Ahh. London Fashion Week. Time for everyone in the city to dress up in their best frocks in case those 'street style' photographers happen to spot them posing outside Topshop. Time for the freebie papers to suddenly devote countless extra double page spreads to fashion (and more importantly, skinny models). Time for Julien MacDonald to once again get into a big argument about fur. And time for me to constantly check the letterbox, wondering where the hell my Marc by Marc Jacobs ticket has got to...
There is no place like London if you're interested in fashion. It's definitely the place to come if you want to study it. You may not have that drunken campus experience that your friends enjoy, but if you're serious about the industry, London is the ultimate student playground. All the fashion capitals have their strengths, and this city is all about new talent, underground designers, burgeoning talent and serious creativity. There is such an amazing support network for young designers and new talent, and London Fashion Week is proof of that, with Topshop sponsored presentations from cutting edge new talent like Christopher Kane and Richard Nicoll, and the amazing Off Schedule shows that are often more exciting than what goes on in the official tents.
L-R: Manish Arora, Danielle Scutt, Louise Goldin & Duro Olowu
I often get emails from potential fashionistas asking me about my experiences studying fashion in London (on what has now become this course). I will admit it was tough at first. My friends were getting freshers flu and snogging boys, and I was stomping down Oxford Street alone, trying not to spend my entire student loan in Topshop. I was a sheltered little country girl thrown in with a bunch of older, more experienced and more confident fashion folk with intimidatingly good style. There were days when I felt like I wasn't fit to be there, and there were times when I was so stressed I just wanted to go home to my mum.
But then my amazing housemates made me margaritas, calmed me down and reminded me why I was there. Because I'd made it through the gruelling interview process. Because I was on one of the best courses of its kind in the country. Because the money I was pouring into all the projects wasn't just being wasted if I got a job at the end of it. And because it was London. A place where I could wear my most outrageous outfits without people looking at me like I'd gone mad. A place with vintage markets and quirky boutiques and a Borders that sold every alternative magazine under the sun. A place where the best work experience opportunities were a tube ride away. A place where guest lecturers ranged from photographers for ID and The Face to Hilary Alexander from The Telegraph, a true London fashion stalwart who's spotted just as often at student shows as she is at the BFC tent.
There aren't many Universities that can boast as good a list of alumni as The University of Arts, London (of which Central St Martins and the London College of Fashion are a part) or The Royal College of Art. Last year's RCA show was better than most stuff I've seen at London Fashion Week (and the goodie bags were better). And Graduate Fashion Week is my favourite fashion event of the year (if only because last year I stood *this* close to Christopher Bailey. This year I plan to do the same, wearing this). Seeing all the new talent before it moves on to bigger, better things is amazing...and the best thing is student shows are open to the public.
Think of the wealth of talent that has come out of this city. From John Galliano (Central St Martins) to Jimmy Choo (Cordwainers at LCF), a huge percentage of the most creative and influential names in fashion started here. Manolo Blahnik calls the city his base, Biba had its legendary boutique here, Marc Jacobs chose to show his Marc collection here this season (after Emporio Armani did the same last year). With big names making a welcome return to the tents of LFW, it just cements the notion that London is the place to be if you're interested in style.
New York may have the celebs and the cash, Paris may have the timeless chic and couture, and Milan may have the bling and glamour...but London will always have the edge!
