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| (photo by James Maloney) |
So, my professional plans have changed again! There I was about to do a big push on my freelancing, and somehow I've stumbled into volunteering as the Show Coordinator for the Dublin show of the Alternative Fashion Fest Tour next year!
I've decided to put the freelancing on hold (though commercial modelling would still be ok) as I cannot squeeze in my existing part time job, family, freelancing, and trying to organise a fashion show (not unless I want to make a balls up of all of them). Will see what the next few months bring. I have a vision (well, a vague idea of the direction I want to go in)
A friend of mine (the inspirational Angelica Fenney) had modelled at the UK Alternative Fashion Fest, and I'd commented on their page that it was a fabulous idea and if I'd lived in the UK I'd love to have been involved in some way. They informed me that the show was coming to Dublin and asked if I'd like to be their Dublin person. The rest is history. May even be modelling at it myself - we'll see.
It was easy to get excited about the Alternative Fashion Fest because it's all about diversity and acceptance, and the right to be what we want to be, and be beautiful in our own way, without having to conform to what mainstream fashion would previously have dictated we should be. Thanks to the work of amazing people like Angel Sinclair of Models of Diversity in the UK and beyond, barriers are being broken down. Even Ireland now has modelling agencies such as V Plus, Vanity Vague, and Irish Ink Models.
The people and organisations I'm finding out there as I search the web, and engage on social media, give me great hope for this little island of ours. So many cool people and scenes. Beautiful alternative models, including those who have an interest in burlesque. Young women such as Deirdre J Lynam for instance. They've tended to delighted to be approached, too, to be asked to model for this event. It's easy to be depressed by the doom and gloom headlines and discussions about this country, and the problems are very real, but let's try and get out of the mire, and help and encourage others to do the same.
The amount of fashion, lifestyle and beauty bloggers out there is unbelievable! Bloggers who have huge audiences and get asked to events and to try products. It's like a whole different world. Usually they have a few different things they do, and do not limit themselves to just one thing. I like that kind of thinking. Ireland is a great country, and Dublin is a great city, and I sincerely hope we win the European City of Culture bid for 2020.
It's like I went to sleep, and woke up and it's a whole different decade. Being 41, and only emerging as a butterfly in the last three years from my chrysalis, and a bit out of touch regarding what's hot and what's not, I've had to research - this is an education for me and I'm just loving it. Thank you Dawn Williams and Jane Bellis of Alternative Fashion Fest for this amazing opportunity to help raise awareness, and money for charity, and also the people I'm getting to talk to. I know that all of us involved in Fashion Fest will treasure this for the rest of our lives, no matter what part we've played.
So now, here comes the "poor mouth", as we say in Ireland. For the Alternative Fashion Fest, we need a cool venue, a charity partner, sponsor, designers, retailers, models and media coverage. Any way people can help us get the word out, please do. One of the best things about Ireland is that it really is like a village, so hopefully that gives us an advantage. We'll be choosing a local charity to support (homelessness and suicides would seem to be he most pressing issues here, although there are many deserving causes), and we're approaching people we think deserve more exposure, whose work we like. Be a part of it :)
