The London Fashion Week Experience

I attended the LFW event at The Store X on the Strand. Though I have attended twice before, this time I would be front row for two shows and attending on my lonesome. I did think about attending with a friend, but the tickets at £245 were not cheap, and I didn’t mind as I wanted to really see the Self-Portrait show. Little did I know Eva Chen would be at the main talk, and I’m a huge fan so that was a very pleasant surprise…but more on that later!

As you read on, you will find pictures of the main A/W collection from both shows; House of Holland and Self-Portrait. I have shared what I loved about each show, the main talk with Eva Chen and Laura Brown, the VIP lounge experience and contents of the VIP goody bag.

The Catwalk

House of Holland showcased a heavy military/ grunge theme, with berets, khaki colours and grungy platform boots being a reoccurring feature. There were lots of autumnal colours, patterned and stripey dresses and padded winter jackets. Overall, it was a successful collaboration of feminine and masculine.

The Self-Portrait show was everything I expected and more. I am already a fan of SP and was eager to see their A/W collection, and it did not disappoint. The SP collection mainly consisted of the formal suit but in various feminine forms, and the traditional signature SP intricate detailing and lace. I’m a massive fan of the classic suit and this collection was really up my alley. Clothes featured, showcased varied sleeves (puff, ruffled, off the shoulder), and monochromatic dresses in black, white, red and royal blue. The formal jumpsuits and playsuits, are great for the upcoming winter party months. Lots of shorts and dresses with peekaboo lace, teamed with the stockings every model wore, gave Agent Provocateur vibes. The sparkly blue tops and dresses are again perfect for the Christmas party season. SP’s signature pleated, and lace skirts/ free-flowing dresses graced the catwalk and were perfect for slow-mo shots. They also varied it up with checked black/ white and neon orange/ blue designs. I’m such a fan, I already have an item from the collection!

The Talk - Eva Chen & Laura Brown

I also managed to get front row seats for the main talk “Influencer Impact and the Future of Shopping”, with Eva Chen (Head of Fashion Partnerships - Instagram) in conversation with Laura Brown (Editor-In-Chief - Instyle). I actually had no idea Eva Chen was going to be at the event until the morning of the event when I was watching her Insta stories and she mentioned it. Though both ladies (especially Eva) were heavily jet-lagged, they were professional, on point with their wittiness and looked fresh. Eva spoke about the importance of IGTV, how small businesses have more of an advantage compared to larger companies, @shop giving a platform to smaller businesses, and many more topics.

Eva in person looked so petite and tiny but where she lacked in size, she made up in personality and wit. The Q&A session was interesting, with many people asking relevant questions but also clearly self-promoting their businesses. One woman took it that step further by reaching out to Eva Chen at the end, and handing her business card. I wouldn’t have the balls to do that but a gutsy move that may pay off! One question that interested me was when Eva was asked to confirm if rumours of ‘likes’ being removed from Instagram entirely, were true. She explained that as an individual, though you would still be able to see how people ‘liked’ your post, others wouldn’t. Though it’s a change that isn’t coming into effect straight away, Eva explained that she is looking forward to it as it would take away the pressure that comes with the number of likes.

The VIP Lounge

As you know, I attended on my lonesome and normally I feel quite shy on my own. But something about this day made me feel gutsy, and I was inspired to check out the VIP lounge. I’ve been before but this time, on my own, I gained courage when I saw that not many people were around. The VIP lounge is quite spacious and has the feel of a hipster cafe in Shoreditch. The bar was offering complimentary drinks (such as coffee), and some snacks were also available. The sun was shining and I decided I deserved a mimosa and that’s exactly what I did. I sat, drank (okay, downed…) a mimosa, grabbed my goody bag and left.

The VIP Goody Bag

One word -> Disappointing. As you can see by my picture, 6 out of 15 items were food/drinks related. The goody bag included x2 drinks, x1 packet of sweets, x3 health bars and the rest were beauty items. Even the beauty items were so disappointing as I felt it was “leftover goods” from previous events. I feel like there are certain brands or products within brands that get recycled in goody bags every year. Lets have a look at the contents:

Patchology - illuminating eye gels: Probably would use this.

Seoulista - charcoal detoxifying face mask: Won’t use this as don’t think it’s appropriate for my skin type.

Nivea - black & white deodorant: Deo is always useful.

LFW haircare product - boring.

Dr Lipp - original nipple balm: seen this one being used in goody bags a lot over the years.

Bareminerals - complexion rescue defence: yawn.

Bareminerals - lashtopia mascara: I have thousands of mascaras I’d rather use instead.

Dermalogica - prism protect: another product that gets recycled over and over again.

HD Brows - brow highlight: yet another product that gets recycled over and over again!

Verdict

I honestly think the above goody bag would be great for a teenager or a woman who has barely any products in her makeup bag. This is rare because I think women have so much access to beauty and different brands nowadays, and even the average woman has really upped her game with best sellers from different beauty brands. NONE of the products excited me, and coming from a beauty obsessed person, that’s a difficult feat to achieve.

Also for £245, what a joke of a “VIP bag”! The normal ticket holders at £135 (which isn’t cheap either btw) just got the (empty) LFW tote bag and we as “VIP” got the crap above. I have been to so many beauty events where I’ve paid £50 and have received a much more decent goody bag. All I can say is, if you are going to attend this event and part of the reason is the goody bag, don’t bother. If you want to go for the FROW experience, or experience in general, I would recommend it!

Until next time xo

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All images on this post are my own.