With a cab on the way (I wont even begin to calculate how much i've accumulated in taxi fees though my bank balance will tell you its a sad sight) I made my way into Covent Garden for the first show of the morning - Jayne Pierson. I took my second row seat , ear glued to my phone as I chatted away to a family friend back home. I often frown at people talking into phones at fashion shows thinking they come across aloof and 'too cool for school' but as shows never run on time it really sometimes is the only way to kill a bit of time when you're on your own. The lights went low and the conversation ended and out came the first look - leather , boxy , 80s. These were the themes that echoed through Pierson's collection and for a designer I knew nothing about I was pleasantly suprised and genuinely enjoyed the show and her design aesthetic which for me meant a great way to start my morning and an immediate hangover cure! 
I passed by a few lovely bloggers who eagerly snapped at my stud print skinny jeans and made the short walk over to the BFC tent at Somerset house for the Jasper Conran show. The most commercial collection I saw all season , its always good however to see what the more mature clientele will be wearing as in this world of fashion and styling you just never know who may be your next client. In a collection that reminded me of Michael Kors , suede dresses walked passed sequinned oversized jumper dresses and feathered/fur overcoats sat beside gowns & trousers. 
As soon as the Conran show was over I was straight back into a cab and speeding off to a show I was really looking forward to. Last season, I by chance, went to the Charlie Le Mindu show. A designer who's expertise begun in hairdressing , he's combined his two passions (fashion and hair) and shocks the fashion scene with an individual vision unlike any others. Even with a seated invitation the wait was 40mins..."Would those of you with blue stickers on your invite please move forward" , I took a sigh of relief of my priority invite and walked on in feeling bad for the queue of people who had to battle the cold for some time more. Once in I took my seat in second row and the buzz in the room was absolutely electric. The crowd was the usual Charlie mix - from transvetites to international press and very influential editors. Everyone wanted to see what he would do next. As the lights went low, suddenly the sound of squealing pigs and bombs exploded over the speakers & then it happened - a naked model with a head piece reading VIOLENCE and dripping in "blood" walked eerily down the runway. It was a clear message & when I thought I couldn't be more shocked than last season - I was! Every look that 
followed made me think harder, or shocked me more than the previous. Transparent Latex trench coats and gas mask adorned models made their way down the catwalk and after each look I couldnt help but feel the collection was inspired by Nazi germany and World War II. Male models with the words CUNT sprayed on their skulls - made a debut on the runway with Charlie's first entry to menswear. The finale however was truly amazing. What appeared to be a wedding dress combining lace and hair - juxtaposed with a head piece of taxidermy - a white dove in mid flight sat a top the models head and I didnt know whether to cry or scream
with applause as I noticed the hem of the dress dripping in blood. Charlie came out to do his bow wearing a white butchers apron covered in "blood" and as he wiped his hands of a job well done the audience clapped and cheered some standing to their feet (myself included) when a collection
like Charlie's leaves you breathless its a moment you remember! His show did everything you'd expect from him , it shocked me , suprised me , scared me even at times and I still had chills 15 minutes after walking out and onto the cobbled stone streets of Covent Garden making my way back to Somerset House. As I arrived to meet my lovely Laura Whitmore pre-Osman show , I was still reeling from the energy of Charlie's show. Upon entering Osman a blue rippled runway gave me clues that the inspiration would be some what ocean inspired. As the first model strode out with her cleopatra style wig it was clear the inspiration came from the seas of Egypt and for a collection that would normally consist of neutral tones Osman did something new and added a hot punch of colour. Neon Pink , bright blues, oranges and hues of green sat along side his usual colour palette and yet again it became obvious that colour is going to be a strong winter trend. 
