Exactly what it’s like to be a model in a Durham charity fashion show

Undoubtedly one of the best things about the Collegiate system is the plethora of fashion shows hosted around this time of year.

It's an evening of boozing with your friends and watching models strut their stuff along a makeshift catwalk – what's not to love? But while you're busy doing that, surely you've wondered: how do these nights play out for the models and exec behind the scenes? Here's the backstage story.

Final run-through

College dining halls proving their dual use as catwalks

You've been drilled about the routine for weeks now and after numerous practices in your collage dining hall the night you have been anticipating ever since you changed your Facebook profile picture months ago, is finally here!

Excitement is always running high. But having to arrive at the venue at least 8 hours before the main event to set up, fiddle with the lights and have one last run-through, can be a bit of downer – especially if you're still hanging from the night before.

The show

Most models have to sign a form making them liable for any damages potentially made to any of the outfits they wear over the course of the night.

This can potentially be a bit of an issue when you are wearing outfits with spenny price tags that would definitely blow a substantial hole in daddy's allowance. Depending on the college, we can be talking £10k upwards. That's a lot of Flat Whites.

The underwear walk

Weights, push-ups and baby oil are essential.

The excitement leading up to what some consider the main event of any fashion show, the underwear walk, is also felt backstage. The combo of boys smothered in baby oil doing press ups with tipsy girls in heels is a one-way street to disaster.

The after-party

Behind the black curtain is usually a whirlwind of stress and people changing outfits. Booze is a necessity.

After the show is over it is time to head to the after party. A fashion show would not be complete without some good inter-model incest with the exec not missing out of course. Although the event is for charity, when life puts you in a confined space such as Loft or Fabs with a bunch of models, live and let live is always a good motto to abide by 😉