jenny robins – blog slam – circus – toast and biscuit – thewedordeadwager sketch at the rag factory male dating humour
All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Every London Fashion Week has it’s own particular foibles, stomach it’s own idiosyncrasies – and this September was no exception. So I thought I’d write up a little round up of things that will always remind me of this particular fashion week. In no particular order, sickness here goes…
Teabags, check Jelly Bellys and Ferrer Rocher
Why is it that tea companies love to sponsor fashion week so? Qi Teas, Pure Teas, Tea Pigs, Pukka – they were all at it. Is it because tea can be dispensed in a relatively cheap sachet of one and it inherently contains so little calories? That might make sense, but then weigh it up against the copious quantities of smoothie flavour jelly beans, Ferrer Rocher and Elizabeth Shaw choccies that I also managed to collect at the shows. Not that I’m complaining mind you…
The smiley ice-cream man
Anyone who spent any time at Somerset House will surely have encountered the sweetest organic ice-cream vendor from Laverstoke Park Farm. I’m guessing that plenty of people must have sampled his wares because there was only ever one flavour left when I passed by: liquorice. Shouldn’t work, but so did. Try it, honestly, it was the best thing ever.
The Phoenix Magazine girls
How many times were you offered this new magazine? It seems like it was thrust into my face every time I went to a show. Because we really need another fashion magazine. Oh yes. That’s what the world is really missing right now. Needless to say I haven’t had a moment to look at it. Has anyone else? Information overload!
My Palladium Boots
I was sent a pair of Palladiums a few months ago but I didn’t wear them for ages because I thought they were a bit ugly. But as the weather has got colder and I’ve realised I can’t wear my plastic Melissas through the winter I’ve come to realise that I actually like them quite a lot. Not for me high heels, I’m afraid I need sensible shoes for the shows and whilst my Palladiums might not be the most beautiful footwear in the world they carried me through LFW something fab. Thanks Palladium!
Great weather
Wow! The weather was gorgeous and as any seasoned fashionista will tell you good weather is a real rarity for the September shows when it usually rains like hell. What a fantastic bonus, especially for cyclists like myself.
A Garden Party atmosphere on menswear day.
Getting between the shows on a bike
Surely the only way to do it: totally carbon efficient, fast and healthy. I don’t understand why more people don’t cycle, but at least I persuaded some of my team to join me, and it was great to cycle around London with them like a latter day Red Hand Gang.
The Gimp Lady
Making an appearance in various latex outfits and a blow up wig, as she did last season. But who is beneath? That’s what I’d like to know…
Disco ball mannequin at On/Off
…taking over from the papercut and deer sculpture of last season.
Illustration by Jo Cheung.
Vitamin bloody water – every bloody where.
I’ve drunk so much of this disgusting sugary Coca-Cola product that I think I may even be a convert. Ugh. And to think my favourite kiwi and strawberry combo owes it’s bright pink colour to the colouring provided by purple sweet potato and purple carrot. Utter madness.
Models falling off their shoes.
Everywhere! All the time. On every catwalk. Ridiculous! Your shoes are too high designers: spare a thought for your poor clothes’ horses.
A model kicks off her shoes at Holly Fulton. She was just one of many who stumbled.
Hanging out with Tatty Devine.
They always cheer me up when I visit the static stands to view next season’s collections. This time I joined them for an end of fashion week party at their Covent Garden shop and then we all went for paella. It was mostest fun.
Louise Harries of Prick Your Finger and Harriet Vine of Tatty Devine model the latest collection.
Gorgeous young girls with big hair and pink lips.
Pink lips are the best. If only I looked like this model on her way out of the Paul Costelloe show… sigh.
Lots of big rings.
I lost track of the amount of shows that featured big finger adornments: time for me to dig out all those silver rings I’ve hidden in drawers. Pile em on, it’s an easy way to update your look.
Mawi for David Koma.
Masha Ma.
KTZ.
Men in big statement jewellery
Dangly feather earrings, vast chunky necklaces… you name it and the men were wearing it. In spades.
Illustration by Antonia Parker.
My ability to get into shows without queuing.
This year my brazen blagging knew no bounds so even when ticketless I managed to sit front row at almost every show. After all it’s the only way to get decent shots if you’re not in the photographer’s pit (and we don’t want the same pics as everyone else). Over ten years in the business means I know who and how to hustle.
See this? I don’t do it.
Performances, presentations, shows.
There’s a lot of muddle about what all these actually are so quite often what one presumes is a rolling presentation actually occurs at a specific time not known to the audience. In this way I missed quite a few. Clearly there needs to be more common parlance about what a performance or presentation means.
Babies at the shows.
Eek! Not sure what I think of this! The music can get pretty damn loud you know, and then there are the naked ladies to consider: I wouldn’t mind if they looked anything like what a real woman looks like…
Fashion illustration is HOT.
Thanks in no small part, I’m sure, to the wonderful contributions on this very website. Suddenly everyone is running illustration as part of their fashion blog posts, including Fashion Scout – who had a team of illustrators live sketching at the shows. Bodes well for my upcoming book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.
My fabulous team.
You’ve all been beyond brilliant. Sniff. Here’s just a few of them:
Matt Bramford: my utterly brilliant fashion editor.
Satu Fox, Sally Mumby-Croft and an Orla Kiely cut out. Guess which is which.
Illustrators Naomi Law and Aniela Murphy.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday October 1st, 2010 7:50 pm
Categories ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Aniela Murphy, ,Antonia Parker, ,Elizabeth Shaw, ,Fashion Scout, ,Ferrer Rocher, ,Gimp Lady, ,Holly Fulton, ,Jelly Belly, ,Jo Cheung, ,lfw, ,London Fashion Week, ,Masha Ma, ,Mawi. David Koma, ,Naomi Law, ,Paul Costelloe, ,Phoenix Magazine, ,Prick your Finger, ,Pure Teas, ,Qi Teas, ,Red Hand Gang, ,rings, ,Sally Mumby-Croft, ,Somerset House, ,Tatty Devine, ,Tea Pigs, ,Vitamin Water
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