Fashionistas Fashion Club

May 9th marked the date of the long awaited Fashionistas Charity Fashion Show. After 2 years of planning, we were finally ready for the biggest event of my high school experience.
By the fitting on May 6th, we had gathered a huge group of people from the community that were ready and willing to participate in the fashion show. We had models from the two other high schools in Redlands, Redlands High School and Redlands East Valley High School. We had six stores that had picked numerous outfits to be featured on the catwalk. We had semi-professional models from New Entertainment Today Modeling Agency come in to wear many of these outfits. We had local shops donate many items for our oppourtinity drawing. We were ready. We spent that Wednesday evening meeting models and trying on clothes with them. We approved every outfit that would be walking down that catwalk. When my co-president and I finally had a chance to breathe, we reflected on the progress. We nearly burst into tears as we had sushi for dinner downtown at 9:00 that night.
Thursday May 7th: this was the final day of planning. We had everything arranged from the rented silverware to the make up artist. We spent the evening picking out all the jewelery that would be featured in the show and writing up descriptions for the many many outfits.
Friday was our dress rehersal. We began setting up afterschool about 1. We built the catwalk. We set up curtains. We made our own stage skirting. All the models arrived at 3:30. Slowly but surely we ran through the entire show. We put the models in order and watched and critiqed their walks. As soon as they were done, we went straight back to decorating. By 6 the rentals began to arrive. The tables, the linens, the cups, the plates, etc. We set up the tables and set each place setting. We stuck with it all night. And we finally left at 10pm right before we would have been forced to leave.
Saturday May 9th: the day I thought would never come. This might have been the first day all month that I was on time to school. Our sound man, Joe, and i got to school by 7am. Just about the same time as the Saturday School Kids, who got to help us out instead of cleaning toilets. While Joe and I reviewed the lights and sound, the Saturday School Kids finished decorating the tables and blew up ballons. The cast and crew began to arrive about 9. Before long everyone was here, the models, the designers, the DJ, the voluteers, everyone.
Words really dont describe the show. Lets just say it made my life time. My vision actually came to life. The show sold out at 88 tickets. Countless volunteers served lunch to the numerous guests. Everyone attending bought raffle tickets. My co-president and I spoke in front of everyone many times without being nervous at all. During lunch we shook hands with most of the guests. The show began with a speech by the Newman Millhollon, a past Director of Belize Faith Missions and now the Volunteer Organizer of State Street West, the small thrift store that funds the Millhollon Children's Home. The fashion show began with the models from Redlands East Valley High School who wore their own clothes. Each model, boys and girls, presented a daytime and night time look. After a raffle break, the Entertainment Today and Redlands High School Models showed off the clothes borrowed from the local shops. Our school, Arrowhead Christian Academy showed off the clothes we spent all school year sewing. We came up with many outfits all of which were shown off my models from Fashion Club. The show ended with the "Passing of the Presidency" as Lecia Rdzak and I stepped down as Presidents and announced that freshman Madelyn Mills and Maddie Weiss would be picking up where we left off next school year.
I would like to point out that I am 18 years old. I've been daydreaming about this show for more than two years. After the show, adults came up to me in utter shock. No one seemed to believe that two high school seniors could pull off something like we had.
A couple weeks later, we counted up the last of the checks, paid the last few people, and got the final amount. We raised $1455. I didnt think we could do it. It was a first year event and we made money for our chairty. More money than Newman Millhollon thought we would.
We proved to our high school that we were able. We proved to our community that when we all come together, things happen. And we proved to ourselves that this could possibly be what we were meant to do with our lives.