It is a dream of mine to attend all of the Fashion Weeks all over the world, and someday I will. But for now, I live through the pictures and Snapchat and Instagram stories of the big fashion houses and my friends that attend. One of my really close friends, Maggie Hite, is currently studying abroad in London and had the opportunity of attending several events of LFW. I had the opportunity to interview her about her experience and was proud to see one of my close friends enjoying the fashion world abroad.
1. What shows did you attend?/Who were the designers?
- I attended the Edeline Lee show at OXO Tower Wharf. It was set as a presentation rather than a runway show. All of the 'invite only' events such as this did not have a guest list being checked off, as you went in because the only way you would have known about the secret location would be if you had an invitation. Here is the link to her Fashion Week profile for more information on her and her collection. http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers_profile.aspx?designerID=2586
2. How did you get tickets?
- We got the tickets for the Edeline Lee show through our nightlife promoter because his company, which doubles in fashion, was covering the presentation for their website. However, for our Fashion Week Festival tickets we simply went to the website and bought them online.
3. What was the aesthetic?
- The inside of the building was gutted to expose the brick walls. The whole feeling was very simplistic, yet high end at the same time. When we first walked in we were greeted by the sound of a pianist playing a baby grand and two men handing out drinks. We were then led up three staircases to the main showroom where the models were waiting. All of the models were situated in front of backdrops around the room and rotated to different places every few minutes. Once they had gone all the way around the room they would change outfits and come back out for another rotation. The backdrops were all color-blocked against the exposed wall and focused on block shapes. The clothing itself focused on pastel colors with a futuristic shape. The designer took regular, everyday pieces and added more shape to them by either giving them additional pieces or playing with the size and fit.
4. What trends did you notice while in the streets?
- There were a few trends that I tended to notice a lot of people wearing. First, fur coats are all the rage right now. They ranged anywhere from muted rainbow colors, to brown, to tan, to black. Another trend that seems to be catching on is the oversized puffy coat slouched off of one or both shoulders. I also saw a lot of ankle boots paired with high waisted 'mom' jeans, and any rips in jeans were of course paired with a pair of fishnets. Additionally, the soft fabric, wide legged capris are very in right now. Completely opposite to this is the timeless look of pointed stilettos, matchstick trousers, a statement blouse, and a long structured coat. Overall, there is a very wide range of style going on at the moment but there is clearly an emphasis on fur, puffy coats (thanks Kim Kardashian), structured ankle boots, and the general "oversized" look.
First look: Coat by Zara, Jumpsuit by Bershka, Sunglasses by Aldo
5. How many outfits did you wear?
- I wore three outfits overall. One for the Edeline Lee show during LFW itself, another that night for one of the afterparties hosted at Libertine Nightclub (ended up partying in the same club as Drake), and a third for London Fashion Week Festival a week later.
Second look: Coat by Zara, dress by Missguided
Third look: Coat by Allsaints, Jeans by Garage, Shirt by Brandy Melville
6. Any last comments or interesting facts about LFW?
- The whole set up of the events is very intriguing because they are extremely secretive about their locations. Furthermore, each location is morphed and changed to fit the aesthetic and style of the line. The runway shows themselves have a more sleek and modern feel to them regardless of the lines themselves, whereas the presentations seemed to fit themselves more to the feel of the line. It was fascinating to see how everyone took the same set of styles and made them their own. I saw so many similar pieces but they were always styled to fit the aesthetic of the person wearing them. That's one of the really cool things about fashion; five people can take the same look but completely change it to make it their own.