The O’More College Fashion Show
In the spring of 2024, I was one of the co-producers of the O’More School of Design Fashion Show at Belmont University. I had no experience in event planning, never mind organizing a fashion show. However, this experience turned out to be the highlight of my college journey. We were a small, but fierce team of eleven students and one professor, and we produced Belmont’s most successful fashion show.
We were divided into three groups: production, marketing, and back-of-house; I was on production. We wanted to tell the story of the designers and their design process and highlight the sheer amount of work that was put into their collections.
As a team, we faced several challenges. Belmont University’s Curb Event Center, where the show would be hosted, had to sign off on every aspect of the show. We had to abide by their rules and regulations and keep in mind our tight budget. In the beginning, we had wild ideas like a fog machine on the runway, a raised lit-up runway, and a Glambot™ photo booth for guests. However, reality reminded us of our limitations, and we had to get creative.
As every designer has their own style, we decided on a minimalistic theme for the fashion show. We’d utilize the dress forms, fabrics, sketches, and previous designers’ work. Our idea was to walk the viewer through every step of the design process – from the initial sketch to the muslin draft, and finally the finished product. This didn’t cost us any money, which we could then use towards the DJ, lighting, videographers and photographers, and refreshments and hors d’oeuvres.
The fashion show went off without a hitch, and seeing it come together was one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at Belmont. The months we spent as a team perfecting every detail paid off, and it was clear that we had achieved something special. More than just putting on a fashion show, we told the story of the creative process and gave each designer’s vision a platform to shine. This experience taught me that creativity, collaboration, and resourcefulness are key to overcoming challenges. It's a reminder that even with limited resources, passion and teamwork can produce extraordinary results.