Post-Shear Decadence Post
Comments (3) As a first time participant in Austin Fashion Week and a first time lone-vendor, I had no idea what to expect from an event like Shear Decadence. Are people there to look, but not shop? Are people there to be seen and pick up a few pieces of jewelry while they’re at it? Will my offerings be what anyone at this particular show likes? Are they there just for the free treats? Is anyone even going to know about this show and feel up for leaving the house on a Sunday night? “To try and to learn” was my motto; “No expectations” was my mantra.
I had THE BEST TEAM to work with and I feel like I really lucked out. There were at least four people from Salon Intuitions who worked really hard on this collaboration, and the main contact, Stewart, made sure everything was taken care of. The team planned and executed a mini-fashion show that included my hair accessories done up with their excellent styling on a top-notch group of models. They gathered treats from a variety of great sponsors, including the incredibly popular photo booth, and made sure the items were nicely presented. They even made up some sweet goody bags and organized a raffle of special gift baskets. And, they made me feel very welcome and appreciated.
These days, no night is complete without delicious cupcakes.
To be prepared and organized on my end was the best way I knew to help make sure the night ran smoothly. I made as much inventory (new designs as well as classic sellers) as I usually do for holiday and two-day shows, but, since I was set-up in a hair salon, I got to focus some of that making-time toward my bridal and special occasion hair accessories. That was really fun and a great excuse to finish some ideas that had been in my head for a while. We had several meetings at the location which allowed me to plan and visualize the use of space and flow of traffic, so my display tweaking skills were in full force ahead of time (no duct tape necessary, for example). Joe was with me during the entire event, too, and he’s pretty skilled at setting up my work, helping with any problem-solving, and packing things up neatly. And keeping me mellow. I also kept in mind the event would be over rather quickly, so if traffic was slow or I felt awkward, it would all be behind me soon enough. And if it was busy, that was a good thing.
It looks a mess because people couldn't keep from touching!
It was busy and it did go by rather quickly. A couple of good friends arrived right away and more came throughout the night. That helped so much in keeping me from floating away mentally. The salon peeps were organized and in good spirits, making it a really fun environment in which to be working. The models were lovely and wore my sparklies very nicely down the runway and around the salon. New shoppers who appreciated my work were definitely in attendance, and I could not be more grateful. I love when people squeal when they see something on my table. It makes me feel like The Fonz just walked in, only it’s a bright pair of earrings they haven’t seen anywhere else that I made. I even met a local shop owner interested in putting my items in her location. That’s like The Fonz hitting the jukebox to make the music start—magical and unexpected.
New design right in the middle...more on that later.
Long post short, I will participate in AFW next year. Definitely.
Themocracy