Moving to Paradise: Runway Shows and Hidden Trails

Anyone seen/know/heard of Project Runway? It is a reality TV show for fashion deigners that is extremely popular and has huge stars/designers/important fashion people judging the contestants. Each week they are given some kind of theme to design a garment around and they have 1-2 days to complete it. Then the top 3 or 4 go to New York to show a collection at world famous Fashion Week in Bryant Park.

Why do you care?

Four of those memorable and top contestants from last season of Project Runway were in Maui and needed models to show their latest collections at a fashion Show at the Hyatt. By God's grace, I had a connection.

I have been in many fashion shows back in Sacramento for local designers and friends. I love the thrill of a runway show and I love fashion. There's not much going on in Maui as far as the fashion scene, so I was oh-so excited for this oppertunity.

It's pretty surreal interacting with someone in person when you had watched them on T.V. every week for 10 weeks. One of the contestants that got to the top named Andy South actually lives in Honolulu, O'ahu. So he invited some friends from the show to present their clothes at a fashion show in Oahu and then they hopped islands to show in Maui as well! The designers were Andy South, Christopher Collins, Casanova, Mondo, and Michael Drummond.

Project Runway website: Project Runway Season 8 Designers

I wore Michael Drummond and Mondo's designs. Mondo has a very different style, funky, weird, odd, awesome. I had an umbrella- enough said. Micahel Drummond descirbed my look as a Japanese beachy-chic style. The dress was made out of steel. Sounds weird, but it was beautiful and calming.

I don't have the best photos from the show yet, just some shots I've found from random people that uploaded them to Facebook. The professional shots will be released to me in a week or so for my "portfolio."

I'm ready for my close up! :)

Being dressed backstage by the designer

Micahel Drummond with his models

Mondo's designs

Mondo with his models

All of the models

After the show was my second favortie part of the evening, because there were maybe 20+ people flashing their cameras at all of us models, like we were famous or something! What a rush :)

The show was sappose to start at 6, but didn't start until 8:45pm, so Jon was able to see to show :) He was stopped and asked by 4 different people if he was in the show. That's what he gets for wearing a wife beater...

I loved all the runway shows I walked in back in Sacramento, but Maui didn't seem to have much at all going on in regards to fashion shows (not much goes on here anyways). So this show helped me make a lot of great connections to the fashion scene here in Maui. Fellow models that are in a lot of the shows, media coverage, hair stylists, and event coordinators. I was even stopped by a lady after the show and she gave me her business card and said they'd love to do a photo shoot with me for their new website. I felt like a rockstar that night. The next day I was recognized by a few people at yoga, from work, and at the store. Thank you God for such a wonderful experience!

In other news...

Now that Jon quit his other job, we have more time together! We went to 'Iao Valley on Wednesday.