My First London Fashion Week

The lovely Elisa of Reward Style

Daniella of LellaVictoria and Wendy of Thankfifi who were the target of many street style photographers during LFW.  I decided I would be a street style photographer for the day. Unlike the "official" Vogue and Elle photographers, I allowed the two lovely ladies to smile instead of striking a pose or "look fierce".

The fashion industry is a completely foreign landscape to someone like me who came from a male dominated engineering background. A bit like chalk and cheese really, considering that the term "well dressed" to most of my former colleagues meant turning up with a shirt all tucked in or pants zipped up properly. And no, I'm not exaggerating either. It's difficult to put on a normal face when you're trying to hold a conversation and someone's fly isn't done. Which happens more often than not.

This has been my first foray into the London Fashion Week scene. It was a bit unfortunate that it coincided with the half term break which meant I couldn't attend more than half the events I was invited to. Bummer.

The London Fashion Week is perhaps the most pretentious, superficial and beauty obsessed world I've ever experienced to date. In contrast to my previous statement, I was equally blessed to meet with some of the most engaging and down to earth individuals who made it a memorable experience for me. Ladies, you know who you are so thank you for the wonderful time (Matches Fashion, Grazia, Reward Style, LN-CC, LellaVictoria, MirrorMe, Thankfifi).

Lucas Nascimento

Lucas Nascimento's show was intimate but still managed to make an impact with his designs. Bold, wearable pieces with clean fluid lines that will flatter women who do not necessarily have the perfect size 0 figure. The Central St Martins graduate obviously understands women and our insecurities well enough to create classic pieces but with a contemporary twist.





John Rocha with his chauffeur. I think I scared his wife when I couldn't stop ogling her Hermes Kelly.

Listening to Jonathan Saunders talk about his work.

The room was packed at House of Grazia with bloggers and journalists alike, all waiting with bated breath for Jonathan Saunders to arrive. A grounded, talented, witty and clearly exhausted man who deemed himself as the first generation of "normal" clothes designer. Jonathan was a Central St Martins graduate who'd attended tutorials with Roksandra Ilincic and counted Richard Nicoll, Christopher Kane and Louise Gray amongst his peers. Here are snippets of the interview.

Background: "came from Jehovah Witness background and went into furniture making because Jesus did so". Left because there wasn't any human interaction.
On social media: Previously, it used to be fashion insiders who dictated what went into press and the enormous influence they wielded but the social media along with blogging has "democratized" the whole process. Consumers are now closer to the designers more than ever.
On recession: It made him think and design more commercial and wearable clothes.

Well, it's back to planet Earth where I have a pile of dirty dishes waiting to be washed, the toilet bowl needs to be scrubbed and the mess that the 2 humans who live with me managed to generate while I was away. It was fun pretending to be a fashionista for a few days.............