with Osman over it was time to get ready for the show of the evening - Matthew Williamson. When I recieved confirmation of my invitation I almost squealed. If last season's highlight was Dame Westwood this season was all about Prince William-son. Matthew's shows always attract a bevvy of A-Lister's and then there are the clothes! As I entered the gorgeous South-West location to Jacquetta Wheeler being papped in a Williamson splendour of sequins and feathers my heart started racing and a glass of Moet later (pre-show drinks in the foyer) I made my way to the front section of the runway. Standing (this is Matthew Williamson and I am only Deni) a hop skip and a jump away from Olivia Palermo & Alexa Chung , the show begun. With the first look it was very clear to me that this is where high-end was at. The quality of the clothes were
above and beyond anything I've seen this season and the effortless chic styling was everything Matthew Williamson stands for - a colourful, cultured, international woman. Who whether she be jet setting around the world or attending private yacht-parties on the riviera - she will always look fabulous in a kind of 'I just threw this on' type of way. As the finale of girls strode the runway and Matthew popped out for his bow (my camera wasnt quick enough to snap him) the show was over and I made my way through the crowd - only to be star strucked by Alexa 
Chung on my exit. As I walked out of the venue and into the brisk London night I had another one of those moments where I stopped , took in my surroundings and exhaled in disbelief that I was lucky enough to be in this amazing city experiencing such amazing things! Updates on days 4 & 5 coming up soon xoxo Deni
opting for faux-fur and a bit of bling (courtesy of the fabulous Merle O'Grady) I channeled an urban-luxury look to disguise my hideous hangover - I was hoping for a fashion moment to cure me and that's exactly what I got. When I arrived at the Old Sorting Offices of New Oxford Street for the Belle Sauvage show I took my second row seat only to realise this was the same space I saw the Twenty8Twelve show last season - one of my favorite spaces it has a real warehouse feel to it. I was invited to the show with out really knowing much about the designers so with anticipation I waited , hopefully , for a little fashion magic to happen. As the lights went low the music begun or rather the sounds of what to be quite frank sounded like a female orgasm - pulsated over the sound system. Suddenly underground techno music begun and a model wearing a heavy large circle head piece made her way down the runway and suddenly I was
intrigued. The looks that proceeded were all quite 80s inspired , strong shoulder pads , metallic and printed leather with chain adorned shoes. Definitely what I needed to cure my hangover!
Following a dose of dark glamour I hopped back into a cab and on my way into Covent Garden for what was sure to be colourful glee from Louise Gray. This quirky designer's show was one of the first I worked back in my internship days at Goodley PR. Her shows are always packed full of fun and put together with a large dose of eccentric humour so I was really looking forward to what she had in store this season. As I made my way in , even with a seated ticket the space was absolutely packed and I was forced to stand a top a speaker , funnily enough right next to Louise's husband. As the show started the energy in the room was incredible and the first look featured a model wearing what seemed to be an oversized balloon strapped to her head - its all about the headgear today! Every look that followed was bright , colourful and balloon fuelled-fun! As the girls did their final march and Louise came out for a quick appearance to a roar of applause. I looked over at her husband and he had tears in his eyes, beaming with pride it was the sweetest part of the show for me, her biggest fan cheering from the sidelines - so sweet!
I left the show full of smiles and made my way over to Somerset House for my final show of the day John Rocha. It holds a very special place in my heart as last season I met my lovely Laura Whitmore pre-the John Rocha show and that was when we sealed the deal - so today was our anniversary of sorts. I went over to meet her for a quick drink pre-show and we made our way into the tent. John Rocha dished up what he does best - his signature silhouette of cinched in waists with exploding skirts in a-line and tulip styles featured his always veil like hats and headwear in a collection that consisted of a mostly black , white , nude with hints of red and the always John Rocha fur capelets and shrugs. It was a lovely way to end the afternoon & Laura and I went over for another few drinks at the bar to unqind and discuss plans for the eve ahead!
...as I made my way home it was time to round up some friends and get ready to head over to the Belle Sauvage after party taken place at chic Mayfair hot spot Sketch. Like most fashion parties there was an abundance of free alcohol , the usual fashion crowd and some serious tunage blaring from the DJ's decks. As the Vodka Cranberry flowed we decided to make our way into Soho for a night of dancing, being in the mix fashion folk followed by partying with close friends was a perfect combination and an ideal way to end Saturday night of LFW...
