Fashion Alley: My Night as a Runway Model

For those of you who have been reading my blog for sometime, you know that earlier this year I attended Pittsburgh's "Fashion Week Downtown" as well as the "Complex Runway Show". At both of these events, I attended as a member of the press and got to sit in the front row and snap photographs of gorgeous clothing and beautiful models. At the former show though, I'm sure many of you remember that I met fashion designer, Brian David, and collaborated with him for this section of my portfolio, as well as bought one of his gorgeous dresses.

Well, at the beginning of this month, I had the opportunity to once again work with Brian and attend another runway show, however this one was with a bit of a twist: I would be attending this show as a model. The reason Brian invited me to walk in this show was due to the fact the dress I purchased from him was one of the dresses that he wanted to showcase. The show itself, titled "Fashion Alley", took place at Hollywood Lanes in Dormont and also doubled as a benefit to help raise money for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Naturally, the show was focused on clothing reminiscent of old Hollywood with hints of rock n' roll, and I have to say that I was honored to have the opportunity to dress up as one of my favorite Hollywood starlets, Marilyn Monroe.

Pre Show Primping

Prior to the show, as every model would, I was granted the opportunity to have my hair and makeup done by the incredibly talented stylists at La Pomponnee, located in Mt. Lebanon. The atmosphere of the salon was sophisticated and fun, and the staff was incredibly nice and easy to work with. The makeup artist I was scheduled with, Lauren, did an excellent job transforming me into Ms. Monroe and was very patient with me due the fact I had never had makeup done for a runway show before.

If you follow me on Instagram you may recognize this photo from my story.

After my makeup was completed, I switched over to the hair salon side of the shop and actually had my hair styled by the owner of La Pomponnee, Kristen. While Kristen was styling my hair, her and I got to chatting about La Pomponnee and it's 25 year anniversary approaching next year. Of course this is a huge mile stone for any business, so (spoiler alert) I will actually be interviewing Kristen and doing a story on the salon early next year.

Want to see my full transformation? Check it out here, here, and here!

The My Experience on the Runway

Lastly, I have to talk about my wonderful experience both backstage as well as walking in my first runway show. To be quite honest, the whole affair from start to finish was incredibly surreal to me. Though I am a confident person, I have never been one to think of myself as overly attractive, let alone attractive enough to be a model. However, due to the styling of the ladies at La Pomponnee and Brian's gorgeous dress, I felt absolutely radiant.

Divauna Taravella and I backstage prior to the show.

Models Left to Right: Malori Bailes, Bree Fesh (aka ME!), Cheryl Mills, Bianca Camille Clark, Divauna Taravella, Joanna Wentling, and Kimberly Stubblefield (Lapsley)

But don't think those are the only two things that gave me a bit more confidence that evening at Fashion Alley. It was also the support I received and time I got to spend with the lovely women (and men that are not pictured with us backstage, sorry Brian and Dallas!) in the photos above. Though I have worked with (mostly) all of these ladies before, I was always behind the camera when I did. However, each and every one of them was so kind and welcoming to me, that it made an already dazzling evening even more enjoyable! And now the moment I'm sure most of you have been anticipating throughout this article, here are some photos caught of myself and the other lovely ladies that walked for Brian David in the Fashion Alley show!

Image courtesy of Penn Live, Photographer, Lisa Wardle

Image courtesy of William Pittman Photography

Final Thoughts

In closing, I have to say that my experience as a model in a runway show was incredibly enjoyable and exciting! If I ever had the opportunity to participate as a model again I definitely would, what can I say I loved being pampered at La Pomponnee and all the cameras flashing at me while on the runway was quite thrilling as well. However, this experience also gave me a greater appreciation for what the models do to prep for a show and in some ways has given me a whole new prospective on how I personally will photograph runway shows from here on out.

Which dress by Brian is your favorite? Tell me about it in the comments below or tweet me at @StarkRavingChic!

Xx, Bree