Fashion Event Archives - Fashion Voyeur

It only feels like a week or two since the SS18 show season ended and here we are on the cusp of season switchover. For those of you who aren’t au fait with the fashion calendar (and I know you’re out there because you’ve tweeted, messaged and emailed me about this subject), there are two buying seasons which the schedule works around. Spring / Summer (SS) and Fall / Winter (FW) – referred to in British fashion publishing as AW.

OK, now you’ve got the basics, let’s ramp up the deets. So, because Fashion Month is geared towards buyers and press, the collections are shown in sample sizes and in advance of the season switchover. Ergo, Spring / Summer collections are shown in Fall, and Fall / Winter collections are shown in Spring. Got that? This gives buyers the chance to select the designs they want to run with in advance of the season and designers the time to make a full collection with pieces in a range of sizes. This is why the garments you see on the runway might have raw edges or be finished in places with tacking thread – not really visible on the runway but allows for last minute fit alterations.

London Fashion Week is where the magic happens. I’m based in the UK so you may think I’m biased but I’ve frequented The Big Four throughout my career in fashion and there’s just something special about London. Whether it’s the emerging talent keen to please, or reinventions of the classics from stalwarts like Paul Costelloe, there’s just so much to take in during Fashion Week in London.

That’s another thing, London Fashion Week is a pretty singular event, it has two main locations for it’s designated show spaces, along with several designer selected satellite spaces for those who want to offer something extra special. Now this may sound simple but there’s a lot of confusion and exploitation around London Fashion Week‘s name; basically, if it’s not official London Fashion Week, then it’s just not London Fashion Week. Let me explain, throughout the duration of London Fashion Week, brands, independents, designers, charities and other companies will capitalise on the traffic (both online and physical foot flow) and buzz of London Fashion Week by staging their events at the same time and trading off the name. Put simply, these are nothing at all to do with London Fashion Week and aren’t affiliated with either Fashion Scout or the British Fashion Council in any way, but they may use the power of suggestion and excellent timing to let you think that they are. It’s a sneaky and very naughty move that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the BFC who seek to ban any professionals using LFW tags on their non-LFW content, from London Fashion Week events. Still with me??

Completely separate fashion events, which make an independent and one-sided decision, align themselves to the Fashion Week schedule and are allowed to say that they take place ‘at the same time as’ or ‘during but not affiliated with’ London Fashion Week. Yet you’ll find it’s very rare that they declare this, with the exception of the Independent London Fashion Week Designers Association (ILFWDA) who held their inaugural event in 2018 and stated that their event would take place ‘during London Fashion Week’. Still a little woolly though right? Basically if it doesn’t have the official London Fashion Week logo featured on it’s advertising and it’s not on either the ‘On’ or ‘Off’ schedule of Fashion Scout or BFC, then it’s just not LFW.

I’m not saying there’s any shame in running a non-LFW affiliated event or schedule, some independents are capitalising on the foot flow and interest successfully without infringing any of the rules around advertising a fashion event. Kudos. There is however shame in claiming that an event is part of something, when it isn’t. It’s like me turning up to a movie theatre to see Suicide Squad in full Harley Quinn regalia claiming that I should be allowed to see the movie for free because I am in fact, Harley Quinn. Just for transparency Voyeurs, I have never done this, but for illustration purposes, you get it right?

The reason for this post is that it came up on a night out with a Fashion PR, a couple of Fashion Editors and some other Fash Friends. We talked about how Influencers are called out for minor things left, right and centre, but never brands for blatantly flouting the very clear guidelines, nay rules, on running any kind of event. The general consensus is that if a brand is using Fashion Week as a way of drawing your attention to their own event, it’s because they don’t have confidence in their own brand without the security blanket of the London Fashion Week tag. Basically, if you know anything about the schedule and how easy it is to check, you don’t do it. Also, it makes you look like a massive douche.

It’s not just fashion either, it’s like your local football club running a kids club during The World Cup, which is great, awesome in fact, but if they claim that kids club is on The World Cup schedule is it still so great? Yeah, now you get it. Feel free to stop scrolling so you can facepalm.

