How to pull off a world-class fashion show during the pandemic
Go behind the scenes of Jessica Minh Anh’s sustainable ocean catwalk on the Mediterranean
This release reveals how Jessica Minh Anh prepared for her latest fashion phenomenon during Italy’s enactment of strict COVID-19 measures, and what’s next for the girl who has been revolutionizing modern runways.
If Chanel built an Eiffel tower replica in the Grand Palais museum in Paris, Jessica took over the entire floor on the actual Eiffel Tower to host the iconic J Autumn Fashion Show in 2014. While Louis Vuitton may have put on a catwalk inside the TWA hotel at the JFK airport, Jessica stole the show with “Runway on the Runway” by walking models down the actual JFK tarmac from a plane in 2020.
Supermodel and entrepreneur Jessica Minh Anh is the mastermind behind some of the world’s most innovative fashion shows with extraordinary visual concepts and powerful messages. The international catwalk producer has continuously made history at both symbolic monuments including Eiffel Tower, London’s Tower Bridge, Petronas Twin Towers’ Skybridge, One World Trade Center, and Grand Canyon Skywalk; and renewable energy sites such as Hoover Dam and Gemasolar Power Plant.
Dubbed as the world’s first sustainable ocean catwalk, J Spring Fashion Show 2022 took place on the Liquefied Natural Gas-powered cruise ship, Costa Toscana, in Portofino before its inaugural sail earlier this year.
SELECTING AN ICONIC VENUE
No stranger to challenging circumstances including natural disasters at some of her iconic catwalk locations, Jessica Minh Anh decided to host her big comeback catwalk during the unpredictable period earlier this year in February 2022 in Italy when international travel was still highly restricted.
Raising the stakes, Jessica chose the world’s newest Liquefied Natural Gas-powered cruise ship as her official catwalk location. In order to go on board of a cruise ship, every crew member, model, and VIP had to obtain
- an Italian Super Green Pass
- a negative result on both their PCR and an AntiGen test.
On her selection of Costa Toscana, Jessica said “This particular moment in history provides an opportunity for a sustainable “restart” of our society. Costa Toscana aligns perfectly with my mission of highlighting sustainability in a visually attractive way. It was an honor to celebrate the resurgence of business and style on an LNG-powered cruise ship.” This was Jessica’s fourth collaboration with the Italian cruise line Costa Crociere, after her sky-high sundeck catwalks in Sydney, Dubai, and Hong Kong.
“Jessica Minh Anh is a pioneer in marrying fashion with sustainability, just like Costa in offering the most advanced sustainable ships. It was a great pleasure to have Jessica Minh Anh transform Costa Toscana into a breath-taking runway”, said Mario Zanetti, the president of Costa Crociere and a big fan of Jessica’s productions.
SELECTING PARTICIPATING FASHION BRANDS
Similar to Jessica’s many catwalks around the world, J Spring Fashion Show 2022 premiered a combination of haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessory, and swimwear collections from Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Australia, and Africa. Nine participating designers were selected 3 months before the show.
“I decided to join this runway because I really believe in what Jessica is working to achieve in terms of sustainability”, said Denni Francisco, founder of Australian brand NGALI.
SITE VISIT & PRE-SHOW CAMPAIGN SHOOT IN CIVITAVECCHIA
The official site visit and pre-show campaign shoot was initially planned for January 4, 2022 on Costa Toscana cruise ship in Civitavecchia, Italy. However, since a number of Jessica’s team members, including Jessica herself, tested positive for Covid-19, the shoot was rescheduled for January 14, 2022.
“Adapting to the new normal, I combined the site visit and the campaign shoot into one event and produced everything within six hours instead of the usual three-day schedule. It was a stressful period as no one could be certain to test negative. In fact, some members still tested positive after ten days and critical replacements were made. My team was traveling from London, Paris, Milan to Rome before heading to Civitavecchia cruise port, so each of us took three Covid-19 tests before boarding”, said Jessica Minh Anh.
Despite an exceedingly tight timeframe, the event went smoothly, and the impressive visuals were released in time to the global media.
During the visit, Jessica met with Mario Zanetti, the president of Costa Crociere, as well as Costa’s head of operation and head of communications to finalize floor plans, show schedule, logistics setup, transportation, F&B, and exclusive treatments for the media and VIP guests.
The official campaign video captured the iconic moment when Jessica ran across the sky-high sundeck in a bright pink dress holding an Italian flag against the picturesque backdrop of the giant ship, deep blue sea and skyline.
REHEARSAL AT DHL ITALY’S HEAD OFFICE IN MILAN
A week before the show, the final model lineup was selected from 300 agency-represented fashion models. Four days later, a full-dress rehearsal with all the models, fashion collections, DJ, backstage dressers, and the JMA team was scheduled.
