London Fashion Week highlights

I didn't go to London Fashion Week this year. I never have and don't think I ever will (the chances of me ever receiving an invite to a show being a million to one!). But that's ok. Even though I'm chained to my desk in a 9-5 London office job, I still love following LFW and admiring from afar. To me it doesn't matter if I'm physically at the shows or not - I still find them inspiring. Some looks are obviously more wearable than others... but those that are less so, can still be respected as the works of art that they are. Here are my favourite SS16 collections this year:

Julien Macdonald

Julien's collection for me felt very Game of Thrones, and showcased a strong and powerful woman. His metallic dresses were like armour -  but with a slinky and womenly silhouette. I always find the cut of his dresses incredible - he really understands the female form and how to dress it.

Burberry 

Burberry always features the best coats. But as well as the standard shearling jackets and long coats that I come to expect each season, this season also featured some eye-catching prints with jewelled, metallic details. I especially love the mini dress that looks as though it took its inspiration from a stained glass window.

Holly Fulton

Oh Holly Fulton, I dub thee Queen of the Prints. And oh, that black and white shirt though <3

David Koma

My favourites from the collection included beautifully tailored grey jackets, wrap around skirts and dresses, and spaghetti straps. My top picks? The long grey coat and the black long sleeved off the shoulder top worn with leather trousers.

Alexander McQueen

When I think of McQueen, I usually expect a gothic collection mainly comprising of lace and  black clothing. So the McQueen SS16 collection with it's nude colour palette surprised me. The collection remains edgy, but also has a romantic and ethereal feel. I loved the intricate details of the embossed nude coat and the metallic dress - both of which are pure art.

Topshop Unique

If I had to summarise in a few words... socks worn with heels,over-sized jackets and coats, checked prints, and fur stoles slung over camisoles. My favourite look has to be the over-sized checked blazer worn with the leather trousers - the heels and cropped camisole giving it just the right amount of femininity.

Which was your favourite collection this year?

** Image credit: London Fashion Week website **

London Fashion Weekend

The other weekend Alison and I headed to London Fashion Weekend. Everywhere you turned you saw fashionistas in towering heels, people eyeing up other people's outfits, and people posing for street style photos. I won't lie, I experienced wardrobe envy numerous times. To start, we wandered around Somerset House where you could shop the designer collections for discounted prices, and buy various other products like cosmetics and hair and beauty treatments. Shoes & Bags was my own personal mecca. I still to this day need the suede tan ankle boots in my life.

and also these white cut out ankle boots....

Check out these head turning brogues....

We had a little bit of a gap before our catwalk session so made use of Canon's 360 degree studio. The queue was long but it was worth it! When it was your turn, you had to create a dynamic pose - like jumping in the air, a spin, or hair swish - so that it was caught in 360 degree photographic wonderfulness. Being in a short pleated skirt, I decided against spinning so we went for the default that lots of people decided to do.... pretend to be in some sort of action movie and look like you're sending someone flying! Afterwards they took your details and emailed you the 360 degree "video" plus all individual frames. All this for free! Here's a taste of one of our frames:

We went to the last catwalk show of the day - and season. What's nice about London Fashion Weekend is that compared to LFW there's no seats allocated for the catwalk. So we very luckily were able to get seats in the second row. There were two shows to choose from - "designer" or "trend" - but I'd really recommend "trend" over "designer". With "designer", you are seeing one designer - and you have no idea who - within the space of 15-20 minutes. For "trend", it's a 40 minute showcase of various new season trends.

Our trends were "Pretty In Pink" "Back To Nature", "Shape Up" and "Victoriana". All the models walked quite quickly and it was extremely bright in there - wish I'd brought my lens hood - so unfortunately none of my photos came out very well......

My favourite collections were Back To Nature and Victoriana. I loved the neutral shades, fur trim, lace detailing and monochrome pieces the most. After an amazing show we left laden with all our London Fashion Weekend freebies - two bags worth! In one bag we received a free make-up set from Maybelline:

In the main goodie bag itself we had tea, collagen boosting sweets, coffee, Maybelline lipstick, Maybelline nail polish, Maybelline mascara, and dry shampoo. And with Elle being one of the main sponsors, I picked up the latest edition for a mere £1. Bargain.

Have you ever been to London Fashion Weekend?