After months in the planning with 15 designers, 18 models, 342 guests, 20 back and front of house staff, 10 cases of bubbles and a tonne of coffee... We did it!
I am so proud of what we achieved as a team, as a collective of brands, as a community of change-makers and as a cohort of ethical fashion advocates. Never in my life have I worked so hard, been so sweaty and been so frazzled, yet utterly and deeply grateful for what took place on Saturday 2nd March.
We navigated a 38 degree day, we moved 40 seats with 10 minutes till the show to shade people, we changed floor plans on the day because AV equipment was shutting down in the heat, we ran out of ice twice because it was melting so quickly, 160 glasses went missing and guests had to recycle and reuse... But you know what? WE DID IT!
Each and every person behind the scenes of IDENTITY dug deep and pushed through the blistering sun to make our shared dream a possibility, and I have no words for what that means to me.
I forgot to thank some people on the night. I forgot some people’s names altogether. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to half the people there, but those who played a part in this momentous event, are superheroes. I got dressed 10 minutes before the show, no shower, no makeup, and I was hot and flustered beyond belief. But when I opened the 2019 IDENTITY runway in front of 400 people, I remembered exactly why I do this.
The pain in my legs from squatting and lifting and organising, disappeared. My shame in being seen by 400 people at an event that I ‘should’ have been fabulously put together and make-upped, disappeared. My extreme exhaustion faded away, and at that moment, I couldn’t have been prouder, happier, or more grateful.
This is what good fashion is all about. This is what a good community of amazing people can do when we work together for a common goal. We are changing the industry one outfit and one day at a time, and IDENTITY made an incredible impact. We’ve already had more than half a million impressions on social media and we've received raved reviews... Ethical fashion and sustainable design is here to stay, and we’ve proved it.
For Kiah Lucey's professional photography, head to our Facebook page and as always, shop local and buy ethically.
The Fashion Advocate x