...for updates on Days 3-5 stay tuned xoxo Deni
As time passed the models arrived and made their way into hair & make-up and before I knew it we were 45minutes pre-show and backstage was a flurry of hair & make-up artists running around adding finishing touches. Myself, Sarah & Paul's team trying each look onto every model switching outfit choices & the seamstress finishing off details on the garments till literally the 
very last minute. Amongst all the mayhem my morning started with a touch of celeb when Janice Dickinson entered the room , camera crew in tow! I saw Janice last season at Julien McDonald and remember thinking how funny and charicature like she is - a larger than life character to say the least! Suddenly her publicist came across to me asking for the Stylist as OK Television & Janice Dickinson would like to interview her, "Sure I'll just grab her" and as I dashed outside to steal Sarah away from her ciggie break she said "No , i'm not doing interviews you do it Deni..." , with those words I nervously shuffled my way backstage in front of the camera to then be interviewed by Janice Dickinson. "What's your name young man..." and with that question the next 2 minutes felt like a blur, bright lights in my eye a camera and microphone in my face and one of the most intimidating women in fashion was treating me like an absolute darling. "Honey you should come to L.A & be my stylist" she concluded & with that we exchanged a hug & kiss & posed for a quick pre-show snap (notice the lippy on my cheeks!
Before I could even register how surreal the situation was it was almost show time. Having spent the last season of LFW attending shows I had almost forgotten how amazing the rush & anticipation of being back stage was. Before I knew it the show had begun , music thumping we began dressing and undressing the girls (and boys) in and out of their outfits in time for the runway! As the last look hit the runway & Paul went out for his bow and overwhelming feeling of satisfaction & relief came over me and suddenly the 3 days of running around like a crazy man and working 15 hour days suddenly paid off - it was truly a great moment as he came backstage to roars of applause and cheer from his staff , models and the production crew! Post show Janice Dickinson came around backstage and gave me a big hug "You're great young man you're going to be a big star some day" ... what do you say to that, thank you was all I could come up with. Alas there's no rest for the wicked and as I left the tents at Somerset House I made my way by foot over to the Savoy Hotel for the next show of the day - Maria Grachvogel.
As I entered the beautiful ball room of the Savoy Hotel and took my 3rd row seat I was immediatley taken in by the beauty of my surroundings...and then the show begun. To describe the collection in one word , fluidity comes to mind. Maria's signature beautifully cut silk, draped itself down the runway in the form of dresses and amazing high waisted trousers often finished with interesting harem style draping. Digital prints made an impact as did fur & lace details completed finishing touches to what was an overall beautiful collection & great way to kick off LFW...
As the afternoon moved its way swiftly into early evening it was back to Somerset House and the main tent for the Aminaka Wilmont show where I was joined by fellow fashionista Melanie Tong Fashion Assistant at the Sunday Times Style - what never seems to suprise me is that the fashion world is almost a parallel universe in itself in which everyone know's everyone and they're all there for their one great love - FASHION! As the show kicked on it was becoming apparent that digital prints are back for another season in a big way , as almost every look that came down the runway featured an abstract digital print in hues of nude , blush and purple - toughened up with leather jackets and the return of the shearling aviator with a cascade front to die for! Altough the collection was by no means revolutionary it was extremley commercial! 
Suddenly day turned into night and I got my way back into a cab to go meet some fabulous friends for a pre-show drink. A vodka & lemonade after (and still no solid meal all day - just no time) and it was onto one of my favorite shows of LFW , FelderFelder known for their signature rock chic look the Felder sisters use studs & leather like no one else and I couldn't wait to see what they had prepared for us this season. After pushing and shoving for 45minutes my bestie Charlotte and I finally made our way into the venue and took our seats the music began to thump over the sound system and I was immediatley buzzing in my seat as I spotted Marina (from the Diamonds) and Jodie Kidd front row and then the first girl made her way out...
The show begun and amonst the art-school style craft feel and slight victorian silhouette the only thing that really drew my attention was the colour pallette (love a bit of green mixed in with steel grey) and some lovely tailored trousers , other than that the star studded front row including Nicola Roberts & Kimberz Walsh was more a topic of conversation than the show itself
A quick costume change later for Miss Whitmore and it was time for the show of the evening and my favorite way to end Day 1 of LFW - the PPQ show! Dressed in John Galliano (by me) the devine miss Whit' made her way into the tents to a flurry of flashing lights and an overwhelming amounts of "Laura , here , just a quick photo please" - this by far has been my favorite styling moment with my darling friend - has anyone ever looked this good in bodycon satin - amazing!
