London Fashion Week is here

No high street pick of the week since it would clash dreadfully with London Fashion Week. After all fashion week is all about the inspiration and it is of course the shows which now more than ever tend to influence the high street and the way we dress.

Since I breathed a sigh of relief at my momentous decision to follow my heart's desire and write a film script waving adious to the day job of styling, I've really not given a stuff about all things fashion. I never get enthused about fashion weeks mainly because my first job as a fashion assistant involved being a lakey at many a show or being part of the events team. Somehow this has ingrained sense of working at a show within me, and when I attend one it finds me wanting to 'sort something out', I seem incapable of relaxing. Also thanks to the interweb the joy of live streaming or digesting images at ones leisure means less faff on the outfit front and lets me go for a swim instead. I do miss the networking, the gossip due to priceless moments and dreadful 'secrets' one stumbles upon.

So there was I content in the knowledge that I passed on tickets or passed tickets on but promised to go to the Vauxhall Scout Party, thinking about getting ready, trying to motivated myself. I'd decided to drive so no drinking which was a plus as it was really nippy outside and nothing is worse when you live in the south west London area than a cold Waterloo waiting for trains.

I had my outfit ready as per capsule wardrobe challenge and then a quick flurry on twitter and suddenly I was off to the Vivienne Westwood Palladium 'Get a Life' party, as consort to Queen Michelle. Dear Queen Marie, I will be sourcing you very nice tea to make up for usurping your place and being you!

Of course I had to drop off the Scout party invites to a very understanding WaceyStyle and felt very guilty but I really couldn't resist the allure of a party set at the Wallace Collection in Marylebone. Okay I mean Dame Viv...

Then I tried to nip across town with every light and bus against me but pulled up outside Selfrigdes to pick up Queen Michelle, who was shivering and didn't believe me last week when I told her it was cold in London.

Meanwhile a quick rewind, once I knew I was hotfooting it to Dame Viv's bash, I ran across the road to my friend Annabella's to nab one of her many Westwood items. She uses her Westwood shoes in lieu of porcelain! Unfortunately her feet are size 6 and mine are size 4. That's right I abandoned the capsule wardrobe outfit for a Westwood red label dress and jacket. I kept the tights though.


The party was splendid. It was a mix of culture, fashion, hedonism and egos all squeezed in to one. The Wallace collection was delightful to peruse and the interior of the building was magnificent. I was more impressed with the collection of armour and artwork on display than a brief 3 song performance by Jessie J. It actually took all 3 songs for Queen Michelle and I to remember her name. The bar yielded some great mixes and I did sip (only to taste) the Absolut Pear mixed with ginger bee, it was truly yummy. I will be trying at home.

The lighting was lovely within the space

A fringe affair

Jessie J performing in the distance

I did get impossible star struck upon seeing Dame Viv, even though I've bumped in to her on many an occasion even in WholeFoods in Clapham. She just looked wonderful and had a shawl to die for. She also put me to shame as her heels were higher than mine.

Equally splendid in a gorgeous scarlet red Bastyn dress was the lovely Mrs Trefusis and we had a quick chat about the party and its setting before I confessed to tiredness and skipping off. On our way out we had a cloakroom incident. Some person was stood on Queen Michelle's dress, the train bit, which was a gorgeous. I politely said 'excuse me' twice and as I went to say it a third time I got bored so firmly shoved the person off the dress. Queen Michelle was in hysterics as it was Cory Kennedy.

I dropped the royal party off at the 7th ring of hell in Bayswater as was my duty and then headed home. And that folks is the beginning and end of London Fashion Week for me as I head off to Bristol and Bath for the weekend. It was worth it.

images Daily Mail: Jessie J in the wonderful crown created by Vivienne Westwood

The art of booty

Princess Diana in the 1981 Elizabeth Emanuel Black Taffeta dress causing a fashion stir by wearing black on her first official engagement with Prince Charles when she was still Lady Diana Spencer

I've never been a show girl in any sense of the word, boudoir, courtesan, stage or fashion shows. I put my hands up and say I gave my tickets away. However I did attend the Triumph awards at the start of LFW, I love underwear and it was a great night out. And I made a big effort to go to The Art of Being, Elizabeth Emanuel's comeback fashion show last night. It is 10 years since she last staged a catwalk show and I couldn't resist for a number of reasons, which were a random collection, Princess Diana , Little Black Dresses and Rebekah Roy of Stylist Stuff. Plus when I hesitated about nipping out doors of an eve Mr MDS pointed out I would be a golf widow next week as he is decamping to Wales for the Ryder Cup.