Pixie xo

When I was invited by Grazia magazine to attend a fashion event hosted by MM6 Maison Margiela and the chance to get an exclusive preview of the new collection, I just couldn’t say no, after all the MM6 leisure wear is legendary and I have so much of it in my wardrobe it made sense to snap up an opportunity to top up my collection…

I hot footed it from my Bayswater apartment to Bond Street to get to the store hosting the event. Not in my intended outfit I might add (long story), but still feeling pretty collected in distressed Paige jeans and a Deathly Hallows tee with grey suede Prada shoes.

The MM6 London store is located on Conduit Street, a busy shopping street off Regent Street bursting at the seams with stylish boutiques and designer stores. Once inside I’m greeted with champagne, cocktails and various delicious looking canapés, even better, I’m told that tonight not only do we get an exclusive preview of the Fall Winter 15/16 collection but we can also shop it ahead of everyone else with 30% off. Bonus.

Each guest is given a look book from the FW15/16 collection with each runway look shown individually and the store is stocking some of the show collection for us this evening so I’m already uber excited to get my hands on it. I spot a supersized heavy denim shirt dress that looks amazing and that’s my first purchase sorted, I haven’t even been here five minutes…..

The Spring Summer 15 collection is also available in store and there are some great leisure wear pieces including a long line split side sweater, and a hooded zip through which will slot nicely in to my gym wardrobe. On the leisure wear theme, there are also an amazing pair of shearling trimmed sneakers perfect for pounding the pavements during Fashion Month, I adore fashion sneakers and these will give my trust Chanel sneaks a well deserved break.

The rest of the collection is as diverse as you would expect from Margiela, relaxed separates and oversized soft lines juxtaposed with luxurious heavy fabrics such as tan suede, alcantara and leather used for trousers, dresses and waistcoats. The shoe collection is strong, block heeled boots, espadrilles (everyone is doing them) and flatform sandals stand out across the range and there are a pair of cute black d’Orsay style shoes that catch my eye. Interestingly heels are sparse across the collection with only a few block heels across the entire range.

Bold Pucci-esque prints adorn the standard shapes throughout the Spring Simmer collection with shirt dresses, palazzo pants and relaxed jumpsuits leading the pack, the great thing about these particular pieces is the variety of ways in which they can be worn.

The tailoring section is made up of pleated shirts and dresses and the oversize theme runs into this part of the collection too, with stiff shirts challenging proportions and cape backed swing dresses being the stand out pieces. Fall Winter sees a palette of plums and purples standing out against monochrome staple pieces, with more bold print making its way into the collection. I caught up with Charlie Miller, Executive Fashion Director at Grazia magazine, who told me that “the MM6 Margiela collection has a number of great dresses at that magic price point of £300 – not so low that it looks poorly made and not ridiculously expensive either, it’s accessible and with 30% off it makes it that bit more affordable”. Charlie told me that having had a chance to browse before the event began, she had a head start on picking out her favourite pieces including an asymmetric pleated shirt in crisp white.

The Mikita Maison Margiela sunglasses collection is both stylish and innovative, these super lightweight beauties are slick in design using only tiny slivers of stainless steel to bind the frame and no screws at all, instead the arms pivot on a looped hinge design. They’re so thin and light that it literally feels as if you aren’t wearing glasses, they’re virtually indestructible too as I’m invited to test, and true to the claims, they behave elastically when bent.

The collections are rounded off with fragrance and accessories, from mega bright woolly bobble hats to silver fishnet effect clutch bags, the whole sideline collection is futuristic; think flashes of silver with luminous yellow and cobalt blue as the accent colours and you’re on the right track. Jewellery offset with rope cord designed to look like parachute rip cords gives the collection a street spin.

So, if you’re thinking of upgrading your leisure wear I can highly recommend MM6 Margiela as a starting point but also for some great relaxed oversized pieced. If you’re bored of the norm and you want to push the boundaries and challenge proportion a little then Margiela is an excellent place to start, with wide legged heavy denim jeans (yes, these came home with me too) and loose relaxed fit shirts you’ll be in with the Fash Pack in no time and the tailoring is an easy way to upgrade your workwear wardrobe without breaking the bank. It’s a great stepping stone between high street and designer and with MM6 Maison Margiela in your wardrobe you’ll have Fall Winter 15 all sewn up.

Pixie x

MM6 Maison Margiela is at 6 Conduit Street, London.

With thanks to Grazia magazine for inviting me.

How do you know if an event is part of official London Fashion Week?

MM6 Maison Margiela Fashion Event