Pic: London Fashion Week SS11
What an amazing London Fashion Week this has been. Normally I enjoy from my sofa via live streaming and take in a few parties after work, but this season I was lucky enough to go to actual shows, fifteen in totally and each one was amazing. I was so lucky that for five of them I got sit front row, which I have to say a big thanks to Vauxhall Fashion Scout as they were super amazing with seating me.
With it being my first, OK I have done parties of fashion week before, but this was different, I had the press pass, the official Mulberry canvas bag, the works. I was so determined to take it all in, I must admit I was so giddy for days 1 and 2 it was quite hard, but it was such an experience. You can’t enjoy fashion fully until you see it up close and it has made me know that fashion is where I want to be.
I panicked so much before the first day came around about what I was going to wear, I think I went shopping every night that week to nail down the right outfits – the thoughts am I fashionable enough does go through your mind, but you know everyone seemed to wear what they liked. There were some who got totally dressed up like they were going clubbing, others for a day at the races or a wedding with their big hats, then there were the hardcore fashionistas in the spring/summer 2011 trends before the shows had even started, style queens who wear the designer that that they are seeing, statement folk wearing outrageous outfits for the style photographers to take their snap *and there was a lot of that*, and then there were people like me who love fashion but love the comfort of a good black dress.
I am not one for posting my daily outfits, and I certainly not going to start now, but I will give you a quick run-down: I wore a three-quarter sleeve black dress with gold buttons on one-shoulder; a grey, black and white dotty ladylike knee-lenth dress with a wide black belt; pinafore dress; maxi skirt and corsage top; and finishing up with my Paige black jeans and bow top for menswears day. So you can probably imagine I didn’t get style snap once *shocker*.
One thing for sure is that there are so many characters and if you love people watching then fashion week is definitely an experience. Picture this one day a male pirate, the next day a female pirate, I was being to think that Pirates of the Caribbean had come to town, then I saw a cowboy and I just realised that fashion week brings them all out!!!
Shows via live-stream are amazing but actually being there, squeezed into rows, music blaring and the lights up bright it so much better. I was lucky enough to see a shows inside the main tent at Somerset House but it was completely different to the intimate feel of On|Off and Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Admittedly the designer names aren’t as big, but hey I still got to see *and tweet with* Lily Allen at BodyAmr, saw Amber Rose like everywhere *she was my show shadow*, and even unknowingly sat next to a bloke from Pink Floyd.
LFW Highlights:
#1 BodyAmr This was a great show, my first celeb-packed front row, a happy and Tweeting Lily Allen and then there were the gorgeous clothes and Amber Rose strutting her stuff. The atmosphere was great everyone packed into the intimate Vauxhall Fashion Scout – great show and great goodie bag!! #2 Topshop Postcards I have many addictions, Barbies *obvious*, badges, magazines *I know shocker*, stationary, and postcards. So guess how happy I was to see that Topshop had a postcard wall in their exhibition area at Somerset House with bespoke cards created by each of their designers. So the likes of Holly Fulton, Mark Fast, Louise Gray and Mary Katrantzou designed a momentum to take away. Each and everyone of them is amazing. When I realised that they were numbered it became a challenge to get each and everyone one, unfortunately I am a couple shy *sad face*.
#3 Holly Fulton
Having the opportunity to chat with Holly Fulton was amazing. I got to meet her the day after her show in the Topshop NEXTGEN exhibition space at Somerset House, she was so lovely, took me through her collection. It was so nice to actually get up close and personal to some of her amazing pieces, the detailing in her work is exquisite, I also loved that the Holly Says Relax clutch (above) nearly didn’t happen as she was worried it was too much!!
I must admit I couldn’t believe how down-to-earth Holly was, lovely, generous with her time and I hopefully I would love to do a full interview with her as she really was inspirational.
#3 Canvas Bags
Canvas bags galore, whether it was a goody bag at the shows or the official LFW Mulberry bag that you get when you pick up your pass and I love the rabbit. My favourite has to be the one I got from Vauxhall Fashion Scouts Ones To Watch. i was lucky enough to sit front row and it was the best goodie bag of the whole week. With a canvas bag designed by designer, Georgia Hardinge, it features a digi print, inspired by the sculptures of Versailles, and inside I have a robot cookie and postcards of the whole collection from Charlotte Taylor, and all finished of nicely with a pad and toiletry goodies.
Pic: Charlotte Taylor Robot Car
#4 Charlotte Taylor Car
Sitting outside Vauxhall Fashion Scout was this amazingly designed car by Ones To Watch Charlotte Taylor, I loved her robot print on dresses strutting down the catwalk – but how cool is it on a car. LOVE!!
Pic: YSL
#5 YSL Manifesto
Last season I was upset to not be able to be in London when they gave out the YSL Manifesto, but this time around I made sure that I had a break in my schedule to be close by Covent Garden to pick my copy up. Waiting for the announcement via their Facebook page on the locations was frustrating – but seeing the girls giving handing them out opposite the tube station was a delight to have my own copy.
I must admit that were many, too many highlights to mention but I these were the five I really stuck with me. Roll on February 18, 2011 for it to all start again…
