is a venue that is always a pleasure to see a show in as it is generally a lovely building to wander and to be seated in. Congratulations to all of the students who were in the show, and to those who won some scholarship money based on items that they submitted.
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