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Behind the scenes of Kansas City's premiere fashion show
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West 18th St. Fashion Show "Summer at Sea" in 2008. Photo by Tom Foley.
I recently had the pleasure of picking the brain of the executive producer of the West Eighteenth St. fashion show, Ashlee Broome. Ashlee's theatre background led her to a passion in event planning and production. Experimental fashion show production became a perfect outlet for both an attention to detail and a theatrical flair. Ashlee, and fellow West 18th Street Fashion Show producer, Sarah Snodgrass, began re:form Events, a fashion event production company in Lawrence, KS in 2002. After moving back to Kansas City, marrying and starting a family– while independently producing fashion shows and events in the meantime– Ashlee was first invited to executive produce the sixth annual West 18th Street Fashion Show in 2006. She has continued to freelance in Kansas City fashion show production and event planning, and is now also the Administrator and Event Coordinator for the Arts Incubator of Kansas City, a non-profit arts organization providing affordable resources to emerging artists. Below is our talk on fashion, getting into the business and the show.
Me: How long have you been involved with the production of the West 18th. St. fashion shows?
Ashlee Broome: I modeled in the fashion show from 2003-2006, and then have been Executive Producer of the event from 2004 until the present.
Me: Is fashion a passion of yours? If so, why?
AB: Fashion is indeed a passion of mine. Why? Hmmm. I've always had a flair for the dramatic- for the theatrics- of expressing myself through style.
Me: How long have you been working with fashion?
AB: In a "working" capacity, I've been involved in fashion since 2001 when my girlfriend (Sarah Snodgrass, Co-Producer of this year's 18th Street Fashion Show) and I began a small fashion production project called re:Form. We produced both small- and large-scale independent fashion shows; we were hired by boutiques to put together fashion events; we organized fashion gallery exhibits, etc. This is where my experience in theater production and love for fashion got to directly interact for the first time. And this was the experience that opened the door for me to be invited to be on the production side of the 18th Street Fashion Show.
Me: Do you enjoy what you do?
AB: I love doing Fashion Show Production! The details can drag me down sometimes. And this event in particular has almost grown so fast we can barely keep up with it. But we have the best production team ever this year, so I have a great support system, which definitely helps me to enjoy the process more.
Me: How hectic does it get backstage before a show?
AB: Backstage is a challenge. Very fast and hectic. Putting out fires; wrangling 100 (!) nervous models; and making sure- at the same time- that everything that needs to be happening on the "frontstage" is going smoothly. Our show is doubly-crazy because it all goes up and all comes down- on a blocked-off street in the middle of downtown KC, MO- in about twelve hours.
Me: How much time and effort does it take to put into planning a spectacular event like this?
AB: We begin each year's planning process a little over six months in advance. And we always keep a running list entitled "Next Year," that helps us keep track of our successes and our failures.
Me: How do you all go about picking which designers will be in the show?
AB: In the beginning, every designer that showed interest in the 18th Street Fashion Show was "accepted." Now, because our event has grown so much in popularity, less than one-third of the designers that apply are selected to be featured in our show. The core production team narrows down the initial bulk of applicants. Then, to keep our event representing the tastes and styles of a broader array of Kansas Citians, we bring in an outside Designer Selection Panel- all with legitimate fashion experience- to choose the final designers.
Me: Do you pick the models or are they designers choice?
AB: Our event is unique for a fashion show in that it features eighteen collections! This means that there are over 100 models featured in our show. Because of this, we leave model selection up to the designers. And we encourage our designers to select models of all ages, sexes, races, etc. The 18th Street Fashion Show has always been known for featuring models that don't fit the audience's expectations, and we encourage our designers to continue that tradition.
Me: What surprises, if any, lie in store for the audience?
AB: The biggest surprise in store for the audience this year will be a surprise to our production team, as well: we have eight designer new to our runway and we can't wait to see they're going to pull out of their hats, or shall I say, sewing machines.
Make sure you come out on June 6th, 2009 to "Summer in Space" the West 18th St. Fashion show!
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