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Behind-the-scenes look at CAFA's AIFD Show |
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Written by Amanda Ryder
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July 16, 2010 - A group of seven Canadian
CAFA members showed off their expertise at the 2010 AIFD symposium in
Boston last week and received not one — but two — standing ovations.
We've got a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together.
The group included Patricia Patrick CAFA, AIFD, Maija Asaris, CAFA AIFD, Velta Berzins, CAFA, Marijke Engel, CAFA, AIFD, Donna Gleeson, CAFA, AIFD, Marianne Suess, CAFA, AIFD, and Inta Taurins, CAFA. The design show was built around the theme of "Carnival ~ A Cultural Revolution" and explored Canada's ethnic diversity.
The planning stages
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Patricia Patrick, CAFA, AIFD works on a
design behind the scenes at the
symposium.
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Patrick was the driving force behind the show and helped to organize the group of seven and present a bid to the AIFD committee. The application process itself is a detailed undertaking that began two years ago. Well before the show would come to fruition, the designers had to put together sketches, submit videos and a full description of the show to judges. Patrick credits their professional package for helping to sway the committee.
Once they learned that they’d be presenting at the Boston 2010 show, the real work began. “We set up monthly meetings where myself and the other six designers thrashed out the final details,” says Patrick, who was responsible for making the 28 costumes. They also had to work outside the realm of their expertise and prepare videos to play during the show and select music to accompany the designs. “It was very much deeper than we thought it would be because what we do we know about these sorts of things? We are designers, we have a knife in our hand, that’s what we know how to do,” says Patrick with a laugh.
When asked how the group of seven CAFA ladies came together, Patrick says the decision just seemed obvious when you consider what each woman has to offer to the panel. “They didn’t have the same design style, they didn’t have the same vision. It was going to be a collection of very different styles. Some of the comments we received afterwards were just that — that we showed so much with having seven people there that were very different from each other. Yes, friendships played a big part of it but they were all chosen for their very distinct style and they added a different dimension each one of them.”
Taking the stage
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A design from the Quebec Carnival
segment.
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The CAFA team took the stage on July 7 and the 45-minute presentation was made up of three segments to highlight Canada’s cultural diversity. A video slide show played in the background of the stage while the models showcased designs to represent Quebec’s Winter Carnival, a First Nations Pow Wow and last but not least, Toronto’s Caribana Festival. Throughout the entire program, a seven-foot Inukshuk (crafted out of wood, Styrofoam and paint by Inta’s husband, Juris Taurins) was static on the stage, symbolizing the country as a whole.
Inta Taurins described the opening Quebec segment as “very elegant, clean and sophisticated.” Large icicles were suspended on both sides of the runway and the model’s dresses were a delicate, soft and shiny white. The floral designs were highlighted with silver, white and icy blue accents. The many textures helped evoke the feeling of a winter wonderland.
Next up, the First Nations Pow Wow featured pieces with a more organic and natural feel. “It was great because people were more familiar with this theme after seeing the Vancouver Olympics, especially with the opening and closing ceremonies,” says Taurins. Steel drums played in the background and the designs incorporated birch bark, skins stretched over frames along with the all-important, floral accents.
The Caribana segment got the audience clapping and bouncing in their chairs as the beat of the music sped up and bright and flashy colours dominated the
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Inta Taurins, CAFA pictured with
the Caribana Queen costume before
it hit the stage.
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runway. “That’s where everybody let loose, had fun and danced down the runway,” says Taurin. The highlight of this section was the Caribana Queen, a design that had to be created on stage due to the size. The costume was modeled after floats from the Toronto parade and when all the plumes were put together, the design spanned 11-feet wide. “It really made a statement and demonstrated the look and feel of what we celebrate here in Toronto,” she says.
The CAFA ladies were honoured by the reception they received with not one, but two standing ovations and received a warm welcome from the crowd, comprised mostly of Americans. “We had brought down 1,000 of the little paper Canadian flags that were handed out at the door and they had estimated that there were about 850 in the audience but not one flag was left remaining. Everybody wanted to have a piece of Canada in that regard so that was really nice,” says Taurins. “When they stood up and gave us our second standing ovation, we could see all these Canadian flags that were waving. We did see Susan Clarke, the Smithers-Oasis team and Neville MacKay in the front row, standing up and waving their flags proudly, so that was really sweet.”
Both Patrick and Taurins agree that they couldn’t have pulled off the show without the help of their generous sponsors, which included CMC Floral Wholesale, Hofland, Highland Evergreen and Smithers-Oasis.
For Patrick, the entire event was a personal goal and a highlight in her floral career. “It’s been a dream of mine for years. I was inducted into AIFD in 1987 and at every symposium that I’ve been to since then I’ve said I want to do that, I want to be up on stage. And this seemed to be the perfect time, because it was Boston, we were able to drive the truck down there and get all our stuff down there. I just seemed to fit together. I have very fond memories of Boston because when I took my AIFD exam process, my second phase was in Boston. So it seemed to come full circle.”
The CAFA ladies are now regrouping after an exciting week in Boston but hope in the future, they can present this show to their fellow Canadians.
To see behind-the-scenes pictures from the CAFA design show at the AIFD symposium, visit our photo gallery. To see pictures from the show itself, check out the AIFD website here.
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