Working at fashion weeks is an incredible experience both for your CV and for how deeply you’ll understand how the fashion industry works. There are lots of professional figures who work backstage behind each fashion shows but one of the easiest to access when you have no or little experience is the dresser.
Brands often look for dressers posting online ads or asking
Note: usually dressers, since they’re students, aren’t paid but I suggest you accept anyway because you can learn a lot through this experience, e
Today we want to explain you what a backstage dresser does on her typical day during the fashion week.
Let’s suppose the fashion show starts at 5:00 pm.
12:00 pmLet’s start prepping to go to the show
The dresser must wear a black outfit to be instantly recognizable in the crowd of the backstage (People always ask me: “But the shoes too?” – No, your shoes don’t have to be black).
She must also have with her a kit with pins, tape, and a sewing kit. Of course, she won’t have to sew by herself, there’s always a seamstress on the backstage, but having the tools already could save some time.
2:00 pm Arriving to the location
Dressers must arrive at the location two to three hours before the fashion show starts. (Just for you to know the show will always begin 15 minutes later or more). Dressers usually access to the backstage from the backdoor, and the backstage manager will assign them their first tasks.
2:30 – 3:00 pm Organizing the set
It all depends on what the dresser will find on set: some sets have been already organized, some of them don’t. If not, she will have to assemble the stands and to hang the clothes on them. Clothes usually are still packed in their plastic bags so the backstage dresser has to be very careful to not crease them since they’ve been already ironed.
3:00-4:00 pm Organizing the looks
Each stand has its own model. Usually, each model has two to four looks to wear for the fashion show, so the dresser will have to change her multiple times.
Each look has to be organised this way:
- Clothes of the same look need to be hanged together and tied with a loose elastic
- The clothes order needs to be: jacket, top, bottom (for example
coat , shirt, skirt) - The
shoes need to be put under each look - Bags and accessories have to be hanged with the other clothes
- The mini poster (with the number of the look, the look’s photos on the model and the description of the look) has to be hanged with the clothes.
The dresser then has to check that the looks’ numbers are in order for the show and that each look has all its pieces.
4:00-4:30 pm
The dresser has to undo every button, every zip, and the shoes’ laces in order to make sure that the looks are easy to get on. She should also study each look: the shirt has to be tucked in or not, the purse has to go to the left or to the right etc.
The more organized she is, the easier it gets.
If she has any questions she will ask the stylist assistants or the stylist itself.
4:30 – 5:00 pm Dressing time
All the models are ready in front of their stands and it’s time to dress them up with their first look.
It’s important to be professional and gentle so the dresser talks to the model, making herself as much comfortable as possible. Plus the dresser needs to be careful and make sure the model won’t sit with the look on because she might ruin it.
5:15 pm Show time
The fashion show is about to start so all the models need to be in a row, ready to get out. The dresser can feel how nervous all people are but she has to remain calm, people worked two years for these 15 minutes so all this tension is understandable.
5:30 pm The Fashion Show begins
The dresser needs to prepare the next look of her model. This is a really stressful moment, time is never enough, models run through the backstage and undress. The dresser has to help them
It’s not easy to remember everything and to be organised so the dresser has to be really focused and proactive.
5:50 pm The show is ended
Now lots of buyers and journalists will come to the backstage to see the collection and talk with the creative director. The dresser has to leave everything tidy and ready to be packed.
6:25 pm
The dresser has to pack the clothes back in their plastic bags and to throw the posters away.
Her job is ended.
Here it is, now you know how to work as a dresser.
I hope you’ll find inspiration in these words and accept some dresser works. You’ll learn lots of things and improve your skills, I promise.
Article by Beatrice Mazza
The center of a modeling career focuses on having representation by a modeling agency. There are other ways for unrepresented models to find work, but the role of a modeling agency should be understood by the model to compliment their career.
Hello, in the beginning of the article, it was mentioned that there are agencies that provide dressers jobs like omega service in Milan.
I would like to know if you can tell me the website or their full company name.
Thankyou.