The RACHEL SUDBURY X 97 SINS Fashion show held in the summer of 2023 consisted of 11 models, 11 looks, and over 50 volunteer artists and staff members. It was held in the Ellis Building on Main Street in Vancouver, Canada with over 200 attendees. As the creative director, I worked closely with the designers for about 4 months developing and executing our ideas for the show. In April of 2023, We released the first sneak peak video introducing the show, directed and edited by myself. In the following weeks, I coordinated with the core team of artists to take the steps necessary to be ready and on track for the show. After numerous meetings on a weekly basis, organizing model rehearsals and fittings, meeting with photographers, coordinating with the venue owner, designing the layout for the show, and creating all of the necessary graphics for promotion, our show took place on June 17th 2023. It began with an open and inviting scene where guests could grab a drink at the bar, socialize, and chat about the night to come.
Around 8pm the walk had begun, to which we decided a slow walk was best suited for the vibe of the show, allowing time for the guests to see every detail of the garments. We wanted to be creative with the showmanship of the models; this meant one of the models spilling wine on their garment, another smoking a cigarette. The models walked through the venue twice, and after the final walk through we had a team of volunteers quickly transform the space into the next portion of the night: the viewing party. 5 models were lined along each side of the venue, standing on wooden platforms, posed. At the end of the room in the centre, we had built a “toilet throne” on a large wooden platform to which I sat for the viewing party. This allowed the guests to have another close look at the garments, socialize, take photos, ect.
I spent almost every minute of every day thinking about and working on this project for months. I am so grateful to have had the support from our community to help make a dream like this come true. I pushed my boundaries and learned what I’m capable of. I absolutely love working on huge projects like this one and can’t wait for the future. It put the concept of time into a new perspective for me, and I approach all of my creative endeavours in a new way. Thank you so much to all of you for the endless support, much more to come… xoxo
