Lights, camera, walk! ALIVE magazine recently wrapped up its eighth annual St. Louis Fashion week, and it was a resounding success.

“The week has really taken some new twists and turns of late,” said Susan Sherman of the St. Louis Fashion Advisory Board.

The publishers of ALIVE founded STL Fashion Week because they wanted to create an event where local designers could showcase their talents and propel their careers. St. Louis Fashion Week was co-founded in 2007 by Elizabeth Tucker, the co-founder and publisher of ALIVE magazine.

Tucker is also known for her work with the Jewish Light. For two years she worked on the Ohr Chadash teen page.

According to Tucker, she “has a passion for helping young teens develop” and this was evident through her past work with the teen page as well as her current endeavor with Studio 703, which helps teens develop journalism skills, and teaches them how to become models for fashion week. Tucker explained that in order to put on a successful Fashion Week, many puzzle pieces have to be successfully put together.  Event planning starts a year in advance with securing partners, venues and funding.  Partners and sponsors of STL Fashion Week include Plaza Frontenac, Saks Fifth Avenue, Centro Models, and Brio.  A major aim of the event is to ensure that the up-and- coming designers have vehicles which will help them achieve their goals.  

“A good show starts with the line itself. Production doesn’t matter if the garments and objects do not have a distinct point of view,” said Sherman, who is also a member of Temple Emanuel.

The event seeks “to connect fashion 

designers with buyers and boutique owners as well as the media,” Tucker said. Selecting the fortunate designers who will display their talents is the job of a special committee from ALIVE, which receives and evaluates numerous portfolios before making its final decisions.

“Fashion Week  is important to local designers because it gets them in front of consumers, retailers and press, all key constituencies if he/she wants to thrive in the crazy world of fashion,” Sherman said.

After the lucky designers are chosen, it is time to pick the models. Sixteen-year-old Catherine Cook was one such model chosen to showcase her talent during Fashion Week. Catherine explained that being chosen as a model is no small task.

“To get the job you have to be with an agency and you have to audition in front of the designers by walking for them on a runway and if you get the job you get an email or phone call,” Catherine said.

Many people often wonder what the glamorous life of a supermodel must be like. All we get to see is the flashy part where they walk down the runway, but there is much more to it.

“The shows are really fun and stressful,” Catherine continued. “You have to get there four hours early for hair, makeup, fittings and rehearsal. The shows are super-fast past and the energy is really high. It’s always fun walking on cool runways with the lights and cameras.”

Putting the glitz and the glamour aside, the true reason behind Fashion Week is to bring recognition to local designers and celebrate fashion.

Catherine explains that “Fashion Week in St. Louis is meant to showcase all the malls, local designers, and small boutiques around the area and because of that, more people learn about the local places so they go out and buy new clothes.” Everyone takes something different away from each show. Whether or not it is done successfully is up to the interpretation of the audience.

“I like shows to move, and to leave us/the audience wanting more,” Sherman said.