Following on from the interview with Lee Lapthorne, Creative Director and Founder of On|Off- we meet a couple more of the many important people behind the scenes who make London Fashion Week happen. With a wave of that fashion-wand, we ask Clare Copland, Casting and Production Manager for On|Off, how the magic is made:
Fashion Week holds as many parties as it does shows. Have you ever had to fire or reprimand someone for partying too hard?!
Not really, lots of the girls have such long days that they are too tired to go out partying! The only models I have ever had to take off shows or tell them they are unwanted when they finally arrive at graduate fashion shows, not fashion week shows (generally 2 hours late!) are some of the male models!
What factors do you think makes On/Off so unique in the industry?
All of the On|Off team work for passion, none of us earn money for On|Off, it all happens because we believe in our designers and putting London firmly onto the international fashion map.
How much say do designers get over the running of their show?
Complete creative direction if they want it. We will work with them to make their dream catwalk. And take all the pressure off that side of proceedings!
Who gets shouted at the most!?
Me! No, thats not true although my name gets called a lot so it feels like it sometimes! But actually we pride ourselves on being calm and quiet backstage.
What’s the best/worst thing about LFW?
Best: the adrenalin rush
Worst: the lack of sleep!
How many hours sleep will you get over the five days?!
If I’m really lucky I get 4 hours a night.
When casting a model, what are the main three factors you have to take into account?
How they walk – that’s the most important thing
Natural elegance
Proportions / face shape… this depends on the client, some clients want younger quirky less curvy girls, some clients want more glamourous, commercial girls etc etc.
Who are your favourite designers?
That’s too difficult to answer. All the designers we work with are amazing for different reasons…..
If you want something delicate and girly then look at Steph Aman. If you want a piece of knitwear look to Delphine Wilson or Mark Fast.
If you want a head piece look to Yasmin Rizvi or for Mens… J smith Esquire. The list goes on and on and they all make hand crafted niche pieces.
If you want a pair of sunglasses then you only have to look at Linda Farrow.
For cool tops and jumpers go to JC de Castelbajac.
And then if your looking for accessories or key labels, I find myself being constantly surprised by the beauty of Gucci clothes and the design of Miu Miu Shoes!
Where do you think is the most stylish city?
London for the creative style. Paris for chic, Milan for glamour, Tokyo for cut…
It’s On|Off’s 10th anniversary. What do you think the next ten seasons has in store?
The next 10 seasons…Having supported nearly 200 designers already the next 10 seasons is where we see those designers become main stays in the British fashion scene and also to continue the excitement of looking for and discovering new designers to push the industry forward.
