Overheard at London Fashion Week February 2013

There are lots of things to be learned at LFW each season. One of the main things may be that having a ticket for a show really doesn’t mean you actually get to see the show! Many of the shows are over-subscribed (one show was redefining the term ‘front row’ by making people sit on the floor…) and seated people are left standing or can watch the show from outside (as happened to @TeleFashion). Even the real front rowers looked a bit squished from time to time. Another very important thing is: EVERYTHING is fashion. Absolutely no exception! If someone turned up wearing bananas, it would be fashion. Someone wearing a diaper – fashion. Paper – fashion. It’s the same as with art. Well, you get the picture.. It seems everyone discovers their inner Lady Gaga during Fashion Week.

And I guess it’s time for another Overheard at London Fashion Week post. I’ve spent more time reading all the hilarious ‘overheard’ tweets than watching the actual shows this February. The fashion industry definitely has a sense of humour…hidden somewhere behind the façade. Here we go…

@RyanLanji Ha! #lfw quote of the day „How much of your outfit did you borrow?” #presspit

Is it possible to borrow underwear too…?

@TeleFashion  Overheard at #lfw after KTZ. ‘How was it?’ ‘Different.’

@JulesMattsson Just been trampled by a heard of incredibly well-coiffed wildebeest & paps (apparently someone famous turned up). Oww. #LFW

‘Move aside, ordinary person!’

@TeleFashion Seating mess up at Felder Felder. The term ‘front row’ has been taken too literally and they are being made to sit on the floor. #LFW

They should’ve done that at Burberry. Imagine Anna Wintour.. sitting on the floor.

@Rebecca_Heufeld ‘There is nothing like #LFW to make you feel overweight and under dressed’. Overheard at Somerset House.

@AmeliaGregory Oh my: just witness to the worst catwalk etiquette: girl next to me steaming down the row stealing copious goodie bags BEFORE the show #lfw (Grab what you can before you get thrown out, I’d say…)

@Staceysssssss I kid you not, I just met a photographer who was photographing a blogger taking photos. #LFW

Mind-is-blown.

@angelahmorris You can tell that #LFW has hit. I couldn’t get within an inch of a salad in M&S Bond Street. Move over to the biscuit aisle annoying models.

@JessicaQuillin There’s nothing like being directed to queue on the right from someone pointing left. #eudonchoi #LFW

@InStyle_Tanya Cute kids on front row at #toddlynn – is this the new accessory? #lfw

@andrew_greening Everyone is dressed this morning like they are doing the walk of shame, Then I saw the lanyard on their necks saying #lfw

@bumpkinbetty Overheard at front of queue for David Koma… 1 guy, 6 ppl entourage “Have you got a ticket?” “No, but I’ve got a blog!” Hmm… #LFW

One of my favourite quotes as my friends always make fun of me getting stuff for free because of my blog. Nice try though.

@TeleFashion Overheard at Holly Fulton – Security: ‘There’s no more room for photographers.’ PR: ‘There’s ALWAYS room for photographers.’ #lfw

Maybe they could make them sit on the floor..?

@PoppyD Best overheard at any #LFW ever…tiny elderly couple walking past the ‘street stylers’ at Somerset House – “We fought wars for this.”

@modelrecommends Overheard at #lfw: “Ohmygod, imagine a life WITHOUT fashion? Like, if you lived in somewhere like….Wolverhampton.”

Homage To The Old Days – Berlin Fashion Week Outfit

It was really cold in Berlin during Fashion Week. -2 °C maximum! Other people thought a thick fur coat, jeans, a wool cardigan and pullover and long boots would be enough to protect them from the cold; I thought a leopard print/ leather jacket, a short mesh/ silk dress, tights and ankle boots would be enough. Guess what? The others were right… I was freezing on my way from the U-Bahn station to the show venue! But will I ever learn from it? No. Sometimes one has to ‘suffer’ to look good. What I have learned however is that you should not buy ankle boots with heels a day before you intend to wear them all day while running through Berlin to get from one show to the next. I almost tripped over several times – which of course had nothing to do with the bubbly we drank at the Lavera Showfloor bar after the Shakkei show..

The ‘background’ in these photos is my friend Zoé’s living room in her flat in Berlin, where we had much fun doing a retro style photoshoot at 3 in the morning after having a midnight tea.

