Antwerp is a design led fashion city, and that shapes what a show there needs from a crew. A significant share of what happens during a fashion week in Antwerp is not a conventional runway at all: presentations, installations, showroom formats and shows staged in galleries, academy spaces and industrial buildings. Crewing those is a different brief from crewing a catwalk in a purpose built room.
What makes a presentation different from a runway show?
A runway show is one linear event with a fixed start, a running order and an audience that sits down. A presentation is a period of time during which people move through a space and look at garments that are static, worn by models holding position, or shown as an installation.
That changes the crew. There is less rigging and rehearsal and more hours of crew presence, because the format runs for a window rather than for twelve minutes. Lighting matters more, not less, because people view garments up close and for longer. Front of house becomes flow management rather than seating. If you are budgeting a presentation from a runway quote, the shape of the number will be wrong.
Which roles does a show in Antwerp need?
- Stagehands and riggers for the build, whether that is a runway, a platform or an installation.
- Lighting and sound technicians, with lighting weighted heavily for close viewing formats.
- Backstage dressers and runners for changes and garment handling.
- Hosts and door crew for check in, guest list and flow.
- A crew chief as the single contact for your producer.
We supply these as one team on one call sheet. How we structure a show day is set out on our fashion week staffing page, and the Antwerp specific crew detail on eventpersoneel en standbouw in Antwerpen.
What should you check about an Antwerp venue?
Antwerp shows often happen in buildings that are architecturally interesting and practically difficult: historic properties, galleries, former industrial spaces and academy buildings. Treat the venue survey as a technical exercise.
- How close can a truck get, and is there a lift or only stairs?
- What can the structure take overhead, and does the building allow rigging at all?
- How much power is available, and does more have to be brought in?
- Does the floor need protecting, and what condition must it be returned in?
- What are the noise limits and the curfew?
- Are there heritage restrictions on what may be fixed to walls or ceilings?
In a protected building the answer to “can we hang this” is often no, which pushes you to floor supported structures. Finding that out during the build rather than during the survey is expensive.
How does cross border crewing work?
Antwerp sits close to the Dutch border, and a lot of production for Belgian shows moves between the two countries. That is an advantage when it is planned and a problem when it is not.
Plan travel time as working time, confirm which country’s rules apply to the crew on the job, and keep the paperwork with the booking rather than assembling it afterwards. We work across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany as one operation, so a crew moving from Rotterdam to Antwerp is routine rather than an exception, and the same core people can do both.
How do you brief a show crew properly?
Send the running order, the change plan and the floor plan together, and send them before the day. A crew chief who has seen the change plan can tell you on paper that your backstage is under-booked, which is a much cheaper conversation than discovering it during the show.
Name one person on your side who can approve a change without a meeting. On a show day the schedule does not survive a three person approval chain.
Frequently asked questions
Do you organise shows during Antwerp fashion week?
No. We supply the crew and the technical side for designers, brands, producers and agencies who are showing. We do not produce or curate the events themselves.
Is a presentation cheaper to crew than a runway show?
Not automatically. There is usually less rigging and rehearsal, but more hours of crew presence, because a presentation runs for a window of time rather than for a few minutes.
Can you crew a show in a heritage building?
Yes, with a proper survey first. The constraints usually sit around what may be fixed to the structure, which is a design question before it is a crew question, so raise it early.
Can the same team work Antwerp and Amsterdam in one week?
Yes. That is a normal pattern for us and it is the main practical reason brands use one supplier across both cities.
What do you need to quote a show?
Venue and date, the format, the running order or change plan if it exists, your build and strike windows, and whether you need front of house as well as backstage.
Related reading
- Fashion Week Amsterdam: a staffing guide
- What is a hostess?
- How much does event staff cost?
- Concert and live event crew
Showing in Antwerp this season? Talk to our team.
