PFW: In words

DTD Entertainment

Tobi Makinde

DTD Entertainment

The energy backstage was palpable, coursing through everyone’s veins to create an impermeable excitement. In mere moments an electronic beat would waft from the speakers and my models’ heels would graze the runway; while the premiere of my brand, Matia Collections, at Pittsburgh Fashion Week (PFW) would only last a few short moments – all of which are now blurred together in my memory – they would serve as a symbol of the years of time I devoted towards fashion design and developing my own label.

            Hours prior to the show I was uncharacteristically calm, as I had spent the previous day finalizing my soundtrack, compiling official forms, altering garments and resolving last-minute disasters until 1:30 in the morning. On the way to the show, I received a troubling text from Carly – a junior who informed me of the student-designer opportunities at PFW  – that simply stated “It’s crazy here!” as she helped to organize models and designers before their big premier. Immediately I imagined a startling setting, crammed with hoards of late and unruly models and screaming designers and stylists; however, upon my arrival, I was greeted an entirely different environment as two models patiently waited for my instruction. My awe only increased as my models, one by one, scurried in with their hair and makeup done just as I had asked, and even more incredible, had they failed to produce the proper hair and makeup, all of the other girls quickly huddled around her, armed with the dangerous tools of hairspray, eyeliner and lipstick producing the perfect image after only a few minutes.

            When the half-hour mark hit, time seemed to warp, almost as though we were characters inside a spaceship on Star Wars. Everyone buzzed around me, as I quickly handed them “Femme” Pencil Skirts, peplum tops and bandage dresses, some of which had been completed four years ago and other merely 6 days prior. Once my models were adorned in their fabulous attire, they strutted – I walked – backstage in prepared of the exciting conclusion to all of our work and rehearsals.

            French pop filled every molecule of air, providing a bubbly and exuberant atmosphere, yet was cancelled out by the overwhelming applause given to each of my models as they proudly represented my brand on the runway.  Finally, after all of the models filed onto the runway, a moment silently preserved by the lens of the photographer’s camera, I joined the last model – a friend of mine who constantly aided me in photo shoots for my website – on the runway for the finale. Suddenly I realized that I was caught in a stampede of models as they moved to exit the stage; however, I finally reached the end of the runway, at which point I became extremely humbled by the audience’s extreme support, providing me with a feeling of great pride and accomplishment.

Trying to capture all of the moments of the past couple hours into my memory, I lingered backstage with my models as we all broke out into a chorus of applause and cheers in response to our great success: we had just completed the first of many future Matia Collections shows.