Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 250 - 245

Yan Yan would have ample time to consider how to realize her ideas for a high-end ready-to-wear show if it were held at the end of the year.

Her mother’s swift actions caught Yan Yan a bit off beat.

However, it wouldn’t be a wise choice for the Yan II brand, which was venturing into the high-end ready-to-wear field for the first time from Haute Couture, to not host a significant show in Melbourne before the opening.

Thus, Yan Yan’s first high-end ready-to-wear fashion show was scheduled nine months ahead of the original plan.

Consequently, venue selection for the show, especially implementing the fantastical Haute Couture meets market concept, became a massive challenge.

At first, Yan Yan considered hosting an entirely open-air show.

Given Melbourne’s capricious weather, which was as fickle as a woman’s mood, swiftly changing from sunny to rainy, Yan Yan ultimately abandoned that idea.

Should the "Melbourne girl" feel ill-tempered and it began to rain mid-show, the presentation of both the clothes and shoes would be severely compromised.

Hosting a fashion show at a real market didn’t sound overly complex in terms of venue design.

Yet Yan Yan’s ready-to-wear launch also drew some of her Haute Couture "regular customers."

To give these High-end Custom Club Members, who rarely had the chance to shop at a market, a genuine shopping experience, simply using Victoria Market’s space wouldn’t suffice.

Without the presence of actual vendors, only "VIP" shoppers, it would be better to rent a venue akin to the grand palaces in Paris.

Authenticity was essential, and it had to be absolute.

Real market "customers" necessitated the presence of real market vendors.

Coordinating with the vendors was tedious, as each stall was independent.

Busy Yan Yan, who had lost touch with the concept of sleep for quite some time, certainly couldn’t handle this alone.

Having been steeped in the art of resource integration from a young age, the greatest advantage of "returning home" for Yan Yan was the wealth of family and friends available to assist with any task.

Bao Bao quickly took charge of liaising with the vendors.

This task did not consume much of Bao Bao’s efforts.

Australians have always been known for their warm hospitality and fondness for joining in on the excitement.

Ultimately, more than half of the vendors expressed their eagerness to see the pinnacle of fashion at the Queen Victoria Market, a sight they had never witnessed before.

The open segment of the market would feature the fruit and vegetable area of the Victoria Market.

Many vendors indicated they would start "setting up shop" from noon on the day of Yan Yan’s show.

They intended to not only set up shop but also conduct real business.

If someone wanted to purchase, the vendor would sell.

A complete and genuine re-creation of the scene.

While Bao Bao managed the vendors, Yan Yan still hadn’t found a suitable set designer and execution team for the show.

Although hiring a set team from France to come to Melbourne to measure and construct the set was not impossible, it seemed somewhat impractical.

Architectural firms specializing in fashion shows were already intimately familiar with the dimensions and usable spaces of venues in Paris.

However, dealing with Queen Victoria Market was an entirely different concept.

If hiring was necessary, it had to be the best team, and it would take a long time to design the unique set for the show that Yan Yan envisioned.

Moreover, due to the early opening of the Collins Street flagship store, even if Yan Yan was willing to spend the money, she couldn’t possibly find a suitable firm in France that could design a satisfactory fashion show set in Melbourne.

Since the show was completely untraditional, Yan Yan decided after two days of consideration not to opt for architectural firms experienced in fashion shows.

Yan Yan had already sketched a preliminary concept for the set, and whether an architect could perfectly manifest her design and desired feel rested on effective communication and mutual trust.

Holding the fashion show in a semi-open public space would inevitably attract many "tourists."

Meeting Yan Yan’s requirements for the set was already a great challenge, let alone addressing the security concerns of the Haute Couture Club members who came specifically for the event.

Combining the authentic Victoria Market atmosphere, showcasing Yan Yan’s designs comprehensively, and considering the privacy and security of Yan Yan’s Haute Couture "regular customers" from afar posed significant challenges.

Moreover, another serious issue loomed.

Yan Yan could only arrive in Melbourne three days before the show.

All communication had to be remote.

Addressing the semi-outdoor set’s Showroom and the model’s preparation area was also a sensitive issue.

There were no ready-made solutions, nor could construction commence far in advance.

This series of "minor requirements" placed high demands on the firm responsible for realizing Yan Yan’s vision.

Yan Yan immediately thought of a local Melbourne architectural firm she had known for a long time and with whom she had maintained good communication, a firm that had never really sparked with fashion.

During her first visit to Melbourne, Yan Yan had stayed at an architect’s home.

With the Homestay Father relationship, trust was much higher than with other firms.

The "Homestay Father" was actually just a forty-year-old at the peak of his architectural career.

All of Yan Yan’s "requirements" were resolved after finding her Homestay Father.

Four Mini Containers at the Queen Victoria Market were transformed into "club rooms."

Both the Showroom and the makeup rooms were "mobile."

Two Maison Yan II container trucks, for which Yan Yan designed the exterior and her Homestay Father designed the functionality, were parked at Melbourne Airport.

The clothes arrived directly at the container Showroom, and models prepared inside the container.

Before the big show started, the Maison Yan II "cargo" was delivered to the Queen Victoria Market for unloading.

When the highly skilled crane operator placed the containers in their designated spots with exceptional steadiness,

The Queen Victoria Market didn’t yet seem different from any other day.

Then the music started.

The lights came on.

The Queen Victoria Market completely transformed.

It was still the same market, but the models emerging from the containers seemed to be performing a "routine" shopping trip.

Yet no one had ever seen people dressed so fashionably to shop in a market.

And it wasn’t just one person, it was a group.

Though the two scenes appeared utterly incongruous, the designer’s creative vision provided an exceedingly harmonious feel.