Most girls dreams are to attend, London, Milan, New York and Paris Fashion Week. For most girls, this dream is hardly likely to come true if you not in the industry, and even if you are only a few get the chance to go.
Vodafone has created an event called Vodafone London Fashion Weekend which goes live a week after London Fashion Week. Located at the gorgeous Somerset House, along the Strand – this gives everyday fashionistas the chance to have an experience of what things could be like.
So what’s it all about? Well, I purchased an entrance ticket, a show bag ticket and a ticket for The Trend catwalk show, setting me back about £50 (quite expensive I thought, particularly that it wasn’t going to be simply sitting there watching show after show!). Having gone to a few Clothe Show events in the past at NEC Birmingham, my expectations where of market stalls and beauty stalls in the hundreds and making your way round would be similar to most shopping days in the average mall.
Not so here. Somerset house has small rooms, for which was allocated one to two designers. Brands such as, Almost Famous, Aubin and Wills, House of Holland, Twenty8Twelve and so on.
Small accessory brands like Alice Mentor and Sara Ebbett were allocated a space in the boutique area of the Vodafone Showspace’s temporary building, which also hosts the Catwalk show and Vodafone Lounge.
The rooms were plainly merchandised, with simple racking for clothing, handbags and shoes. Some designers hardly discounted at all, seeing prices like “Was £600, now £500” – hardly a discount! Twenty8Twelve probably had the best designer bargains, with t-shirts at £25, knitwear around £45 and dresses from £50+.
I did have a purchase, a Sara Ebbett scarf, these are hand illustrated scarves, and the designers describes her work as “A bold, luxurious piece encompassing the spirit and fun of a Sara Ebbett design.” The scarf should have been £175, it had been discount several times, but I picked this fabulous scarf for just £30!
Here’s my scarf, a gorgeous green with a black hanging bird and flower, inspired by a London girl shipwrecked on a tropical island….
Part 2 of Vodafone London Fashion Weekend will follow in a couple of days – find out just what was in that Show Bag!
I went a couple of years ago and I agree with you. The clothes there were really expensive and I didn't find the assistants helpful at all. I loved the catwalk, but shopping wise I think Clotheshow wins hands down!