London Fashion Week is the ultimate event in any fashion lover, blogger and designers calender, and this year – for the second time, I had the privilege of attending. Last year’s trial run taught me many things about how the bi-annual event itself works (if you fancy more about that, have a read here) but this year, I really was able to enjoy the amazing atmosphere it presents, as I was invited along by The Body Shop to go backstage at Fashion Scout!
No Fashion Week experience is complete without a walk around Somerset House, outfit spotting, street style photographing and celeb spotting, so this year, we made our way to Covent Garden first to get a feel for what this season it like – and I have to say, although amazing, it wasn’t really a patch on last year. Perhaps due to the dull, grey sky and the light drizzle (which slowly got heavier as the day went on), there were just a few people milling around the grounds in comparison to last year’s crowds, so after a few obligatory shots in the grounds, we headed to Glam Media’s LFW lounge at the prestigious One Aldwych Hotel. Sponsored by Osiris, the suite hosted a photo booth, manicures, blow drys, a bloggers booth (to re-charge our phones and catch up on tweeting) and lots of delicious, healthy snacks and drinks. As we were pretty early, the suite itself was just getting set up, however it was lovely to chat to Izan from Glam, who I work with on a fairly regular basis, as well as the rest of the team.
After a quick breakfast, we scuttled off to the New Look LFW Lounge at the Hilton, just a few doors down – to indulge in yet more tasty treats, photo booth fun and smoothies (us bloggers really are spoiled). I was interviewed by New Look for one of their voxpop videos, which you can see in the photos above. Admittedly, after this experience – I’ve realized I do perhaps need to improve on my interviewee skills, because my answers were absolutely awful. A natural in front of the camera, I think not. However, we really enjoyed the lounge and were handed a goody bag upon leaving, which contained a sneakily hidden £50 gift voucher, which you only really found if you looked properly (I won’t say anything more in case you’re off today or tomorrow). I shall have fun choosing what to spend that on!
With the rain continuing to pour and lunchtime approaching, we decided to head over to the main ‘stage’ for the day, as it were – Freemason’s Hall – which plays host to Fashion Scout over the season. The Body Shop, who are the official sponsors this year – in addition to being the make-up artists for many of the shows, invited me to go backstage and catch a sneaky peek into what goes on behind the scenes, which was really exciting (more about that later), in addition to providing us with seats for the shows. And not just any seats. Oh no. FRONT ROW. FROW. It’s safe to say, I was beyond excited. Not only does front row grant you the best view, but also the best pictures! It was an amazing experience and I will truly never forget it.
Yifang Wan
Up first was Yifang Wan, a gorgeous SS14 collection with a real beachy, mermaid feel to it. The make-up (courtesy of The Body Shop) was kept very natural, with dewy, flawless skin and highlighted cheekbones. The lips were covered with a small layer of nude foundation and the nails were pure white, with one single stripe three quarters of the way down. The ‘mermaid’ feel came from the hair, which was kept in long, flowing waves, which blew back ‘supermodel’ style as the models walked down the catwalk, accentuated by the glittering greens used in the bodycon style dresses, blazers and skirts. Although for Spring Summer, many collections choose to opt for pastel colours, this stuck to a palette of grey, green, black and white which was unusual, but the floaty fabrics gave it the hint of summer.
Ones To Watch
Ones to watch, rather aptly, is the show that gives you a little sneak preview of the designers ‘to watch’ over the coming seasons, and this time – we were in for a treat. A much longer show than the previous ones, Ones To Watch featured three designers – Helen Lawrence, Hannah Williams and Renli Su. Each unique in their own way, the hair and make-up was kept consistent throughout the three collections, bringing them all together seamlessly. With a twist on a very modern blow dry, the sides of each model’s hair was slicked back with gel, giving it added attitude and a little more of an edgy feel. The make-up was kept very neutral, with very highlighted cheekbones and brow bones, contoured to perfection and dewy, flawless skin. One of the most unusual of all three of the collections was Hannah Williams’ which encased a whole outfit (pearls included) in silicone, creating this very unique, all-in-one jelly outfit.
Yeashin
Probably my most favourite collection of all time (featuring dresses I really would be happy to slip straight on) was Yeashin, which had a very fairytale, theatrical, dollhouse feel to it. Teamed with the soundtrack, which was very Disney/Carousel like, the collection was really and truly beautiful, feminine and almost innocent. The hair and make-up, which we saw prepped backstage was in keeping with the theme also, with flushed pink cheeks, pink lips and highlighting eyeshadow. Similarly, the hair was kept neat with a french plait and preened, straight locks.
Nian
The final show of the day for us (having been up since 6AM getting into London/getting ready) was Nian, and what a show it was. A mix of menswear and womenswear, there was a real quirky feel to the collection, mimicked by the hair and make-up. The prints on display looked a little like barbed wire, which was interesting, however the neon colours gave it a summery electric feel.
Overall, despite sporting several blisters on my feet and rather wet hair, I had an absolutely amazing day. The Body Shop treated us like royalty and I can’t express how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to blog from behind the scenes. London Fashion Week has a very unique atmosphere and you’ll honestly never experience anything else like it. Unfortunately, due to starting uni, I was only able to make the first day of London Fashion Week myself, however the team will be covering each day individually.
Georgia, our fashion editor, will be going backstage with The Body Shop on Monday also, so make sure you stay tuned to the LFW section for daily reports!