Fashion giant Pretty Little Thing was forced to postpone its first Southern Hemisphere runway in Adelaide after the state of South Australia went into complete lockdown on Wednesday in response to a growing Covid cluster.
And Daily Mail Australia can now reveal the drastic lengths the creative agency responsible for the cancelled event went to in order to get the 75 models and crew safely out of state before the borders closed.
Nick Seymour, the co-founder of PR agency We Are Komodo, revealed they had to charter three private planes to make sure everyone on location got home before it was too late.
Scroll down for video
EXCLUSIVE: A fashion label hired THREE private jets for models to leave South Australia after a runway show in Adelaide was abruptly cancelled due to the statewide lockdown
The #PrettyLittleRunway event was supposed to happen on Thursday, and had originally been planned as Australia’s largest runway with hundreds of spectators.
As the date neared, Pretty Little Thing scaled back its ambitions, turning the event into a ‘virtual runway’ by stripping away the physical audience, tightening the crew members on site, and limiting the number of runway models.
It then became billed as ‘the world’s longest socially distanced runway’.
When South Australian Premier Steven Marshall made his announcement regarding its six-day, state-wide lockdown on Wednesday afternoon, Pretty Little Thing were forced to abandon the runway show entirely.
We Are Komodo’s co-founder Nick said at that point they already had 75 people on the ground in South Australia – 20 models, 20 glam squad members and a further 25 crew and staff.
Acting fast, models, such as Sam Harris, DJ Tigerlily and Georgia Fowler, who had flown in hours before the announcement were put on the next flight out of the state.
However, Nick explains that due to some of the models being out at the runway location of Lake Bumbunga (a two-hour drive from Adelaide airport), they had to charter three private planes in the ‘best interest to get them out safe’.
Postponed – not cancelled: When South Australian Premier Steven Marshall made his announcement regarding its six-day, state-wide lockdown on Wednesday afternoon, Pretty Little Thing were forced to abandon the runway show entirely… for the time being
‘Best interest to get them out safe’: Nick explains that due to some of the models being out at the runway location of Lake Bumbunga (a two-hour drive from Adelaide airport), they made the split decision to charter three private planes to secure their safe exit from the state
It was then the task of staff members to return to some of the models’ hotel rooms to pack up their belongings and return to Sydney with their suitcases.
‘It was frustrating, devastating, and a stressful situation,’ Nick said, but praised his team on acting fast ahead of the midnight curfew in South Australia beginning.
He said while the models were gutted the show was cancelled, they are looking forward to joining Pretty Little Thing again when the runway show is reinstated.
Nick claims the fashion retailer are on the hunt for another location in Australia where a show will likely take place in early 2021 with a safe crowd and a ‘bigger and better lineup’.
‘We can’t thank everybody involved enough for all their hard work over the past few months, who worked tirelessly to bring this concept to life! We couldn’t have picked a better destination in the world to shoot this campaign, and we are incredibly grateful to @southaustralia Tourism Board for the incredible experience,’ the PR firm wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
‘We can’t thank everybody involved enough for all their hard work over the past few months’: Komodo thanked the large team behind the PLT campaign and runway show, and for the South Australia Tourism Board for helping make it possible
Stay tuned! The fashion retailer are on the hunt for another location in Australia where a show will likely take place in early 2021 with a safe crowd and a ‘bigger and better lineup’
Models Georgia Fowler, Bambi Northwood-Blyth and Samantha Harris jetting into Adelaide on Wednesday for the Pretty Little Thing fashion show.
But just hours after touching down in South Australia, the models were spotted flying back to Sydney after the virtual runway – which was scheduled for the next day- was cancelled due to the state’s impending lockdown.
Sarah, 30, looked downcast as she strolled through Sydney Airport in a face mask, and was likely still reeling from South Australian Premier Steven Marshall’s announcement that afternoon.
The party’s over: Model Samantha Harris returned to Sydney on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after flying to Adelaide for a fashion show – which was called off due to SA’s lockdown
Model life: Earlier on Wednesday, Samantha and several other models – including Georgia Fowler (pictured) – flew into Adelaide ahead of a virtual runway event for the retailer Pretty Little Thing, but learned within hours they were all dressed up with nowhere to go
Earlier on Wednesday, Samantha and several other models flew into Adelaide ahead of a virtual runway event for the retailer Pretty Little Thing, but learned within hours they were all dressed up with nowhere to go.
That afternoon, Premier Marshall announced a six-day, state-wide lockdown effective from midnight after two new coronavirus cases were recorded, taking the cluster in Adelaide to 22 infections.
The runway was scheduled for Thursday at Adelaide’s famous Lake Bumbunga, and was to be streamed worldwide on YouTube and Instagram as ‘the world’s longest socially distanced runway’.
In South Australia, residents are not even allowed to exercise outdoors as the state desperately tries to control a new supercharged strain of coronavirus.
Plans: The runway was scheduled for Thursday at Adelaide’s famous Lake Bumbunga, and was to be streamed worldwide on YouTube and Instagram as ‘the world’s longest socially distanced runway’. Pictured: Bambi Northwood-Blyth
Masks will be mandatory, with only one person per household allowed to leave their home for groceries or medical treatment.
Schools will shut, while restaurants, cafés and pubs will close and even be banned from selling takeaway food.
Weddings will be halted and funerals stopped, while factories and the construction industry will stop work.
Elective surgery except for urgent operations and cancer treatment will be halted and aged care and disability residents will go into lockdown.
Regional travel is not allowed and all outdoor sport and physical activity is banned.
Premier Marshall said the restrictions will be ‘challenging’ for South Australians, but are necessary to stop the spread of coronavirus.
‘We are at a critical point but we will get through this,’ he said.
‘We may be physically distanced but South Australians have never been more united. Together, we will get through this because South Australians are strong, resilient and united.’
The lockdown was enforced in South Australia from midnight Wednesday.
Lockdown: On Wednesday afternoon, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall (pictured) announced a six-day, state-wide lockdown effective from midnight after two new coronavirus cases were recorded, taking the cluster in Adelaide to 22 infections