Survival Guide: How to Get Through London Fashion Week I THE STYLE INSIDER
Posted by LAURA AYRES
We are slap-bang in the middle of fashion month, which means london fashion week is only a matter of days away. If it’s your first time at the event you may be worried about fitting in, but as long as you read this survival guide from our editor you will be fine. Last year I was fortunate enough to attend my first fashion week and the weeks leading up to it all I could think was: How will I know where to go? Will an Uber find me? Do I need practical shoes? And more importantly: What should I wear?
Above everything else, the
HOW DO I GET AN INVITE?
As I just said, fashion week is a business event for the industry and it
If you are in the industry and going in as a buyer, press, broadcasters, photographer or journalist, you will have to get accredited by the British Fashion Council before anything else. This will allow you permission to fulfil your role, extra access to areas and clout when requesting invites.
Requesting invites is a simple as it sounds. Once accredited by the BFC use their contacts to email the individual designers.
Top T
IS IT EASY TO GET AROUND?
It genuinely depends on which shows you are seeing. Not all of the show are held at the BFC Space, for instance the off-schedule shows are all held in a completely different location. I’ve had it where I was on the Strand at 4pm, at Covent Garden for 4.45pm and then in Pall Mall for 6pm.
It can be quite intense, but keep in mind where you are. I cannot explain how difficult it is to try and get an Uber outside the BFC Show Space.
Top Tip: Book your Uber for a side street. The amount of police, photographers and taxis is unbelievable and you will get charged a fortune for making your driver wait.
HOW DO THE SHOWS WORK?
Each show is only around 15 minutes long and more often than not, late to start. On-schedule shows use row numbers, as long as you’re on the right row you can sit anywhere.
Off-schedule shows are a bit different and depend on ‘how important’ you are. The influencers with millions of followers sat FROW, as will the latest Love Island cast. This has actually happened to me before and I was stood up against a radiator and the back to watch an hour-long show (yes, sometimes they are that long).
You will also get events and presentations, with these don’t stress about trying to get there on time. They run over a few hours with the idea of people just popping in and out.
Top Tip: Arrive around 30 minutes before your show starts, get a good spot and avoid the crowds.
Top Tip: Also, as a heads up, many of the off-schedule shows massively overbook the event so be prepared to wait outside for 45 minutes with an invt to be told they are at capacity!
WHAT’S THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE?
Fashion week naturally creates a buzz, so when you are strolling around there will be hoards of photographers.
Be prepared to be pulled out of queue to have street style photos taken.
As there are groups of
I walked out of the BFC and there must have been a major celebrity inside. So when I got outside there were photographers EVERYWHERE and they must have initially thought I was this person. In the shock of flashes, I ended walking into a security guard and knocked over a steel post with the rope barrier. It was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
I know this is the biggest question out of them all, but the truth is, it really doesn’t matter. I’ve stood in queues with girls who are wearing couture gowns, jeans, basic hoodies and even one girls in an anime cat head.
Whilst you want to look good under such a large microscope, I would definitely just recommend just being comfortable.
Last season, I had to ditch the heels and panic-buy a pair of trainers as my feet were burning.
Top Tip: WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. I cannot stress this enough. You will be in queues, walking about and you might not always get a seat at the shows.
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