london fashion week
Street-style, rain and new designers- just some of the words that come to mind when I reflect on my experiences at London Fashion Week. Something I get asked a lot is how I got to attend LFW (London Fashion Week, fyi) at the ripe young age of 17. As a wise 19 year old now, and having been at LFW twice now, I figured I'd put together a post on how I got there, and why I wont be going again any time soon.
You might be wondering- how on earth does a teenager from the outskirts of Dublin get to fashion week before they've even sat their leaving cert? The answer isn't really as exciting as people would think. I wasn't suddenly being sent invitations left right and centre to Burberry or Prada shows. I was, however, a very persistent youth. I did my research and after seeing plenty of other bloggers go, I thought I'd give it a shot too. To attend as a blogger, you're supposed to apply for a blogger pass with British Fashion Council, but unless you have a large following, you'll more than likely be rejected. The next step is to check out the LFW website and email each and every PR out there requesting a press invite and with all your details, why you want to go, etc etc. This took me about 4 hours to do each time I went, as I wanted all the emails to be specific to the designer I was applying to.
The invites were sent to my friends apartment (you need a London address if you're not living there) and each time, I was really surprised by the amount I got. Although I'd only received two or three invites from 'big' designers on the official LFW schedule, I was lucky enough to get loads from smaller, new designers thanks to Fashion Scout, who are really accommodating to bloggers like me with a 'small' following.
The first year I went, back in 2015, I came home feeling so inspired. It was the last year at Somerset House, where anyone could soak up the street-style vibes without even needing an invite to get in. I met some lovely bloggers, I was dressed by Boohoo and just had a really fun experience. Exhausting, but fun. I was enthusiastic and dying to go back.
The second time I went was February 2016, where I had a much different experience. When people think about fashion week, they imagine you sitting front row, mingling with celebrities and getting goodie bags worth hundreds. The opposite honestly couldn't be more true. For the few shows I attended that season, I had a standing spot at the back, and as for goodie bags- unless you're a Made in Chelsea star sitting FROW, you can forget about that. It was the first year the main location was at Brewer Street carpark, and because it's on a public road, there was little to no space for peacocking around in true blogger fashion, trying to get snaps of others doing the same. I ended up cutting the season short and spent the rest of my time in London sightseeing and having the best time.
Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities and experiences at fashion week because of this little old blog. But the general vibe I got the last time was that unless you're someone with a huge following or work for an important company or have lots of money- it really isn't worth your time going. If I'm honest, you'd get pictures from watching the runway shows on your laptop in the comfort of your own home, minus the snobbery of those who think they're the bees knees. I'm not bitter, just honest. And the truthful side of it is that fashion week isn't just about the fashion anymore. It's about the money, the 'who's who' and the competitive side of the industry. I'm not saying I'd never go back, I would love to go to NYFW or PFW in a few years, but with a more wary eye and more sense in my head.
I'd love to hear people's opinions on fashion weeks in general- let me know your thoughts by tweeting me here!
What It's Like To Attend Fashion Week (When You're 17 And Not Famous)
3.16.2017
Street-style, rain and new designers- just some of the words that come to mind when I reflect on my experiences at London Fashion Week. Something I get asked a lot is how I got to attend LFW (London Fashion Week, fyi) at the ripe young age of 17. As a wise 19 year old now, and having been at LFW twice now, I figured I'd put together a post on how I got there, and why I wont be going again any time soon.
You might be wondering- how on earth does a teenager from the outskirts of Dublin get to fashion week before they've even sat their leaving cert? The answer isn't really as exciting as people would think. I wasn't suddenly being sent invitations left right and centre to Burberry or Prada shows. I was, however, a very persistent youth. I did my research and after seeing plenty of other bloggers go, I thought I'd give it a shot too. To attend as a blogger, you're supposed to apply for a blogger pass with British Fashion Council, but unless you have a large following, you'll more than likely be rejected. The next step is to check out the LFW website and email each and every PR out there requesting a press invite and with all your details, why you want to go, etc etc. This took me about 4 hours to do each time I went, as I wanted all the emails to be specific to the designer I was applying to.
The invites were sent to my friends apartment (you need a London address if you're not living there) and each time, I was really surprised by the amount I got. Although I'd only received two or three invites from 'big' designers on the official LFW schedule, I was lucky enough to get loads from smaller, new designers thanks to Fashion Scout, who are really accommodating to bloggers like me with a 'small' following.
The first year I went, back in 2015, I came home feeling so inspired. It was the last year at Somerset House, where anyone could soak up the street-style vibes without even needing an invite to get in. I met some lovely bloggers, I was dressed by Boohoo and just had a really fun experience. Exhausting, but fun. I was enthusiastic and dying to go back.