As I took my seat behind Laura and the celebrities flowed in - think Paloma Faith, Nicola Roberts, Jamie Winstone to name a few. As the lights went low the anticipation and buzz in the air was so prevalent it was as visible as fog , the crowd was ready for the PPQ party to conclude the first night of LFW with a bang! Nicki Minaj's voice blared over the speakers before Lil Kim's 'Lighter's Up' opened the show - one of my all time favorite hip hop tunes as the first look took centre stage I found myself singing and dancing along to the track with the guests surrounding me. The hip hop posse that we were , knew every last lyric and the fun collection of fun party dresses with a tailored edge whilst the gorgeous models heads were adorned with cute kitten ear hats - it was everything you expect from a PPQ show - a fucking fun time with sexy clothes!
as Laura and I made our way out the tent I stopped for a moment to realise that 6 months ago I met this girl to discuss working together and now she is one of my best friends! I feel truly lucky and blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing passionate young woman - it makes me smile!
Clare Maguire took to the stage. Soon to be joined by Miss Whitmore we danced along to Rihanna in a mixed crowd of designers, models, fashionistas and celebrities till the wee hours of the morning and at 2.30 I made my way home to a kebab and some much needed shut eye after exactly 22 hours of non stop action! The rest of my LFW adventures coming soon xoxo Deni
dawn in last night's fabulous outfit - I had my concept! With 2 visits to Beyond Retro and a case of Vintage clothes later I had my clothes and with the help of a friend I soon had a model, photographer & hair-make-up artist - before I knew it the day of the shoot had arrived! In order to tell the story I wanted to shoot on location just around the corner from where I live at the 'Chapel Markets' in Angel. The idea was a girl walking home after a night out , stopping along the streets , popping into an off-license to pick up a bottle of champagne to continue her bender on home, ducking into a Laundromat just because, stopping into the local Jamaican Take-Away and playing at the gamble machines. The clothes were all so vibrant that I wanted them to be shot amongst real life scenarios to contrast the drama of each look. Each look became more fun to shot than the previous , the model - Kimberley Marren , was a true proffessional , so much fun to work with & braved the freezing cold weather in some next-to-nothing looks. 
The photographer Georgina Bolton-King & make-up artist Chanel Sellears both shared my vision & Jade Alexander proved to be the best assistant going the extra mile , even running out to buy socks for the model due to how cold it was! Bless. The shoot turned out amazing, we took some behind the scenes pics while Georgina worked her expertise behind the lense...
When I recieved the brief - a spring summer trend story shot on 5 models in group sequences my head started spinning. 5 models , 10 trends - makes 50 looks. Including Shoes, Jewellery, Accessories - i'm talking bags, hosiery, scarves, gloves, sunglasses, hats - you name it we need it - it was shaping up to be a mammoth task for myself and the 1st assistant Faye. Mammoth , maybe , exciting , DEFINITELY! The trends varied from Animal Print and Block Colours to Leather & Stripes. Before I could say '...we need to call in the new green striped Prada wedges' it was Friday morning and time for the shoot. I woke up anxious and excited, not only was I assisting on shoot for one of the most elite style publications , it was also my first time assisting Sarah on a shoot and I was determined to make a good impression and soak up as much wisdom from her expertise as I could. I arrived at Sarah's at 8.30am to collect all the cases of couture to be shot for the day. A toal of 3 large suitcases and 6 large bags full of fashion goodness. As I got into the car the driver made his way to the studio and I made a quick emergency phone call to my mum for a pre-shoot prep talk. "Don't be nervous Deni you'll do great" - with those words we pulled up to the entrance and it was time to get started. The studio was huge , the biggest i've seen so far , the models were in hair & make-up and photography & crew snacking on bagels & fruit provided for breakfast. I started to unpack the cases seperating the clothes into trends. Boxes of looks hot off the runway were being sent to the studio all morning and when a box of Balmain arrived I almost squealed (my favorite brand of the moment) - out of the box I retrieved an amazing black leather baseball style jacket , silver sleeves, white panels on the shoulder , a metallic B badge on one chest and a big Balmain written across the back shoulders. 
