Backstage at the KAOS fashion show

Tonight marks the 7th annual KAOS fashion show, and The Tab was there to get the low-down, and take a sneak peak backstage before the show began!

Preparing the stage

KAOS is raising money for New Hope Orphanage in Kenya, with whom the committee members have close ties. We spoke to the KAOS president, Gabrielle Harding, before the show.

We asked her how much preparation goes into the event. She told us that planning started over Christmas, with committee members being assigned different roles, such as publicity and liaising with shops in Norwich through shop liaison managers, whose role was to organise when models go into shops for fittings.  Looking for models started in Week 2, and from then on there were weekly meetings. She told us that for the last three weeks, they’ve been organising fittings, rehearsals and choreography- and from what we’ve seen backstage, it all looks fantastic, and the whole team have done a fantastic job.

We then asked her why people should get involved in KAOS, and she told us about her trip to Kenya last year, telling us that this charity supports 130-135 children, with whom she has a personal relationship. The children send them pictures and updates, and are all really grateful for what KAOS does for them. She loves seeing photos and updates from them as this is a reward for the fundraising. The members can see first-hand how they are making a difference, as a group is sent back to Kenya each summer.

We also chatted to a couple of models as they prepare for the runway! Chase, who is modelling for Crew and Ti’en said that the day has been quite hectic, but he is looking forward to seeing it all come together. Kathleen, who is modelling for Crew and  Retreat Vintage, said she was excited for the final run-through, and seeing all the other clothes in the show. They were both a mixture of nerves and excitement, but judging by the great organisation we’ve seen, they have nothing to worry about!

Looking at the clothes backstage as they’re being prepared for models

SHOES

Some gorgeous clothes waiting to be showcased down the runway

We caught up with committee members Jaya and Sarah, who told us a little bit more about the charity. They said that KAOS fashion show and the Christmas Shoebox appeal are the two main events that KAOS run throughout the year, and if anyone wants to get involved, then join the Facebook page- KAOS UEA. (see link below) They told us that one of the nice things abut the charity is that the orphanage tells KAOS exactly what they need, enabling them to do targeted fundraising.  KAOS are also at the societies fair, so definitely get involved- it is a fantastic cause which will allow you to experience charity work first hand.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/KAOS.UEA/

The girls also told is that some models have arrived without shoes… hopefully this gets sorted before final run through!

Getting ready for dress-rehearsal!

Hair and make-up were well underway!

We are really excited about seeing the clothes from Matt, who runs his own student brand called Love From Matte. We spoke to him backstage, where he told us that he started in September 2013, getting a grant from the Uni for Social Enterprise. He used to be a graphic designer, and takes influence from tattoos, which he re-designs for an updated look. He is staying away from ‘Hipster’ and doing something different with his designs. We had a sneak peak, and the t-shirts look really great- we can’t wait to see them on the run-way!

Run-throughs seem to be going smoothly!

The doors open at 7- be there for a great night, which supports a fantastic and worthy cause.