We are so excited for our upcoming season of Omaha Fashion Week, August 27th-29th, and we know you are too! Consisting of a hybrid format with both Live and Digital Ticket options, our Fall 2020 showcases feature a glamorous fashion experience and exciting designer lineup like always, while prioritizing the safety and health backstage. Keep reading to learn more about the COVID-19 Safety Measures we’ve put in place!
Tonight was a first for Omaha Fashion Week. We just completed a runway hair tutorial with our models on Zoom! COVID-19 continually pushes us to rethink everything we do. New this season, our models are learning how to complete their runway hair and makeup looks at home. This will minimize the close contact they would otherwise need to have with our Beauty Alliance members to do full hair and makeup backstage. Our Beauty Alliance members have been a great support as we’ve made this transition, by providing advice, tutorials and mentoring as we all learn. Beauty Alliance members will still be backstage during shows to do last minute touch ups, trouble-shoot any problems models have had completing their looks at home, and tackle some of our more labor-intensive looks.
With cases on the rise in the 18-34 age group, mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the fast-paced environment backstage is a top priority. About 50% of our models, Beauty Alliance members, designers and volunteers fall into this age range. We have had several phone calls with the Douglas County Health Department, walking through our plans for backstage, to ensure we are doing everything we can to maintain a safe and healthy environment.
COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES
All backstage participants between now and showtime are encouraged to be very careful to protect themselves from exposure by wearing a mask, maintaining social distance in public, and keeping hands washed/sanitized.
Anyone exhibiting symptoms, a fever or a positive COVID-19 test should stay home and let our VP of Community Outreach, Buf Reynolds, know right away so that we can adjust our show plans. Anyone with a previous positive test must have a subsequent negative test or be symptom-free for at least five days to participate.
Everyone entering backstage will receive a pre-entry health screening and temperature check.
Everyone entering backstage must sanitize their hands before entering.
Masks are compulsory the entire time talent is backstage - even on the runway. Talent needing a “mask break” may do so outside of the building, as long as social distance is maintained.
Models, designers, and Beauty Alliance members will move through the backstage in cohorts. Each collection will have a designated area draped off with chairs and tables placed six feet apart. Backstage will be set up and scheduled to eliminate mixing between groups.
To minimize the close contact necessary between models and beauty alliance members to do hair and makeup, OFW has arranged live tutorials via Zoom for models to learn how to complete most of the looks at home. Hair products, online tutorials and mentoring is being provided by Aquage, OFW’s official hair care sponsor. Makeup tutorials are provided by Alia Malik Quattlebaum of the Magnetic Beauty; and Develop Model Management, OFW’s official casting agency.
Rehearsals are being re-invented. We will schedule small groups of models by collection over a longer period of time on rehearsal day. Models will get to practice on the runway and go through a backstage safety orientation.
All other model events, such as our casting prep workshop, model casting and boot camp were all held virtually earlier this summer to ensure the safety of our models.
Models are encouraged to bring their own hair/makeup brushes and product. Product used between models will be sanitized between uses according to industry practices.
Thank you to all of our models, Beauty Alliance members, designers and sponsors for supporting us as we make dramatic changes to the production in a short period of time. This is a community effort and we are excited to see this work come to fruition at the end of August!