Recap of Crystal City Couture Fashion Week

Crystal City Couture Fashion Week is a great opportunity for all fashion lovers, fashionistas, fashion majors or anybody who would love to brush elbows with fashion designers. I was truly excited about this event. I went in with a can-do attitude, willing to do what I was told so that it would look good on me and The Art Institute of Washington, boy did I have another thing coming. I am all for helping others but once I am done wrong when I did nothing wrong makes things wrong in my book until an apology is given. This event was set up with vendors viewing their collections, a bar serving cocktails, a run way with VIP seating on each side, bar tables for standing with your cocktail, and plush ottomans for seating.

A beautiful atmosphere it was, backstage was fast-paced as it should be, with models getting dressed and undressed, fittings, steaming and light conversation. I worked with four(4) other females who also attend AIW but are actually fashion majors. We did everything that we were suppose to do and more, because that's what the job called for. All of the designers had great pieces within their collection which made this experience all the more worth it. At the end of the night we thanked the organizer of the Fashion Show for this great experience and opportunity and she had the nerve enough to say that she was thankful(but wait there's more) but we over stepped our boundaries and did too much. Next time do what we are asked to do.

First of all this lady was so unorganized it was beyond belief, her show was an hour and half behind schedule, models didn't know what to do, designers didn't know what to do, so that left the volunteers(us) to step up 100%. If we had not have done that then the show would have been three(3) hours behind. Some people are so ungrateful and once they get a little bit of power they feel as if they are superior to others. I have never met anyone so incompetent, rude and ungrateful. She had free laborers, who were willing to help her regardless of the chaos going on. We all wanted to leave way before the show was over, but we were thinking of the bigger picture. We did not want to mess it up for the other girls for the rest of the week. However when told our professor of the rude behavior that we endured she was highly upset, she called the organizer and asked what happened. The organizer said "I don't know what your students are talking about, they didn't listen to me". "They overstepped their boundaries, they were rude". My professors rebuttal was "If you can not treat my students with respect I will pull them from the show." the organizer says "Great that's perfect." My professor was so shocked that she said that and that she did not apologize for her verbal abuse that she said "I'm pulling them today from the show, they are not to work for you."

That was the end of that phone conversation, however at the end of the phone call it was 4:30 p.m. and that was the time that Tuesday's volunteers were suppose to arrive at the venue. They all were there on time and she put them to work. Our professor's helper was running late so he couldn't tell them to stop working. Luckily he got there about 15 minutes later and pulled the girls, but the organizer's assistant told him that the girls could not leave, little did she know the girls were leaving. Well that is the end of that horrible story, and students from AIW will not participate again unless there is a more organized, polite and professional person in charge.

SD: I did get to meet Bianca from America's Next Top Model 5'7 and under Cycle 13 and Kelly Cycle 12. Kelly was so sweet we talk and I got a picture with her, Bianca was cool we got a chance to chit chat but she left before I could get a picture with her.

SD: Don't get me wrong the show was awesome, however unprofessionalism is a BIG NO NO!!