"Oh my god Denis that is so you , I think you need to try it on" , "I know right (says I as I slip into it thinking , thank god i'm sample size) ah its amazing" , "That is so cool on you" - and suddenly I stop and think , 'What , me and Sarah Cobb are having a RZOE/Brad moment' and I smile on the inside and get back to work. The first story is colour blocking and as we overload colour onto our super tall , super thin , extremley high-fashion models, I stand back in awe of Sarah's vision. To say she is an amazing stylist would be an understatement. Immediatley I felt inspired & before I knew it the girls were in front of the photographer ready for the first shot!
Following colour we went to neutral and soft hair and caramel tones were before me. What I loved about this story is that with such a simple trend as neutrals your challenged to still make it interesting and inspiring and make girls want to wear tan , nude & taupe tones in their own way. 
Up next was my favorite category , a Biker-Leather style story , one of my favorite trends and a style that always inspires me. What I most enjoyed about this story was that the collaboration of ideas between Sarah and myself was really flowing , apart from the fact that she's extremley down to earth and so easy to work with yet extremley hard working - she was genuinely interested in my opinion and took my point of view seriously. As the girls stood before us leather clad with biker chic feirceness they posed and played it up for the camera's like the proffessionals they are. Its so amazing how a GREAT model stands out amongst the merely good & these girls were great - working off eachother , with each click of the camera a different look a new angle , being a model is not as easy people think yet these girls made it seem so effortless and chic!
As we walked back to the studio I continued a really interesting conversation with Amalie and it suddenly hit me that here was a seventeen year old girl being thrusted into a world of fashion , money , drugs , sex - when most girls are preparing for their Debutante Ball in high school. "You kind of forget how young you are in this world , age doesnt really exist" - she said to me and I felt a combination of excitement and sadness for her. As we returned back into the warm studio it was time to change into the next look before we headed back into the cold. The next story was romantic-lace and truly a beautiful fashion moment. The following day I had lugged around a box almost the same size of me , containing one amazing Giambattista Valli tulle ball-gown style skirt. The pain it gave my arms & shoulders seemed suddenly so worth it once on the model paired with a Chanel vest. In a second all the pain I endured lugging that box around , was forgotten, I imagined that's what having a baby must feel like for mothers - hours of pain but as soon as the glowing result arrives you forget it - it was my little fashion baby come to life! As the girls stood in a line it almost put a tear in my eye - they looked angelic , beautiful and ethereal. 
However the photographer felt it wasnt giving off the right look , the soft feminine feel of the lace needed to be juxtaposed with something harsh & more gritty , so we took to the streets & the side lane by the studio proved the perfect location , for the poor girls however it meant freezing yet again with next to nothing on underneath their sheen lace outfits - bundled up they stood 
there but once the coats came on and the camera started working I felt like time stood still , the girls looked amazing and as they stood there ready for each shot I couldnt get over just how incredible this was all going to look! 
As I said bye to the team and got on the train to make my way to work (yes , interning doesnt pay the rent folks so i've been working a night job also doing more or less 13hour days Monday to Friday) something came over me as I sat looking out the window. Somewhere in the daily grind of working in Fashion sometimes I forget to stop and appreciate what I'm experiencing. I suddenly thought back to the young boy who saved his money each month to buy all his favorite fashion magazines and obsess over every fashion shoot just praying that one day he would be a part of that world - and now he was. What I experienced on shoot last Friday was so amazing that as I sat there reflecting on my day I was overwhelmed with emotion , tears started building up in my eyes. Happy tears, tears that said 'Deni you are so lucky to be doing this you're dreams are coming true' and for a moment I reminded myself that I was exactly where i'm meant to be. In an amazing city making my dreams come true - even if it means I've had to run around London carrying boxes and suitcases weighing down my scrawny arms with designer clothes - it will all be worth it one day - now more than ever I am more determined to make those dreams a reality xoxo Deni