London Fashion Week Diary Autumn / Winter 2018
Hey squaddies! In the last month fashionistas from around the world, including yours truly, flocked to London for yes, you guessed it, London Fashion Week! Notwithstanding sub-zero temperatures of England, the streets of London were clad with edgy, inspiring and creative looks whilst the paparazzi looked on, catching glimpses of 'street-style' fashion as it happened.
Here is my account of the three days which I attended shows and presentations during London's most exciting fashion event of the year. I can tell you that it was certainly the place to be, even Britain's Royal-Tea Queen Elizabeth made it to the 'FROW' this season.
DAY 1
11.am - OPENING OF LFW
During the last London Fashion Week in September 2017 when I saw the S/S18 collections, I discovered 'Fashion Scout' who provide a huge platform for emerging and international designers. It was a no brainer that this was the place to start, a short visit here will always leave you inspired and excited about innovative talent and trends. So, on my first stop I went to see some of London's emerging designers including Amy Thompson who was displaying her A/W18 presentation (which was VERY pink), at the historic location, the 'Freemasons's Hall'. I was so pleased that my squaddie Yezenia Navarro, a model and influencer, was in London for Fashion week from Doha too.
DISCLAIMER: I didn't attend any shows, I went shopping instead!
DAY 3
10am - GRWM (Get ready with me)
It started with 2 hours of getting ready with Tima, a fashion and lifestyle blogger who now lives in Leeds. I decided that I would wear this SS18' versatile runway trend during LFW: Stripes. A week beforehand, I had picked my outfit by Palmer Harding (who had designed an edgy, stripe heavy Resort 2018 collection) from Per Lei Couture Boutique on the Pearl, Doha. We decided that the theme of the day was going to be the STRIPE SQUAD! Squaddies, stripes are in so get your zebra gear out and feel free to mix and match up colours and widths to create your own look!
12.30pm - STREETSTYLE SHOOT
The day started with a photoshoot at the adorable and unique rooftop at Brown Hart Garden's with Ann Marie Haynes, a budding photographer and an old friend of mine from when I worked in the fashion industry in London.
I walked to the beautiful setting of the Delpozo show arranged by the Royal institute of British architects (RIBA). Set in the architecturally pleasing setting of Mecklenburgh Square. This marked a major shift as Delpozo switched from NY to LDN to showcase their A/W collection 2018 collection. Creative director Josep Font took this Spanish heritage brand to another level this season with a bright palette and exciting juxtaposition of volumes as per his signature style. The collection featured cubist art prints inspired by Ines Greval, as a former art student, this was pure eye candy to me!
2pm - LUNCH
After reuniting with Yezenia we were finally able to capture the 'STRIPE SQUAD' in its full glory, stay tuned for the video in my next vlog!
Following a fabulous show and street style shooting, in typical LFW style we decided to pause for some fuel but just as my pizza arrived it was time to grab an Uber to my next show...so long my delicious Legarra pizza!
It was my second time seeing the 'The shirt boys' fashion show, they were the designers behind my look of the day, as previously mentioned. When I entered the room, I could feel the nods of approval from fellow Palmer Harding fans who recognized my outfit. There was a was stunned silence in the room as the show began, revealing their latest collection which was themed around the idea of engineering 'movement'. My personal love of their collection stems from their play on garment forms, adding asymmetry, ruffles and structured yet reformed shapes. For their AW18 collection I really appreciated how they were inspired to restructure the classic trench for example throughout their outerwear styles. The designers Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding had surely hit the nail on the head with being forward thinking and creative which was evident throughout their design aesthetics.
It was a pleasure to be supporting Qlabel, an emerging Qatari brand for their debut during LFW this season. They showcased during Modest Fashion Week, alongside strong international independent modest fashion labels.
DAY 4
11am - BRUNCH
After a fun morning of getting ready with Tima we were starving and stopped by the gorgeous and fashionable French cafe Aubaine for a quick brunch whilst having to walk in the pouring rain!
1.30pm - SOPHIA WEBSTER
It was my second season attending what I could only describe as a jaw dropping 'Webster Wonderland' created for the F/W18 Collection. Walking into the ultra-cool Hotel Cafe Royal I quickly forgot the cold outside and felt like the Rio carnival had arrived in the heart of London! I was greeted by the singer Joy Joseph singing live popular percussion music, models dressed in fabulous feathers and ballroom dancers, inspired by Webster's youth as a Latin and ballroom dancer!
Each presentation was a beautiful union of fashion , fun and fabulous-ness. Webster had kept all of her dancing trophies and used the display for a backdrop for her enchanting collection of shoes! I was blown away by a model dressed in knee high embellished sandals sitting on a glitter ball!
Outside on the balcony overlooking the busy streets of London, I watched the Latin dancers perform next to the 'Sophia Webster x Coka Cola' collaboration display. This was where I spotted the style queen Olivia Palermo and flashed her a quick (lightbulb) smile before she walked away with her entourage!
A quick catch up with an friend at the ever-so-stylish but tiny Elan Cafe in Park Lane! The cakes were such a treat!
Set in the edgiest part of town, the trendy Hoxton Hotel, the presentation for Camilla Elphic featured a quintessentially British collection of footwear inspired by treasured tales. As a child I used to read Enid Blyton books and was amazed to see that was an inspiration behind the 1970's styling and finishing.
Stay tuned for the VLOG coming soon!
UNTIL NEXT TIME LONDON!
Loving the blog looking forward to the next one
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