Many people watching China Fashion Week may be wondering what’s behind all the glitz and glamour on the runway. CCTV has gone behind the scenes to see how models prepare for their big shows. We followed one model to find out what their job is really all about.
Meet Liu Tongtong. Her big moment today is at 3:30 in the afternoon, but she arrives at the rehearsal at 6am. She also spent time rehearsing last night.
Liu Tongtong, Model, said, "We often rehearse at midnight, so many models don’t bother going home, they just get some sleep in the lobby because another rehearsal will take place early in the morning."
On the day of the fashion show the models have another rehearsal, this time a full dress rehearsal. Everything down to the minute details are carefully choreographed.
Wang Hongmin, Fashion Show Director, said, "Models are like actors, they have to bring out the concepts and impressions the designer wants to express. This is done partly by the body language of the models."
Behind the scenes, the clothes racks are prepared with clothes lined up for each model. Each model will appear in 5 suits in this particular show.
Since they are often pressed for time, many models have the knack to switch from one suit to the next in less than 1 minute. The changing process sometimes begins the second they disappear from public view.
All this is happening behind the stage to deliver a glamorous and unforgettable experience to the audience.