Gemma Cartwright writes...
Day two in the Battersea tents (imagine that said in a geordie voice a la Big Brother) and it's sheer fashion madness. Reporting live from the event has proven near impossible with a combination of run-over shows, a packed press room and a wireless network that obviously wasn't made for bloggers, but we're trying our best to put together some amazing show reviews to post tonight.
Technical problems aside (what can you do in a bunch of tents in the middle of a park, after all) the show is, as always, so well organised that it almost eclipses London Fashion Week. The atmosphere is definitely more creative and fun, and we've met so many amazing people, from the VIP judges to the supremely talented students (not to mention the odd famous blogger). It's especially wonderful to see that they're all milling around together without a hint of ego.
One thing we've found amazing is how tiring it can be just sitting there watching the shows, taking notes and trying to decide who is the next McQueen or Margiela. God knows what it must be like to be a student here, with the stress of knowing your clothes will be shown in front of a panel that includes some of the most influential names in fashion, publishing and business. It's stressful enough just watching and observing. To be a participant or a judge must mean immense pressure.
My faith in there being genuinely nice people in the industry has also been reaffirmed. I've never uttered the phrase "they were sooooo lovely" more than in the past 48 hours, and I've been lucky enough to meet some very, very influential people. Nobody has been anything but friendly, polite and interested in what I had to say, and I feel like I've learned a lot from listening to other people talking about their involvement in fashion.
If I come away with one thing from this week it's simple: in fashion, you never stop learning. As an industry it's so ever-changing that the moment you get cocky and think you know it all, you lose your game. And that is the reason why the best people in this industry are the most down-to-earth, open and willing to learn!
