LFWE is not the main LFW event , but rather the little sister event, created for the members of the paying public who could be anything between shopaholics, fashion junkies, fashion students and devotees, self-proclaimed trendsetters or people infatuated with the development of modern day
British Fashion, which is in fact quite spectacular. To the point that currently it is bigger and more profitable than the British Car Industry apparently, this was proudly announced by our hosts during the LFWE catwalk presentation.
By purchasing a ticket for a reasonable amount (between £20 -£200) a visitor gains access to the Saatchi gallery, which is of course a wonderful and very fitting venue. A gold ticket gives you a front row seat but a Luxe or Luxe Premium Tickets (£200) to the London Fashion Weekend Event are the closest you could get to the real London Fashion Week, by attending a major British designer cat walk show like Preen by Thorton and Bregazzi, having the opportunity to meet the designers and be pampered in style. Of course a delightful goodie bag is always at hand.
On the day I attended the salon there were internationally acclaimed names of the British Fashion Industry delivering inspirational talks and sharing their insights on life as a designer or fashion professionals, this was very hard to get into though due to the sheer demand to see these people share their stories. The likes of Sophia Webster, Patrick Grant, Sarah Shotton of Agent Provocateur as well as less familiar but budding new stars were all on the list.
The rest was purely a shopping opportunity, of all sorts. You can find premium brands outlet stalls (perhaps all the way from Bicester Village?) and many, many small artisanal fashion labels creating anything from jewelry, to all styles of clothing, shoes and even very cool water bottles (check out Swell.com).
I can’t say that I was impressed by the quality or craftsmanship of most of the small labels, but the Alexander White shoes from the same brand, were a real revelation. Cool modern design, excellent quality and execution, which is not to be missed. Normally these shoes sell at around £450 a pair, but at the LFW event you could snatch them at a special price of £150-£250, as with most other products on display during the event.
I was appalled, however, to come upon a very dubious looking stall, covered with brand new “Chloe” bags at the bargain price of £300. At a closer glance it became even clearer to me that all of these “Chloe” bags were actually copies, not even from the most refined standard! One could only wonder why no one was monitoring the stalls for such transgressions!
The catwalk shows were split into two types- one showcasing the work of up and coming young British designers and another on showing “Trends”, showcasing the biggest current season trends to follow, like Velvet, New Lace and Winter Florals (view our latest product page to see some of these items).
The emerging designer catwalk was intriguing as it showcased the work of young, but already recognised talents, like Edeline Lee, who is still relatively unknown but whose designs have been worn by the likes of Solange Knowles and Taylor Swift.
All in all not a bad way to spend an afternoon in London, still if you would like to get the real high, with the buzz, extravaganza and amazing artistic expression of “Fashion for Fashion’s sake” try and get yourself an invite to the real Fashion Week Shows, doesn’t matter if you don’t particularly favour a particular designer, the experience is what ultimately counts!
Otherwise put your name down on the London Fashion Weekend Event website now in order to be on the insight track for next year. We certainly will be there!