Schools are constantly in need of funds. There are many fun activities available to help raise money such as worm charming or a car wash but a great favourite that involves everyone is the fashion show.Whilst a fashion show will take a lot of planning (several months), the event can really pay off. The school raises money by ticket sales, a raffle on the night and commission from clothes sales so it is potentially a good money spinner.Seeing clothes close up can sway a persons decision on whether or not to buy so it is also good for the audience, plus its always nice to see friends and family modelling. Getting outside help with the show is useful and there are companies specialising in this sort of thing. They will often supply a PA system, music, till, carrier bags and a full length mirror. Make sure the company you go has experience of putting on fashion shows and that their stock is appealing to your audience. It will also be useful if they have the means to accept credit and debit card payment as this will increase your sales on the night.You will need to decide whether you want to include refreshments in the ticket price and how much profit you are hoping to make on the night. Be realistic as you don't want to put people off with the ticket price. The venue you choose will need to be big enough to seat everyone expected and it needs to have a flat floor. A raised stage area will be an added bonus as it will make the catwalk more of a feature. Plenty of electrical points will be needed, as will a room for the models to change. Changing rooms for the audience to use after the show will also be required. The school hall may be suitable, but if not, consider the village hall or other venues nearby. Seating will also need to be sourced.A good turn out is needed for the show so you will need to market it to your target audience which will probably largely consist of parents. Send a press release to the local paper, notify the parish magazine and make up posters to put up near the school. The school art department should be quite handy with the posters.Pupils, staff and parents can all be used as models. Several rehearsals will be required so that everyone knows what to do on the night.With careful planning, your fundraising fashion show should be a great night out and a financial success too.
