New Zealand Fashion Week: The Casting.

Late Friday night I received a text message from my good friend asking if I would want to tag along to the NZFW casting. Having never been to a casting before, and generally intrigued as to what went on, I happily obliged. Also, as I thought, it was only my intense curiosity that would get myself out of bed at 7.00 on a Saturday morning. I'm glad I looked somewhat presentable because although the atmosphere was relaxed and somewhat tired (the joys of the fashion industry apparently) there was a sea of skinny jean-clad legs eyeing each other, and everyone else, up.

 Inside the  BMW New Zealand head office the morning proceeded with each agency naming their models and a strut down the slippery tiled catwalk. Designers and their teams emotions either shown clearly on the face or hidden behind fashionable sunglasses. Always curious, my friend and I approached Marc Moore, the creative director of Stolen Girlfriends Club about how they choose their models. For Marc the answer was easy, "Many brands have a certain look and they want a certain model to go with it. For us, they have to be tall but we have a certain look as well." He also said it only took a few seconds to decide, something I found interesting because there were so many models to choose from- most of them wearing the model 'uniform' of all-black.

A couple of hours, lots of frantic scribbling and countless amounts of look book's later the casting was done- only for the models though. The designers and co may have made their choices, but the catch is- a model can't be booked for two shows within 2 hours of each others... and so let the fashion week games begin.

Zoe Wilkin

(Photo courtesy of Stolen Girlfriends Club- http://instagram.com/stolengirlfriendsclub)