Blanche Macdonald Centre Blog

All throughout my younger years, I referred to The Bay as “The Granny Store”. I would want to pinch my nose whenever I passed the cosmetic counters and I wouldn’t give their clothes racks and upper floors a second glance. It was only last year when I began to notice that The Bay had begun to revamp themselves (thanks to Bonnie Brooks) to offer younger, radically more stylish, hotter designer lines! Our Fashion Merchandising students delivered an impressive and professionally executed fashion show at The Bay Richmond to introduce new collections from the store’s latest fashion lines.  I dropped by early to browse around and to observe the hustle and bustle and the unfolding of such production!

In a cute little nook backstage, three of our PRO Hair grads took over the nearest change room. Inspirational magazine photos and the runway schedule were taped on the wall. Models walked in, sometimes with their stylist, gestured towards the desired hairstyle, and off the hairstylists went!  I observed the models parade out with glamorous soft curls, slick chignons, low-maintenance let-dry tresses, and some awesome avant-garde-inspired hair styles.The makeup was absolutely lovely and it was done by both counter staff and Blanche Macdonald students and grads at the NARS, Dior, MAC, and YSL counters. We saw wearable bright, bold lips, metallics, contoured faces, and smokey, turquoise-rimmed eyes.Another change-room takeover draped with black curtains housed the stylists and the clothes.  A handful of models hung out right outside the makeshift closet as the stylists put the finishing touches on them!  Meanwhile, the rest of the FM students rehearsed the choreography with their model trio making do with the stage and store aisles.
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