How To Get Experience at Fashion Week as a Volunteer.

By Emma Golley

Published: August 29th 2023

Fashion Month is here and we are SO excited to see the upcoming runway shows from across the globe! There are multiple ways you can watch the shows, from live streaming to social media. BUT have you ever considered getting a behind the scenes look in-person? Yes that’s right, you can absolutely be there yourself amongst the action- and what’s more, this is a great opportunity to gain experience and build up your resume.

Fashion month begins in New York on September 8th, followed by London, Milan and ending in Paris, with the final day being October 3rd. It’s arguably the busiest month in the fashion calendar and fashion brands who are showing their collections have been preparing for this moment for months.

It takes a village to put together a collection, let alone a runway show. Everything has to come together perfectly on the day- from the outfits to the models and even the catering. Fashion brands certainly need a lot of help to ensure there aren’t any hiccups on the day- which is why they need people like you! Brands often look for volunteers and interns to help them during this chaotic time.

Volunteering at Fashion Week is an incredibly exciting opportunity and often requires just a few hours out of your day. Not only do you get to experience the '‘behind the scenes’ goings on of a fashion show, it’s also a great chance to make connections in the industry, build your resume and get an understanding of just how many people it takes to put on a runway show!

I was fortunate to experience this for myself when I was beginning my career in fashion! For three seasons running (2009-2010) I dressed the models backstage for the Amanda Wakely show at London Fashion Week and it was one of the best things I ever did. It was truly an eye opening experience and I got such a buzz from the adrenaline backstage! It also looked great on my resume as it showed how dedicated I was in pursuit of my dream fashion career.

Volunteer Jobs at Fashion Week

The role of a volunteer at fashion week is typically required backstage, assisting with tasks to help the show to go smoothly. One of the main roles will be to help dress the models in their assigned looks, otherwise known as a backstage dresser. As a backstage dresser, a model will be allocated to you along with the 2-3 looks they will be wearing during the show. You will be briefed at the beginning and shown photos of how the full looks will be styled as well a the order they will be worn in, eg your 3 looks could be look 2, look 22 and look 42.

Your job will be to dress the models in exactly the same way as the photos you are shown and to follow the correct order.

What To Expect On The Day

You’re typically expected to arrive in plenty of time before the show to be prepped and assigned your model and the looks they’ll be wearing, as well as unpacking the collection, steaming & ironing, setting up and running any last minute errands. You’ll be assigned a time to show up and the location (don’t be late!). You’ll be briefed on all your tasks for before, during and after the show- don’t be afraid to take notes and ask questions as you won’t have time to when the show begins.

During the show you will be expected to be fast and organized when dressing your assigned model- you won’t believe how fast paced the shows are and how quickly they are over in just a few minutes! Remember to keep your cool as you’ll be under a lot of pressure and stay focussed on the task you’ve been assigned.

After the end of the show, all volunteers will help pack everything up quickly so the next brand can come in and set up for their show.

How To Volunteer at Fashion Week

The best way to get a job volunteering at fashion week is to email the PR team for the brands you want to work for. The PR team are usually the people who organize the shows. You can find them on Linkedin and often via the website of your favorite brands. You can email or send them a message on Linkedin or Instagram asking if they need any help during the show. Don’t be disheartened if you email several brands and don’t hear back, keep trying and eventually someone will reply- like I said before, fashion brands always need the help during this chaotic time! I remember emailing many brands until one responded. I enjoyed the experience as a volunteer so much, I reached out to that same brand every season and continued to help out backstage for 3 seasons in a row.

And lastly, google is your friend! Try some key search terms such as backstage dresser, fashion week volunteer, fashion week intern, or ‘fashion week intern nyc’ (depending on the city you wish to volunteer in).

Bear in mind that volunteering at fashion week is likely to be unpaid, however the experience gained is invaluable and you never know where it might lead. Always make sure you go into these experiences with a professional and enthusiastic attitude. You always want to be remembered in a positive light incase you meet the people you are working with again in future roles. The fashion industry is a lot smaller than you might think!

What’s Next?

After you have volunteered with at least one brand, make sure you list your experience on your Resume! This absolutely counts as work experience and shows your enthusiasm and proactiveness in the fashion industry. Try to also use this experience as a way to network with other fashionistas in the industry whether they are industry professionals or fellow volunteers. Some of the connections I made as a volunteer and as an intern played a huge part in shaping my career and helped me to land my first full time position as a designer for my dream job!

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