London Fashion Week is one of those events that is a little like marmite, you either love it or hate it. Not knowing what to expect from my first fashion week, I went with an open mind and was fully prepared incase it didn’t live up to my expectations. I’ve read and written my fair share of show reviews in the past but I wanted to get to the nitty gritty on the actual experience itself. Being new to attending the event I was as eagerly excited yet just as apprehensive, not having a clue what to expect.
I chose to travel by train with Great Western Railway and was treated to a little bit of luxury in first class on the way to London, it was only a couple hours journey but travelling by rail always gives you a little time to prepare yourself and enjoy the landscape. Even on a dreary day passing through the city of Bath still looks lovely.
Arriving at the venue showcased a number of individuals, some eager to grab the camera’s attention, most just trying to hide from the drizzly rain. This year felt like an anything goes theme, street style was a huge mixed bag but that’s what makes London so diverse and as a spectator fascinating to watch. I’d opted for a comfort, leaving the heels firmly behind at home! As we were ushered into the Freemason’s Hall and to Judy Wu’s show, coincidentally I was sitting in front of the lovely ladies of She and Hem, fellow bloggers from the South West, which was a lovely surprise. They do say it’s a small world after all!
The atmosphere at the venue was fascinating, hues of excitement, anticipation sprinkled with some catty remarks. Don’t get me wrong, on the whole it was a friendly and inviting place to be and I certainly met some lovely people, yet overhearing remarks in the queues on how people dress definitely surprised me! It did make me wonder why people like that attend fashion shows and not expect individuals to display their personal style?!
We Brits do love a good queue and the Ashley Isham show was no exception but it was worth the wait. My feet were starting to ache a bit after being on them all day but I got the chance to do a little celebrity spotting and noticed a few of the bloggers I follow in the seating opposite. I snapped the lovely Jodie from A La Jode in the front row and Em from EmTalks was there too.
I wanted to throw myself into this London Fashion Week experience and form my own opinions of what it is really like. I’ve heard a mixture in the past, both good and bad about the atmosphere etc yet if you are doing something you love then it’s always great to try these experiences. Reporting first hand and witnessing these collections, personal style and everything that makes London Fashion Week what it is certainly made me excited for the future of fashion.
It’s definitely not all posing for photographers, celebrity spotting and sitting on the front row. I won’t sugar coat the waiting around, being too hot one minute or too cold the next and not being able to sit down for hours at a time but if you want to be a part of it, somehow it all seems worth it, you just might need three days sleep afterwards!
Words by: Natasha Henson