Fashion Scout is the perfect option for discovering and reporting on collections from a perspective that isn’t centered on the main schedule.
PEOPLE WATCHING VOLUNTEERING
Perhaps the best way to really understand the atmosphere, volunteering enables you to be at the heart of the action while also helping it function smoothly. This can involve working backstage and being involved with fittings, hair and make-up, model casting, line-up organisation and music. Or it could be interning with a PR agency. Sylvie Bowman, a fellow former fashion journalism student, did just that in 2017. As part of a front of house team taking care of the VIP suite, tasks included meeting and greeting guests, replenishing the food and drink, ordering room service and making travel arrangements for bloggers and influencers. “It wasn’t at all like the glamorous depiction of working in fashion that you see in the movies,” she tells me of her experience. “It was long 12 hour days on my feet. Being in a suite all day rather than backstage at a show, I was also quite removed from the excitement. It does have its perks though. You get to chat to the bloggers and influencers and make industry contacts. The PR company was also holding fashion show tickets for industry people but if they didn’t collect them the interns got to go!” As a result, she got a live seated view of an always-fun House of Holland show.
Internships and volunteering opportunities are widely advertised in the months leading up to the event. Websites such as
fashionworkie.com are great for this.
In September 2015, London Fashion Week moved from its home of Somerset House (where it had been since 2009) to the central West End spot of Brewer Street Carpark in Soho. Three seasons later and it relocated to 180 The Strand where it remains today.When at Somerset House, it was the prime venue for going along to ‘hang out’ in the courtyard, taking in the street style and lengths people would go to in attempts to be photographed, such as one hopeful wearing a mask made from Lego. Top tip observed from previous trips: if you have an adorable little dog by your side you will gain masses of affable attention regardless of what clothes you're wearing.
Some question the legitimacy of fashion week street style as a seemingly forceful competition for attention as opposed to genuine personal style of the streets but, whatever the views, watching can be an insightful anthropological exercise. Now on the busy pavements of The Strand, a casual walk past and you'll find yourself caught in the outside action.
POP-UPS, DISCUSSIONS, SCREENINGS
Often to coincide with a collection or as a way of celebrating the city’s style, there will be pop-ups or screenings taking place where access is open to the public. February saw a two-day pop-up by Converse in Hoxton, Shoreditch, called ‘The One Star Hotel’ which, in addition to new products, hosted collaborations and DJ sets. 180 The Strand’s The Store had a week-long exhibition dedicated to the Belgium photographer Willy Vanderperre with work on display including shoots in magazines Love, AnOther and Vogue Hommes as well as campaigns for Raf Simons and Prada.
Some pre-planned talks this September include ‘Beyond Representation: Industry & Fashion’ which takes place on Sunday, September16th. Organised by Fashions Finest, a platform for emerging UK and international designers, it will feature a panel of industry insiders discussing the ways brands can
create a more inclusive business other than just representing marginalised groups in campaigns. It’s located at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, Holborn, the home of Fashions Finest’s off- schedule show. Here throughout the Saturday and Sunday, you can discover a vibrant variety of up- and-coming designers.
While not entirely linked, there is also the annual Fashion Film Festival (Friday, September14th), situated at the Regent Street Cinema, which coincides with the start of the Spring/Summer 2019 shows. The festival was founded in 2013 and puts focus on the intersecting disciplines of film and fashion by presenting specially selected submissions from students, industry professionals and brands from around the world. It also includes masterclasses and panel talks.
However, for spontaneous outings and an insight into what’s happening, keep an eye on the social media of designers and London-based magazines, as well as sites such as Time Out, during and just before London Fashion Week.
LONDON FASHION WEEK FESTIVAL
The London Fashion Week Festival is the everyday consumer’s paradise held the weekend after London Fashion Week. Consisting of trend catwalk shows, talks from industry professionals and an amalgamation of luxury and affordable clothing, jewelry and accessories for sale, it’s a chance to dive into what’s current in the fashion scene. Held at 180 The Strand, tickets are available to the public and come in three categories ranging from £20. You can find out more at
londonfashionweekfestival.com.
September’s LFW is Friday, 14th – Tuesday, 18th
Francesca Rose is a freelance writer whose musings and research on fashion can be read at
www.knotjournal.com
www.focus-info.org
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