CULTURE
Girls Run(way) The World WEST 18TH STREET FASHION SHOW PUTS OUR CITY ON DISPLAY By Emeline Hutton The West 18th Street Fashion Show started at dusk on June 11, 2022. Due to heated impending weather circumstances, what once was supposed to be an outdoor show with spotlights illuminating the runway and live music seeping through the evening air, was quickly hustled inside to the safety of AC. The show was originally set to be staged upon the streets outside of The Bauer—a historic warehouse in the Crossroads District. The threat of impending thunderstorms left stagehands and set attendants tasked with rapidly packing up microphones, speakers, and bleachers to an interior location. Metal arches that were supposed to line the original runway were transported inside to embellish street-facing windows. A new last-minute runway was crafted within The Bauer’s ballroom—a masterwork of MacGyvering from the production crew behind one of the city’s most expansive live performances. Instead of walking a straight line down the street, stopping at the end of the runway and turning around, the models took a path in the shape of a rectangle, walking the perimeter of the ballroom. The spotlights were replaced with string lights, and the pavement was swapped out for a hardwood floor. With such a short turnaround time for an event that was prepared to be outside for months in advance, the West 18th crew pulled it off without a hitch to be seen by the public. A phenomenal feat for the kind of production with hundreds of hours dedicated to perfecting its every frame. Peregrine Honig, Senior Artistic Director, has been with the show since
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THE PITCH | July 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM
