London Fashion Week, Somerset House

London Fashion Week comes around twice a year: February/March for the Autumn/ Winter collections and September/ October for Spring/ Summer. The incongruity with the current weather conditions makes this a little bizarre. On Saturday as the elite few watched the models showcasing the new summer clothes on the catwalk, the majority of us were getting drenched by the chilly September rain - summer and all the flouncy outfits it brings felt very distant.

As one of LFW’s bloggers, I was invited to attend Somerset House to explore the exhibition and take part in the fashion mayhem. I was immediately struck by how incredibly inventively everyone was dressed: velvet drapes, crazy shoes, beautiful bags, patterns and materials, accessories and garments of every kind - fancy dress that actually works and looks good. Photographers were out in force lining the cobbled square of Somerset House snapping away at everything and anything that moved!

We spent a good few hours walking round the exhibition, which showcases the work of some fabulous designers, old and new. My friend and I were in seventh heaven, frolicking in what felt like a giant dressing up box of goodies. Thank God the items weren’t for sale – I would have spent a fortune.

The accessory designs were the highlight for me, some so incredible that they’d complete even the plainest of clothes. Cleo B had an outrageous collection of funky shoes and footwear accessories - pom pom and diamond clip brooches to jazz up tired ballet shoes, as you can see from my photo. Colour was everywhere, and like a magpie I was drawn in by the glowing neon. Sarah Angold’s futuristic bracelets were lust-worthy as well as the beautiful bright hair accessories from Fred Butler.

In fact, there were numerous jewellery stalls: Tatty Devine with a particularly juicy array of head dresses and necklaces, and Zoe & Morgan showing off their beautiful gothic range. Clothes varied enormously in price and design; luxury handmade cloaks, retro inspired swimwear from Paolita and gorgeous silk shirts caught my eye.

I wore my favourite patriotic outfit, a vintage union jack dress, and after a trip to the paperself stall for some free paper eyelashes, I felt a little more fashion week appropriate. Hopefully my photos illustrate the qualities of LFW: fresh, innovative and exciting... fashion at its very best.

Visit the London Fashion Week website here.

Brighton Fashion Graduates Show 2011

It’s one thing knowing what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ at the age of five, but eighteen, not so easy. Schooling finishes in a flurry, and suddenly it is time to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life... time to get on the never ending career ladder... the whole thing is terrifying, and of my school friends only two were really ready to embark on adult life and get started on their careers. One of these ambitious friends is Elena Crehan, a creative creature with fiery orange hair and a vitality for life that never ceases to astound me. Having just finished her fashion degree at Brighton, I was invited along to the graduate show to see the final collections and creations.

The show took place in a kooky venue in Angel, called Candid Arts. My friend and I instantly felt painfully out of place, surrounded by hip fashion students wearing outfits that in some cases barely resembled clothes, but instead a drape of material arranged effectively around their body. Our El was barely to be seen, darting all over the place organising the hoards of guests, models and press people. On entering we were greeted with a tall glass of Pimms, and then took our places in the buzzing press area, neighbours of the frantic photographers. Our position meant we were on the receiving end of the model’s piercing stares and glaring poses.

After a brief welcome and introduction the music pumped and the models began striding confidently towards us. Eighteen students were exhibiting, each with about six different looks – so about 108 entrances in 108 unique outfits. Each student’s collection seemed to have a theme, a certain thought that united each of the garments into a team. Along with the clothes many of the models were adorned with fabulous stick on eyebrows and eyelashes, accentuating an androgynous or quirky look.

I was instantly amazed by the sheer quantity each designer had produced, and the incredible attention to detail - obviously each garment had taken a painstaking amount of time to construct. For me, as a keen fashionista, but by no means an expert, I was fascinated and impressed with everyone’s work. Not one collection disappointed. There were a few pieces that I particularly liked, either for the reason that the clothing was so beautiful, an artwork in itself, or because I thought to myself ‘I would really like to wear that.’

First up was Sophia Messina who presented an interesting men’s collection. Experimenting with materials each model came out with unusual straw platform shoes. Rachel Brooks utilised the girl’s slim line figures with slinky long trousers and a fabulously droopy hat, that I would love to borrow for holidays in the sun. I adored Lucy Fisher’s passionately red series, tent-like sporty hooded jackets paired with bright white chunky trainers. Adele Ahrens showed off a very wearable collection of bright floaty tops and a stunning full length gown. John Holt’s gold jumper caused quite a stir, a fluffy sparkling top that he modelled himself on the catwalk!

Eventually it was time for El’s showcase, an arresting collection of texture crazed garments, cleverly named ‘Do You Think Shesaurus?!’ In describing her spring/summer capsule collection El said: “The hand worked Stegasaur pleating technique has been used obsessively throughout to create a geometric silhouette while remaining true to original research in Mexican dolls, corn dolly’s and the proportions of children’s wear as well remaining fresh and above all things fun!”

I particularly loved the potato printed legwear - black Miro-esque shapes mark the white material to create an intricate and funky pattern. All of it was breathtaking and could easily be mistaken for the work of a fully established designer.

I was sad when it was all over, the swarm of models and designers all clapping their way round the catwalk circuit, displaying for one last time the magical designs that had fully occupied these talented graduates for so long. I left knowing there were certainly a few names to watch from the Brighton class of 2011.

Fashion Fixes

My bank holiday weekend was all about fashion - SATC2, Alexander McQueen sample sale and the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A.

The wait was finally over on Friday when the second Sex and the City film came to cinemas across London. I was lucky enough to have a complimentary ticket from a friend who won a set of 4 tickets in a competition. The cinema was filled with giggly excited girls, there was not a man in sight, which is exactly as it should be.

The film was slow moving and not as memorable as the first. However I still loved it, as I'm sure any true SATC fan would. The friendship, the fashion and the fun were all there in abundance which is what this foursome are all about.

My cousin, model Lily Donaldson wearing a McQueen creation.

The great Alexander (Lee) McQueen will be remembered for his genius, wacky creations, often impractical but always beautiful. My talented friend, Elena, worked with him and continues to work for the label, see her blog here: http://www.elenarosecrehan.blogspot.com/. She invited me to the sample sale so that I could pick up my own little piece of McQueen. It wasn't as busy as I expected, but I did hear that Daisy Lowe had been there for most of the day before. It was a treasure trove of fashion, I tried on many wonderful items and eventually came out with an amazing scarf and t-shirt.

Grace Kelly really was royalty, even before she became a princess. The V&A is currently showing a range of her outfits in their exhibition, Grace Kelly: Style Icon. The small but compact show has clothes from throughout her life and also displays a few interesting film clips of her. This is an exhibition for a fashionista, there is little information about her work, just about the designers she wore, which I was a little disappointed about. You can also see her hats, sunglasses and magical jewellery, as well as some of the original film posters. If you manage to get a ticket, go and see Princess Grace, I guarantee you'll turn green with envy at the sight of her wardrobe!

One of the more extravagant Grace Kelly dresses.