The second time I went was February 2016, where I had a much different experience. When people think about fashion week, they imagine you sitting front row, mingling with celebrities and getting goodie bags worth hundreds. The opposite honestly couldn't be more true. For the few shows I attended that season, I had a standing spot at the back, and as for goodie bags- unless you're a Made in Chelsea star sitting FROW, you can forget about that. It was the first year the main location was at Brewer Street carpark, and because it's on a public road, there was little to no space for peacocking around in true blogger fashion, trying to get snaps of others doing the same. I ended up cutting the season short and spent the rest of my time in London sightseeing and having the best time.
Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities and experiences at fashion week because of this little old blog. But the general vibe I got the last time was that unless you're someone with a huge following or work for an important company or have lots of money- it really isn't worth your time going. If I'm honest, you'd get pictures from watching the runway shows on your laptop in the comfort of your own home, minus the snobbery of those who think they're the bees knees. I'm not bitter, just honest. And the truthful side of it is that fashion week isn't just about the fashion anymore. It's about the money, the 'who's who' and the competitive side of the industry. I'm not saying I'd never go back, I would love to go to NYFW or PFW in a few years, but with a more wary eye and more sense in my head.
I'd love to hear people's opinions on fashion weeks in general- let me know your thoughts by tweeting me here!
Long time no post, I know! I've been extremely busy over the past month between jetting off to Budapest and London, college, my job and various press launches. I headed over to London last Friday for London Fashion Week, which (as usual) left me feeling quite inspired. I have a lot of posts in mind for the next week or two, so hopefully that will get my creative streak back up and running!
LFW Outfit Day 1 (AW16)
2.26.2016
Long time no post, I know! I've been extremely busy over the past month between jetting off to Budapest and London, college, my job and various press launches. I headed over to London last Friday for London Fashion Week, which (as usual) left me feeling quite inspired. I have a lot of posts in mind for the next week or two, so hopefully that will get my creative streak back up and running!
Hey everyone,
Time for my last London Fashion Week post for this season- boo! I had such a wonderful time experiencing everything fashion week had to offer, and hopefully I'll be able to attend the full week in years to come. The last show I attended was Apu Jan in association with Fashion Scout at Freemasons' Hall. I didn't have a great view for this show in all honesty, and the venue looked slightly overcrowded. Not to worry- the show itself was still so exciting!
I didn't know much about Apu Jan as a designer before attending the show, but I was certainly anticipating it. The collection had quite a wide range of different shapes and textures- from cable knits to woven dresses. Minimalistic colours were used, but some colour popped up every now and then, particularly red! I loved the grey marble printed hats, as it really brought a bit of elegance to the collection. The shape of the pieces were generally very loose, with some more fitted pieces too. Overall it was a very diverse collection, and I was thoroughly impressed!
See any pieces you like from the images above? Let me know what you thought of my LFW posts below! All images were taken by me- please credit if using.
-Rachel x
Apu Jan Show Review: LFW A/W15
3.02.2015
Hey everyone,
Time for my last London Fashion Week post for this season- boo! I had such a wonderful time experiencing everything fashion week had to offer, and hopefully I'll be able to attend the full week in years to come. The last show I attended was Apu Jan in association with Fashion Scout at Freemasons' Hall. I didn't have a great view for this show in all honesty, and the venue looked slightly overcrowded. Not to worry- the show itself was still so exciting!
I didn't know much about Apu Jan as a designer before attending the show, but I was certainly anticipating it. The collection had quite a wide range of different shapes and textures- from cable knits to woven dresses. Minimalistic colours were used, but some colour popped up every now and then, particularly red! I loved the grey marble printed hats, as it really brought a bit of elegance to the collection. The shape of the pieces were generally very loose, with some more fitted pieces too. Overall it was a very diverse collection, and I was thoroughly impressed!
See any pieces you like from the images above? Let me know what you thought of my LFW posts below! All images were taken by me- please credit if using.
-Rachel x
Skirt- c/o Chi Chi London*
Top & jacket- Topshop
Jacket & hat- Penneys/Primark
Shoes- F&F @ Tesco
..and here it is in illustration form!
..and here it is in illustration form!
illustration by Hayden Williams, thanks to Rimmel London!
-Rachel x
Items marked with a * were sent to me for consideration. All views are my own! Read my full disclaimer here.
Items marked with a * were sent to me for consideration. All views are my own! Read my full disclaimer here.
Outfit: LFW A/W15 Day Two
2.28.2015
Skirt- c/o Chi Chi London*
Top & jacket- Topshop
Jacket & hat- Penneys/Primark
Shoes- F&F @ Tesco
..and here it is in illustration form!
..and here it is in illustration form!
illustration by Hayden Williams, thanks to Rimmel London!
