With the Billabong runway show only days away models, designers, sewers, and fashion show producers meet today to make sure EVERYTHING fits just right.

Billabong design team selecting the final finishing touches and pieces for the Design For Humanity runway show.

Every runway has to have a show opening that makes the crowd say wow. It’s a call out: all eyes to the stage. The models promise to the do the rest (with the help from the DJ). The opening says, ‘attention here, turn your head.’

It’s a topic of discussion for weeks. The first year 3 runway models threw back shadowed silhouettes. Last year, Ashley Mannix performed an acoustic version of Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ from a spotlit corner balcony while footage of the world’s cleanest oceans rolled on.

This year….

Allison, Marketing Manager came into the Billabong office with the answer…after last year’s wow the stakes are set high–but she’s found her inspiration and answer. We can’t wait.

To be continued…

singer/songwriter Ashley Mannix with Billabong Australia's Steph

Back from the Billabong DFH model casting 2009!

Yesterday, the Billabong girls (Candy, Alli, Amy and I) drove (mind you, in the most amazing traffic ever) from our Billabong home in Irvine up to the wonderful hills of Hollywood California. We arrived sans coffee…we were running a little late and had to stop for gas when we got to Hollywood because my gas light went on around Huntington Beach. Yes that’s right…we made it all the way from Huntington to Hollywood with the light on. That’s how we roll at Billabong. Livin’ on the edge!

Once we arrived in Hollywood the casting began. Over the course of the next two hours we saw over 100 girls. I’ve never seen so much ass in my life…no seriously. We were staring at bikini booties for two hours straight. The casting went well and now over the next week we will be narrowing down from all the awesome girls that attended the casting. Not gonna lie there were a few girls who were not quite “bikini-ready” but who am I to judge because they looked better than I do in a bathing suit. Wait, pause, never mind I did have to judge them. Nonetheless all the girls looked amazing and I appreciate everyone making the effort to come. (Even though the girls that lived just down the street didn’t have to make that much effort…I love them too!) Way to show up! Kudos to the Billabong team who did an amazing job and Susan for setting the whole casting up. Julian the sandwiches were amazing!

an open runway shot from last year's event

Calling All Runway Models. Billabong is hosting a casting with runway models from all the top LA agencies expected in attendance. 500 model cards have gone through review.

In 3 hours a team of 6 work to get over a 100 models in and out of the casting. That’s 90 seconds per model; enough time to take a photo, do a runway walk, pose, and have notes taken by a table of four observers.

The goal to book a final 14 runway models for the June 17th show. Check back Wednesday for a post on the day’s run through.

Outside the sewing room rolls of fabric have come into the warehouse ordered specifically for the runway designs. Fabric is ready for the pattern cutters.

Covering the walls of the Billabong design team room are magazine tears with added hand drawn sketches & fabric swatches of color, pattern, texture, and inspiration for upcoming runway designs. Clues of what will come down the bikini runway show at the Design For Humanity event June 17th in Hollywood.