My Outfit:

Leopard print and leather jacket – H&M

Dress – H&M

Tights – H&M

Necklace – No idea where I bought it

Bracelet – Accessorize

Boots – Deichmann

No, this is neither Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago/ Velma Kelly nor Liza Minnelli in Cabaret. This is my beautiful friend Zoé who loves theatre, musicals and all that jazz.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin – Irina Schrotter, Fabryan London, Shakkei

Last Friday I made my way up to Berlin to spend the weekend in Germany’s capital and to attend Berlin Fashion Week. It was my second one and the first time I actually was invited to some shows. Big shows! Amazing shows! Eek! I got invited to Fabryan and Shakkei Friday evening on the Lavera Showfloor and to Irina Schrotter Friday morning at the Fashion Week tent. As I wasn’t able to make the Irina Schrotter show (yep, I missed the most exciting show I got invited to), I got a blog assistant , Marlene, who studies fashion journalism, and sent her to the show to take pictures for me. I am so glad I did, because the pictures she took are really great and she could enjoy the show with her friends. So everyone’s happy. One of the models on the Irina Schrotter catwalk was Lena Gercke. The collection looks great; I especially love all the white dresses (I’ve got a thing for the colour white, don’t ask me).

Next up in the evening was the Fabryan London show which I didn’t entirely miss. but I was 15 mins late and saw about 5 minutes of the show which is really disappointing because Samantha-Jane, the designer behind Fabryan, is from London, as is the brand. What I did see were the backs of some very beautiful evening dresses in red and black. and I’m sure I would’ve loved the show. Here are some pictures that Fabryan sent me.

The last show that evening, at the Lavera Showfloor and Fashion Week in general, was the Shakkei show at 11.30pm. I met a very lovely blogger there, Fleur of Red Fashion Hood with whom I spent a little time at the bar afterwards, having a glass of bubbly. As for the collection, it was my favourite that day! Eco-friendly, Vivienne Westwood-style dresses in dark colours, red and flower prints. French-style coats, dresses and suits made for fashionable men. My favourite looks were the red dress and the red jacket styled with a beret. Very chic!

I also saw German actress Marie Munz, whom I adored as Judith von Bütow in the series ‘Schmetterlinge im Bauch’ (I watched every single episode and am still hoping for a DVD of the series…)!

After the show with Fleur:

Berlin Fashion Week – Ethical Fashion Show, GREENshowroom and Froschhammer & Rosenvogel meets Vaporetta

I was invited to the Ethical Fashion Week at the ewerk as well as the GREENshowroom and show in the Hotel Adlon Kempinski during Berlin Fashion Week. I was given a press pass and was really looking forward to both events.

The GREENshowroom and show took place in the suites of Hotel Adlon and is the biggest ‘green luxury’ event in Berlin. Press and buyers could view fashion and accessories by 25 international and national designers. The catwalk showed designs by Anne Gorke, Edelziege, RoyalBLUSH, Ika Babel and many more. The events showed us that green fashion is indeed en vogue.

There even was a (environmentally friendly) shuttle service between the Hotel and the ewerk so you didn’t even have to walk.

The salon show was the highlight of the event. Edelziege:

Studio Ecocentric:

Vilmava:

The Ethical Fashion Show wowed with 57 international exhibitors such as KOMODO, Studio JUX, Fairtrade and MR Creation.

Another showroom I visited, was the Froschhammer & Rosenvogel meets Vaporetta showroom. The designer, Isabella Pikart, told me about her collection ‘L’Histoire de Mimi Cri’, a ring collection made entirely of porcelain, all of which are limited to 32 pieces. My favourite ring is the Ouro Branco, made of snow white porcelain and partially gold-plated. They also were the nicest people I talked to during Fashion Week.
Thanks to everyone involved for the great experience I had at Berlin Fashion Week!

Sarah xx

Berlin Fashion Week – Toast&Jam Vintage Fashion Fair and Show

The Toast & Jam vintage fashion fair and show was one of the events I was looking forward to most. Now guess why! Right, because it’s VINTAGE fashion! I do have a thing for all things, vintage, old, very old..and Stone Age. Haha. No, but I love old stuff because I have the feeling there’s a great story behind every old dress, shoe etc. And of course they look nice! There were so many amazingly styled and dressed people at the vintage fair, I even felt underdressed.

With exhibitors such as Etsy, Veist Kleidergeschichten, Mayflower Vintage, Class of Berlin and Memory Vintage, everyone could find something to buy.

The show was the best at the whole Fashion Week in my opinion.

I love the shoes in the picture above!

Again: Great shoes!

A weekend at Berlin Fashion Week

Berlin Fashion Week was a kind of surreal experience for me and – surprise, surprise – not all glamorous. I’ve been to Berlin only a few times and usually had a car at my disposal; not this time however. When I got there, I first had to find the next U-Bahn or S-Bahn (tube) station to get to my accommodation, which happened to be almost impossible. It was 7pm, very hot, I had no idea where I was and – worst of all – my phone’s battery was running low. Very glamorous…! Anyway, I somehow did find my accommodation and almost immediately fell asleep.

I had a lot of time for sightseeing, in spite of my pretty tight show and showroom schedule. My feet were very glad when I sat down in Starbucks in front of the Brandenburg Gate (right opposite the Hotel Adlon where the GREENshowroom and salon show took place, which will get its own blog post).