-Rachel x
Items marked with a * were sent to me for consideration. All views are my own! Read my full disclaimer here.
Items marked with a * were sent to me for consideration. All views are my own! Read my full disclaimer here.
Hey everyone,
Bora Aksu was the only Somerset House show I attended during my trip to LFW, and it didn't disappoint! I loved Bora's previous collection so I had high hopes for Autumn/Winter. I had a brilliant view from where I was standing thankfully, but silly me forgot to check my camera settings before the show started, which led to me fumbling about with the settings just before it started!
The Bora Aksu A/W15 show was a pastel wonderland from start to finish. Opulent lace, pretty bow blouses and flowing material graced the runway this season. In all honesty, it really got me in the mood for Spring, even though it was an Autumn-Winter show. I absolutely adored the floral appliqué and the soft, dusty colours. There was something so romantic, so ethereal about this collection, and I was in awe watching the models strut down the runway. The show was closed by the fabulous (and Irish) presenter Laura Whitmore, which although was a bit surprising, was actually very refreshing to see too. One of my favourite looks was the lilac and pink dress below!
The Bora Aksu A/W15 show was a pastel wonderland from start to finish. Opulent lace, pretty bow blouses and flowing material graced the runway this season. In all honesty, it really got me in the mood for Spring, even though it was an Autumn-Winter show. I absolutely adored the floral appliqué and the soft, dusty colours. There was something so romantic, so ethereal about this collection, and I was in awe watching the models strut down the runway. The show was closed by the fabulous (and Irish) presenter Laura Whitmore, which although was a bit surprising, was actually very refreshing to see too. One of my favourite looks was the lilac and pink dress below!
What do you think of the new collection?
-Rachel x
-Rachel x
Bora Aksu Show Review: LFW A/W15
2.26.2015
Hey everyone,
Bora Aksu was the only Somerset House show I attended during my trip to LFW, and it didn't disappoint! I loved Bora's previous collection so I had high hopes for Autumn/Winter. I had a brilliant view from where I was standing thankfully, but silly me forgot to check my camera settings before the show started, which led to me fumbling about with the settings just before it started!
The Bora Aksu A/W15 show was a pastel wonderland from start to finish. Opulent lace, pretty bow blouses and flowing material graced the runway this season. In all honesty, it really got me in the mood for Spring, even though it was an Autumn-Winter show. I absolutely adored the floral appliqué and the soft, dusty colours. There was something so romantic, so ethereal about this collection, and I was in awe watching the models strut down the runway. The show was closed by the fabulous (and Irish) presenter Laura Whitmore, which although was a bit surprising, was actually very refreshing to see too. One of my favourite looks was the lilac and pink dress below!
The Bora Aksu A/W15 show was a pastel wonderland from start to finish. Opulent lace, pretty bow blouses and flowing material graced the runway this season. In all honesty, it really got me in the mood for Spring, even though it was an Autumn-Winter show. I absolutely adored the floral appliqué and the soft, dusty colours. There was something so romantic, so ethereal about this collection, and I was in awe watching the models strut down the runway. The show was closed by the fabulous (and Irish) presenter Laura Whitmore, which although was a bit surprising, was actually very refreshing to see too. One of my favourite looks was the lilac and pink dress below!
What do you think of the new collection?
-Rachel x
-Rachel x
Hey everyone,
On Thursday when I flew into London I headed to the Boohoo Bloggers' Gifting Lounge to choose an outfit for fashion week. Naturally, I chose something quite monochrome, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone by wearing a bright fuschia jacket! I'm absolutely in love with it, it's such a versatile piece that I know I will wear time and time again. The chunky black heels were surprisingly easy enough to walk in, despite the huge platform! Mixing different grid patterns is a trend I've been loving lately, and fashion week was the perfect oppurtunity for me to just try something new.
Coat,top, trousers, shoes & clutch bag- all c/o Boohoo*
Earrings- New Look
-Rachel x
Items marked with a * were sent to me for consideration. All views are my own! Read my full disclaimer here.
Outfit: LFW A/W15 Day One
2.24.2015
Hey everyone,
On Thursday when I flew into London I headed to the Boohoo Bloggers' Gifting Lounge to choose an outfit for fashion week. Naturally, I chose something quite monochrome, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone by wearing a bright fuschia jacket! I'm absolutely in love with it, it's such a versatile piece that I know I will wear time and time again. The chunky black heels were surprisingly easy enough to walk in, despite the huge platform! Mixing different grid patterns is a trend I've been loving lately, and fashion week was the perfect oppurtunity for me to just try something new.
Coat,top, trousers, shoes & clutch bag- all c/o Boohoo*
Earrings- New Look
-Rachel x
Items marked with a * were sent to me for consideration. All views are my own! Read my full disclaimer here.
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