A student London fashion weekend
Every year in mid-February, London is taken over by designers, models, bloggers and fashionistas from all over the world to celebrate London Fashion Week at the beautiful Somerset House. The atmosphere is intoxicating: outside Somerset house is a thoroughfare of taxis and private cabs dropping off the beautiful, rich and famous to view the autumn/winter collections for the following season by a multitude of fabulous British designers. As a student at King’s and someone who gets excited when I hear the mere mention of the word “fashion”, it was an exciting moment for me when I walked from Temple tube up to the Strand passing the black Mercedes Benzs with “London Fashion Week” printed on the sides. I found myself checking my hair and my outfit as I walked past in case any of their passengers were still inside! But unfortunately all I could do was look on in awe and jealousy – the catwalks at London Fashion Week are a hot ticket, so what does Fashion Week offer to the students and general public? The answer comes in the form of London Fashion Weekend sponsored by our beloved Elle Magazine, held in exactly the same place as Fashion Week itself and perhaps offering us even more!As the sponsors of the event, Elle Magazine advertised 25% off the tickets to London Fashion Weekend so I entered to see the catwalk show featuring beautiful clothes hot off the catwalk from Fashion Week. In the central tent within Somerset House I had the opportunity to browse over beautiful jewellery stands such as Lola Rose and Pearl and Ivy at 70% off. If jewellery wasn’t your thing then this space was a haven for all the make-up and healthcare-loving fashionistas out there, with top brands offering fantastic discounts and free gifts. I received a free bottle of Elizabeth Arden’s famous 8-hour cream at their counter and you could have a £10 Elizabeth Arden makeover done by one of their specialists, which included a free full-size London Fashion Weekend umbrella at the end of it – why not! This was the perfect area to be in if you were heading out afterwards; get your make-up done, nails done, buy some new accessories and enjoy a glass of champagne and some nibbles at the beautiful Chambord Bar. Although, very busy and slightly difficult to negotiate your way round when wearing 4-inch heels, it was a fun, up-lifting experience which made the customers feel good about themselves – isn’t that what fashion is all about?
The beautiful Victorian-style rooms within the main building of Somerset House, adjacent to the river, were packed with rails of designer and individual clothing, bags and shoes which had me almost drooling. I spent a good five minutes deciding where to start, but with the help of a good friend who was slightly more composed, we worked our way from bottom to top to make sure nothing was missed! Over 80 fashion brands and houses had rails for sale all at discounted prices. Think Juicy Couture bags for £100; Twenty8Twelve t-shirts for £15; French Sole pumps for £30 and Michael Kors kitten heels for £20. This was the perfect shopping destination for those who wanted something different and individual by a designer who hasn’t quite achieved Fashion Week status yet; or to buy big designer brands at cheap prices. However, there were a few setbacks which I couldn’t ignore. Firstly, some stalls only had sample sizes which were a European size 27/ size 8/10 here, so they weren’t catering for all women. Secondly, this area was extremely busy and you had to be focused on what you wanted or be in what I call a “shoppy” mood to get past the queues or crowds in certain rooms. But, as shopping experiences go, this was a great one – providing clothes not available on the high street that other people won’t have. Did I buy? Yes, I bought a pair of DKNY sky blue hot pants for £15 which was 70% off and a DKNY baggy t-shirt, perfect to throw on on a summer day when planning an outfit is just too much trouble, also for £15 and the same discount. My student loan and my wardrobe both said thank you!
One of the main reasons why London Fashion Weekend is so popular and tickets sell out quickly is the quality of the fashion which took place on the same catwalk used during Fashion Week. The show was split up into four parts giving us a visual insight into the coming season’s biggest trends and some of Britain’s most coveted up-and-coming designers. The first section entitled “Swan Vesta” was inspired by the film Black Swan and provided an antithesis to the colour pop brights of the season. This pastel and monochromatic collection of pieces allowed a dreamlike state to settle over the catwalk. The feeling of softness was taken from labels such as Reem and Lanvin whilst 50s inspired shapes were turned Goth from French labels Carven and Charles Anastase. Next Turkish- born Bora Aksu’s Spring/Summer collection was shown. As a graduate from Central Saint Martins he won a sponsorship award to show off-schedule at LFW in 2003 and he hasn’t looked back since. The collection was striking, metallic and geometric – not everyone’s taste but he created some very interesting shapes on the catwalk. Thirdly was “Lady Brights”, London Fashion Weekend’s take on the colour trend but making it sexy, British and feminine. Think floating bright green maxi dresses with neon orange stilettos and bright blue body-con mini dresses with red heeled sandals – it was all about feeling fun and free. Finally, Canadian born designer Mark Fast, who had his first solo show at LFW in September 2010, sent his models down the catwalk in some of his spring/summer creations. He added colour, plastic panelling and Swarovski crystals to his signature black micro fine cobweb knits, to produce a parade of tropical positivity and engineered beauty. Pieces from this collection have already been seen on Kylie, Rihanna, Gossip Girl Leighton Meester and Eliza Doolittle. So for the on-lookers, the catwalk show was a real treat.
London Fashion Weekend was an unforgettable experience. I left feeling inspired by the catwalk show, happy with my purchases and glad at the same time to leave the hustle and bustle which goes hand-in-hand with the excitement of shopping designer brands at discounted prices. If you love fashion, beauty, accessories or just want a fun afternoon out then this was a very student-friendly choice. Although not quite as enviable as Fashion Week itself, I felt proud to have gone, I felt like a real fashionista for a couple of hours before returning, outside Somerset House as a normal, poor London student.
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