Above you can see the the outfit I was wearing. It looked way too French for Berlin, but I really wanted to wear the beret. Haha. My Lulu Guinness lips clutch was a great ‘companion’ at Berlin Fashion Week too!

Berlin street style:  Skirt: Probably H&M, Jacket: Vintage

More street style pictures in the Showroom magazine by The Sartorialist

I went to several showrooms and shows and all in all really enjoyed the Fashion Week. Actually I wanted to go ‘street style photo hunting’ on Saturday, however all the Fashionistas were hiding in their hotel rooms because of the heavy rain.

I’m going to write 2 or 3 more blog posts about showrooms, shows and the Ethical Fashion Week this week. The first one will be about the GREENshowroom, salon show and Ethical Fashion Week; one will be about the showrooms and the vintage fashion fair and then I’ll probably also do one about some other shows.

Sarah xx

 

Burberry Prorsum AW12 Illustrations

The Burberry Prorsum AW12 show was hands down the best show at London Fashion Week. Fake rain and thunder, music by Marina and the Diamonds (‘Numb’) and a front row like no other. The collection itself is fabulous. It’s chic and playful and I love it! Which is the reason why I chose two of my favourite Burberry AW12 pieces to illustrate.

Original photos by ohdearhenry.blogspot.com

Overheard at London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week is over now (insert sad face here), but I still have to laugh at the things that were overheard at the shows. Yeah, we understand the fashion world isn’t always glamorous, say no more…

‘Can I go in front of you I have a show that starts in 5mins’ #ModelLies (@missjourdandunn) My usual excuse at the supermarket…

Overheard re #LFW “Somerset House was full of bloggers photographing bloggers asking for photos in return. THE most horrific circle jerk.” (@nikthakkar) I thought this is what Fashion Week is about..

‘If this outfit doesn’t get me on a street style blog, I give up.’ (theplatform on youtube) See, I KNEW this is what Fashion Week is about!

‘She said she wears Versace. It was Versace for H&M!’ Oh dear, how COULD she?!…

‘Those shoes are killing me!’ I share her pain. But flat shoes at Fashion Week? Oh god, no!

‘Oh my god, you got two phones!’ ‘It’s just for Fashion Week.’ (theplatform on youtube) I have two phones…not for Fashion Week.

‘This dress looks gorgeous on me! How much is it?’ #modeltalk  #modelaftershow You can afford it, dear, believe me.

Just overheard v exciting fashion chat btwn Jonathan Saunders & @StarworksGroup re how late he can make Anna wait. 10 mins apparently #lfw  (@Pat_McNulty)

Overheard at Nicole Farhi:”whos that tall woman front row with the bad nose job who thinks everyone should know who she is?” #lfw  (@ScotsmanCurrent) Yeah, those people are clearly annoying..

Overheard from an angry girlfriend:”You bought me dinner and flowers, not a fucking YSL Arty ring!” #LFW” (@Osman_Ahmed_) 

Overheard at #LFW “I thought everyone would be more botox-ed”  (@SarahRHarrison) Oh sorry, but Botox is sooooo 2011!

Overheard. Fashionista: “2 skinny lattes”. Waiter: “we only have whole milk”. Fashionista. *stamps foot* “I CAN’T DRINK WHOLE MILK!” #LFW  (@HannahRochell)

Overheard in costa before Clements, ‘Sometimes I just wish I could sit on the 4th row. Front row is really hard work’ #FASHIONWOES #LFW (@RachelHaworth)

Forgot to tweet this before, but overheard at LFW/Somerset House “Fabric is the new print” (Barely restrained myself from snorting loudly) (@Libertylndngirl)

Mulberry – A/W12 London Fashion Week

Mulberry had the most amazing Front Row at London Fashion Week so far, with stars like Mulberry muse Lana Del Rey, Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Olsen, Billy Nighy and many many more. American Vogue editor-in-chief, the woman herself, Anna Wintour, also was there to see the ‘monsters’ walking down the catwalk. The show and A/W12 collection of Mulberry apparently was inspired by ‘Where The Wild Things Are’, the book by Maurice Sendak. 2 huge monster statues were watching the show, stood left and right of the catwalk. The models wore long-haired coats, skirts, jackets and – very amusing – a long-haired dog joined the models on the catwalk. My favourite AW12 Mulberry bag is featured below; it reminds me a bit of Chanel.

DAKS – A/W 12 London Fashion Week

The DAKS A/W 12 collection show took place in Somerset House today, on the 2nd day of London Fashion Week. The collection by designer Sheila McKain-Waid combines modern and traditional fashion while concentrating on British elegance and heritage. Models in ostentatious checked tweed coats were walking down the runway and a cocoon-like coat with two different shades of red formed a contrast to the white, ivory, check and black.

DAKS is celebrating 50 years of being a Royal Warrant holder to Her Majesty – and with the collection radiating modernity and a fresh look as well as a British sense of luxury I can already see Kate Middleton in one of these amazing checked cocoon coats.