Well I was out of that door. So quick I committed the cardinal sin of being early! How unfashionable is that. I was 10 minutes early for the 7pm reception and canapés, which meant the doors wouldn't open for another 15 to 20 minutes, since when has anything been on time or early. As I'd arrived via tube and my own feet I sauntered off and decamped to a nice building where I stood on the steps and hidden by pillars to attempt to tweet. Guess what I don't know my twitter password. That is what happens when you computer takes over your life and remembers everything for you.

The moral of the story, don't be early and even when one stands in splendid buildings in Belgravia you new BF might be someone who picks up cigarette ends and has the paramedics trying to help. It was very sad as she must have wandered off from a hospital as her hand had a drip thing in it and she was so thin. Even though I'd made the effort to dress up I was being ignored and upstaged by an aviator-esque jacket so I did the British thing and joined the now forming queue for the show.

I will of course post proper images of the lovely dresses from the show. However, my wonderful original Anya Hindmarch clutch is super slim and only had enough room for blackberry, oystercard and invite plus my Tiffany little blue book. I met the lovely Kimberly Lyn from Toronto completely by chance. How happy was I to be able to talk Toronto and Mississauga and ice hockey! We were the only bloggers there (I think) but neither of us had been invited as bloggers.

We both enjoyed the dresses which were wonderfully constructed and looked a million dollars. I love well constructed clothes because regardless of how they are presented they will look good (in fact Fashion's Most Wanted has wonderful pics of the Giles show - another great example of excellent cut and consturction).

The feast of black dress after black dress was a delight. I could never tire of black dresses and Elizabeth had taken inspiration from Breakfast in Tiffany's which isn't original but she had captured the idea of decadence and modernity of the LBD for today. Not only that but Sonique was singing the catwalk music and came out and did a performance of Moon River. It was amazing.

Rebekah Roy (right) with her assistant after the show. Rebekah did a wonderful job of the styling

The team behind the hair, makeup and last minute seamstressing!

The after show party drinks which I stepped away from as I'd had 2 glasses of champagne.

I slipped off into the night with my really nice goody bag with 2 additional items. One was a t-shirt from the show kindly given to me by Elizabeth Emanuel's partner ( I was too polite to ask whether business or romantic) and the other I'm ashamed to say fell into my goody bag, no it did really I have two witnesses as I dropped it in shock. I photographed my LFW haul when I got home. In these hard times there is no point at sniffing at what you get!

Very nice and amazingly comfy pants from Triumph, I'm a convert. The material is fabulous and the fit a dream. I got these last Thursday.

Ahem. This was in the washroom in Belgravia at Il Bottaccio the venue for Elizabeth Emanuel. I was one of 3 people who expressed amazement and amusement. To quote by a.n other person 'why even in Shoreditch we have Molton Brown'

How nice to find Liz Earle in your bag. Elizabeth Emanuel went all out with natural and sustainable products

Candle, body scrub and body moisturiser

The t-shirt, very kindly given to me -made of sustainable bamboo viscose and organic cotton - feels lovely

Next week it will all be back to normal once I've caught up on myself.

Wearable, right now!

Two things have stuck in my mind of late when it comes to fashion. One of which is an important or pertinent theme when it comes to personal fashion purchases. The theme mainly goes like this, only buy things you really love, and these fall mainly into the designer or non mainstream high street world. Plus never throw anything, designer, or an item you love, out. WendyB is the major proponent of the never get rid of your designer pieces and buy quality. Whilst Disneyrollergirl is of the, not buying things off the high street and making key quality piece purchases, ilk. Both of them have a wonderful sense of personal style and are living proof this theme is of much use. (Btw Disneyrollergirl love, love loved your black trench)

The other matter is the desirability of selling. The sad fact is that brand Alexander McQueen was in debt to the tune of probably 32 million euros, now this is not unusual in the world of luxury goods, it was years before Stella McCartney turned a profit. But with two parent companies fighting it out(LVMH and PPR) wearable collections are a big factor in sustaining a designer in the luxe market. Whilst LFW is all about the cool and not all about the big houses, it is ultimately about desire and being able to envisage wearing the garments.

Richard Nicoll is striking the right balance between fashion(able) and wear(ability). He either knows what women want to wear or what buyers want to buy. His show was reminiscent of Marc Jacobs in the simple colour palette and a reliance on cut and drape rather than the spectacle. His show is becoming something of reliable and desirable element in sustaining the worth of LFW on the fashion map.

Richard Nicoll images:style.com

London Fashion Week and LCF Short Film Premier

Regular readers and fellow bloggers will know (seriously I might have bored you on this subject) that I've completed a Masters in Fashion and Film for which I have made a short film.

You can hear more about this here - London College of Fashion MA-sters Showcase. And I hope to have a trailer for the film shortly but weather is hampering access to all manner of things at the moment.

The premier for the short will take place on Thursday the 18th of February - the eve of London Fashion Week at the London College of Fashion with a panel of experts (fashion journalists, academics and retailers) discussing the issue raised by the film! Plus drinks on the wonderful terrace overlooking Oxford Street before and after

Invites are being sent out shortly but I suddenly realised that some of you non London/British fashion bloggers might be coming to London for LFW. If so, and you'd like an invite then please let me know. I'm not sure of numbers as it's not me in charge of the guest list, except those I've specifically noted although I nearly forgot my mum and dad! But I can forward your details to the lovely events team. Let me know.

Say what LFW 25 years ago!

I realised with shock how many years ago the first London Fashion Week was when I put on an outfit on Monday to go shopping at Tesco. It was sunny and I'd been to Paris, my standards were high that day! It was when I saw myself in the mirror that the whole look reminded me of my first ever fashion show week - the black with colour and a slogan send me reeling.


Composed with petit garcon (who really does scoot round Tesco and anywhere he can) wearing bargain See by Chloe top with Reiss skirt, H&M leggings and LK Bennett quilted ballet flats.

And over to me at a young age wearing PX for LFW 1984! Basically the same principle, coloured motif top with black and flats.

I wasn't as young as Tavi but I was a young 'un. I don't know why the shot was in black and white. I remember the sweat top was a pale green with red suede PX on the back. I wonder what happened to them. The shows to model were Vivienne Westwood, Betty Jackson and Jasper Conran and I got PX. Still a very nice Sally Brampton gave me some good advice and I dutifully went to university with my eyes on fashion journalism not prancing on catwalks. I did make enough money to get me through uni and have some spare change though.




I had to snap the photograph with my blackberry as I haven't got a scanner at home. Someone did my hair and make up very nicely which you can't really tell but I do remember how nice it was to be made up. I still love dressing up and am glad I haven't lost my appetite for fashion.

Mind you my best accessory now is my little boy not my backside as it was then! I couldn't wear leggings without something over the top these days....

The boy done good

Due to my looming MA deadline I'm enjoying an enforced absence from London Fashion Week. Whilst all around me are dashing towards the Embankment and Somerset House, I'm enjoying a quiet nip in or two to the London College of Fashion library.

There is one show I should have fought for, that of my favourite fellow countryman Julian Macdonald. Ah the boy done good...he restrained his flamboyance, which I love, to the aim of his cut and created a collection of scuba inspired modern pieces for a perfect marriage of sportswear and glamour.

images: style.com

Fashion, Food and being Fierce

It was so lovely to receive an award from Sharon Rose Vintage the ever successful thrift queen! Particularly as it is the Fierce award!

Although given my ramblings of late I'm not sure that I'm possessed of enough 'fierceness' when it comes to fashion. The trouble with studying fashion is the too much information overload and the doubts that creep into ones brain cells. Issues such as relevance, conspicuous consumption, the ascribing of the female identity blah, blah, blah. After finished one essay yesterday (yes! one down two to go) I decided to view the blog posting on LFW and the shows on style.com and just enjoy some spectacle!

My three favourite shows were Erdem, Paul Smith and from the trenches the Momo pics courtesy of Marian of The House of Style

Erdem and Paul Smith Women images from style.com

On the food front I am going great guns although I'd be fibbing if I didn't admit to dreadful lusting after chocolate - I don't usually care that much for it apart from choc cakes and desserts - and a momentary longing look at a chilled bottle of wine in the fridge. I started today with porridge made with water and added blueberries, raspberries and pumpkins seeds plus Spanish lemon honey and a glass of orange juice. Lunch is homemade hummus, crackers and carrot with supper a wonderful mix of couscous and vegetables. In between I sate myself with water and green tea. I might lose some of my fierceness on this fayre but I'll be able to wear fashion!