ONE OF the greatest things about being a stylist is that you regularly get invited to presentations, previews and fashion shows. This not only keeps you up to speed with the fast-changing trends taking place on ‘planet fashion’, but is also a wonderful excuse to have a good time and get out of the office…
I am on my way to London Bridge to a fashion show called Profile, an event organised by the London Fashion Forum, which acts as a platform for up-and-coming designers. It’s a great show, if a little amateur, but crucial to the new generation of fashion designers.
I am meeting some friends at Monument tube station and from there we will be walking down to a beautiful, old building by the Thames called The Old Billingsgate Market. Despite delays on the Circle Line, we all manage to get there on time. Andrew and Sarah are at the tube exit and we get a text message from Adam who is already waiting in the press room by the complimentary Krispy Kream doughnuts (which are now a guaranteed appearance at all fashion events) and the small champagne bottles — where else?!
Once we have registered, we walk into the hall and go round the different stalls checking out what’s hot and what’s not. The large room in buzzing with journalists and buyers taking notes and generally doing some snooping around. An announcement is made over the intercom: ‘Please make your way to the catwalk area, the four o’clock show is about to begin’.
Good timing. We make our way to the front row, of course, and get comfortable. The lights are dimmed and the show begins: it’s an impressive collective show, featuring men’s and women’s fashion as well as accessories. The trends are very feminine for the women’s collection (floaty dresses, skirts, chiffon and satin textures) and funky, functional and stylish for men. The accessories were very vintage-looking, so if were you I would head straight for that attic in search for gran’s brooches. You are guaranteed to be in vogue.
As the show ends, Adam points out that the rain outside is torrential, so we sit in the press room and wait for it to die down, watching as it falls into the steel-like river, sipping champagne and eating Krispy Kreams. Let’s face it, if you are going to be stuck sheltering from the rain, it doesn’t get much better than this!
After a while Sarah needs to go to work, so we decide to make a move. Outside, we are in the heart of the City and the ‘suits’ are making their way home. The streets here are clean and cobbled, full of smart sandwich shops and wine bars. We can’t resist, so we stop at the Corney and Barrow to have ‘one for the road’. The bar is downstairs and has a dungeon feel to it, with ambient lighting and bricked walls with arches separating the different areas. We look slightly out of place in our combats and patterned clothes amongst the suit-wearing customers, but the atmosphere is great and we have a fabulous time.
Time to go home. I take the Central Line all the way and before too long and I am back in Portobello. The vibe is totally different here and the ‘suits’ are definitely out-numbered by the hippy-boho-chic look.
It starts to rain again, and –- of course — I don’t have an umbrella, so I decide to stop at Starbucks before embarking on the last section of my journey. It has been a good day, and the talent shown at the exhibition has been very inspiring. Who said London fashion has seen better days?
