London Fashion Week: Everything You Need To Know
[Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images]
For all budding fashionistas, London Fashion Week (LFW) seems like the world’s best kept secret.
While renowned press, designers and celebrities hit up the capital for the big shows, the rest of us are sat at home scrolling through our Instagram feed, wishing we could get in on a piece of the action.
[Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images for Burberry]
However, LFW doesn’t need to be a complete enigma and getting involved isn’t actually impossible.
There are more opportunities than you would think available to the public. So, if you’re not invited to any shows this season (or if your ticket to Burberry got lost in the post, obvs) it’s not a problem. We have all the info you need on how to get an inside glimpse at life at London’s biggest, biannual fashion event.
[Photo by Getty Images/Samir Hussein/WireImage]
Catch The Live Stream
More designers than ever before are broadcasting their shows live online. Fashion obsessives from all around the world can watch the best and most influential London designers showcase from the comfort of their own home. So, cancel all lunch plans and make sure you have WiFi between the 19th-23rd February.
This season the British Fashion Council will be live-streaming a record number of catwalk shows, with over 90% being live streamed. Including shows such as Burberry, Topshop Unique and Alexander McQueen.
Quite frankly, we think this is genius and let us tell you, sometimes when we are at a hectic show that is running half an late and we are squished in like a sardine, we wish we were watching the live stream too.
The Golden Square
If you want to get out of the house and be closer to the action, you can head to the Golden Square. The square is situated minutes walk from where all the action takes place at Brewer Street Car Park in the heart of London’s Soho.
It’s open to all members of the public and hosts free screenings and pop-ups. It also includes an outdoor cinema, which will live stream some brands’ catwalks so you won’t get FOMO (duh, fear of missing out) while there.
[Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Burberry]
Fashions Finest Shows
Sadly, fashion shows aren’t open to the public. Tickets are carefully allocated to the top designers via PR agencies to only the elite global media and buyers. Plus, obviously, a carefully chosen celeb-packed front row.
However, luckily Fashion Finest’s off schedule shows are now in their 11th season and anyone can go! Their shows take place this season on the 20th and 21st February and showcase new talent, giving opportunities to those that would not normally be able to afford to participate at London Fashion Week.
Up-and-coming designers are always ones to watch and you can’t beat the buzz of watching a live showcase.
Fashion Utopias: International Fashion Showcase
If you are a fashion fanatic then head over the LFW’s old home Somerset House as they put on a showcase of international designers creations of Utopia.
Taking place on the 19th to the 23rd of February, the annual International Fashion Showcase presents 80 emerging designers from 24 countries. It is filled with a series of specially curated fashion installations and is excitingly open to the public and is free admission!
London Fashion Weekend
Finally, If you want to be a fashion insider then get yourself down to London Fashion Weekend.
The event that takes place just after the official LFW from the 25th - 29th February and allows you to shop the best designers and watch the hottest catwalk shows.
This season they also have special talks and Q&A’s from industry experts including Daisy Lowe, Rankin and Pam Hogg. For someone who isn’t in the fashion industry yet but wants to be this is definitely the best experience for you.
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