However, three hours before the rehearsal on February 25, 2022, the event venue became unavailable due an electricity failure. Jessica immediately rang the CEO of DHL Express Italy for support. DHL Express was the official partner of Jessica’s iconic “Runway on the Runway” at JFK airport in New York in 2020 right before the pandemic. J Winter Fashion Show 2020, which successfully promoted the globally sustainable supply chain, not only proved Jessica’s ability in consistently delivering mind-blowing productions, but also helped establish her strong connections with the DHL global network. As a result, she was welcomed by Nazzarena Franco, CEO of DHL Express Italy to their head office in Milan for the rehearsal.
PREPARATION DAY IN MILAN AND SAVONA
Two days before the show, Jessica and her team had to recast and replace a large number of models and team members due to Covid-19. Right after the final casting at 7am, Jessica brought the new models to a PCR test with her to fulfill the boarding requirements. Her entire team alongside VIPs from Milan and the media also took a test on the same day. These tests were arranged exclusively for the show because Covid-19 tests at hospitals and pharmacies in Milan were all fully booked.
The day before the show, Jessica Minh Anh’s team of event managers, coordinators, dressers, models, hair stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and cinematographers were scheduled to travel from London, Paris, New York, and Milan to Savona to get ready. Before entering the transfer from Milan to Savona, some of the photographers were replaced last-minute as they failed to present an Italian Super Green Pass. After a three-hour drive, Jessica’s team arrived at Savona cruise port to take an Antigen test before boarding. As backstage team was arranging and steaming all the fashion garments and accessories ready for the show, Jessica and front stage manager went over the minute-by-minute schedule for the show day with the top management of Costa Cruises. Jessica also joined Costa’s technical director for sound check, lighting setup, and flow rehearsal before modeling key pieces in a fashion shoot on board in the evening.
On the day of the show, exclusive VIPs and the media arrived in Savona in the early morning. At 10am, Costa Toscana cruised from Savona to Portofino and remained at anker for the duration of the show, providing a breath-taking backdrop for a sky-high catwalk in the middle of the ocean.
J SPRING FASHION SHOW 2022 IN PORTOFINO
Against the cinematic backdrop of the Italian Riviera, Jessica Minh Anh opened the highly anticipated catwalk in a timeless couture red dress with intricate beading and refined craftsmanship by Malaysian powerhouse Emmanuel Haute Couture. The supermodel’s multi-layered fishtail gown was complimented by an impressive seashell-inspired hairstyle and statement hair accessory by French brand Alexandre de Paris. Jessica was followed by a gorgeous model line-up wearing angelic white and pink dresses with stand-out waistlines.
Australian brand Ngali added depth and texture to their ready-to-wear collection’s overall softness using traditional quilting techniques and vertical stitches. American beachwear brand Sauvage premiered a bold collection with vivid colors and architectural one pieces and bikinis. Returning to Jessica’s catwalk for the eighth time, Pakistani talent Syeda Amera showcased a gold dominated couture collection with hand-woven embellishments, experimental cuts, and generous details of metallic beads, jewel stones, and sequins. South American representative La Paix inserted sophistication with a lot of volume, layers, and theatrical patterns. Californian brand GLAUDI by Johana Hernandez celebrated love and life with dramatic black satin dresses, gold gowns, and a grand hand-beaded haute couture dress with thousands of crystals. Also returning to Jessica Minh Anh’s unique catwalk, African designer Kine Dione captivated the audience with a couture collection using special weaving techniques, elaborate embroidery, and hand-made pearls.
Closing the show with class and supremacy, Vietnamese celebrity designer Hoang Hai premiered an extraordinary haute couture collection inspired by nature. Appearing in a structured silvery dress made of Swarovski crystals shaped as a swan, Jessica Minh Anh led the stunning model line up on the sky-high ocean catwalk against the picturesque backdrop of a deep blue sea and spectacular skyline.
More than a modern fashion statement, J Spring Fashion Show 2022 engendered a global conversation about sustainable travel, and engaged a new generation of creators. The show marked Jessica Minh Anh’s 26th production since her history-making catwalk on England’s London’s Tower Bridge. One can only expect yet another mind-blowing phenomenon from a girl who revolutionized global runways.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Having successfully pulled off the J Spring Fashion 2022 despite such challenging circumstances, Jessica is ready to channel her reinforced resilience to the making of her upcoming American comeback. J Autumn Fashion Show 2022 which will take place in New York on September 8th, will further highlight sustainability, diversity, and innovation. The unique catwalk will also incorporate AR and VR into its highly anticipated production. For more information, please visit the JMA Website.
