*Pour yourself a cuppa & get some cookies also , its a long one but I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did living it!
As I woke up at 8.00am ready for another day full of shows & events, my hangover couldnt have been worse! I immediatley went to the kitchen where lucky for me my house mate was preparing breakfast , she handed me 3 nurofen and a bottle of lucozade and had me on my way back to good health. Nothing like a day full of fashion to cure a hangover I thought and I began to get ready to head down to somserset house as I had a ticket to a private breakfast where famed photographer Rankin was shooting a photo shoot live for us all to view over croissants! Outfit 1 for the day consisted of my favorite vintage leather trousers , paired with my new favorite wardrobe staple - a sheer oversized white shirt from H&M which I then layered with a vintage Levi's D.J (Denim Jacket - its all about the acronyms you know hehe) and a faux-fur stole - also from H&M - I was loving today's look and was welcomed by the bright sun and chill in the air!
I steadily made my way over to the Somerset Terrace where I attended a private breakfast/live photo shoot with Photographer Extraordinaire RANKIN! The shoot was of real women of different races and different body shapes & was quite inspiring to see how each woman was beautiful in her own way & totally owned her look & wowed the camera & the fashion pack!
After a quick coffee and croissant I made a mad dash into a cab to head over to the Louise Gray show. Louise Gray's collections are always colourful & quirky , slightly an eye-sore to look at but when you break down the pieces they become really fun & can be quite wearable (kinda), I've spent a few nights out drinking with Louise on the east london gay scene so I was looking forward to see what she had in store for the season! As I took my second row seat I was suddenly overwhelmed by colour! Streamers! Bottle tops! A pair of clear PVC shorts filled with bubble beans you would find in a bean bag! At closer inspection it made me want to take the shorts straight off the runway & shimmy them onto the dance floor! An OTT collection to be sure , but definitley some fun pieces that take a bit of cheek & humour to wear in real life!
The show came to a close and before i knew it I had to make a mad dash to the 'It show' of the morning , Sienna & Savannah Miller's label Twenty8Twelve. As I approached to the venue with my fabulous friend Marta (who was down to represent the Italian fashion magazine she works for) we couldnt help but notice the amazingly fashionable gorgeous people. The Vogue team pulled up in their black range rovers and with every inch of grace made their way into the shows , clad in shearling , slouchy knits and hiking boots (already ticking off all the key AW trends) for the mere mortals who had to wait in the cold as the VIP's were ushered through (myself included) it was a fashion feast for the eyes. As supermodel Jacquetta Wheeler walked in suddenly it made waiting in the cold easier and as Matthew Williamson & Jude Law strode in together I almost thought I was going to die. Words could not form from my mouth - Jude Law is beyond hot , the man is purely beautiful. He took my breath away. As I continued to wait I continuously was being snapped by bloggers and press making me hope my outfit must be saying the right things. As we finally entered waiting for the show to begin I couldnt help but admire Matthew & Jude in the front row. Designer Williamson in his cyrillian blue knit (which made me think of that scene in Devil Wears Prada ) & Jude in his check suit & bowler hat and just enough stubble, he looked effortlessly cool in a way that only Jude Law can!
Before I knew it the lights went down low & the show began. The thing with twenty8twelve is the girls make such beautiful clothes that girls are going to want to wear. Though there may be nothing revolutionary in the design nor are they particurlarly fashion forward they remain effortlessly chic and in a time when everyone is going GAGA its nice to see a feminine collection that I could myself see my fabulous girlfriends dying to wear! My favorite looks included a show stopping leopard print hourglass dress , leopard print pencil skirt & a suede camel short paired with a white blouse & black bow combo - so chic , so carefree , so Sienna!
When Sienna came out at the end , hand in hand with Savannah she took my breath away more so than Jude did. The girl is glowing and her 'just rolled out of bed in this' carefree attitude makes her sexier than ever! She epitomises UK chic (along with Miss.Moss) & its been a dream for me to spot Sienna in the UK and suddenly another dream had come true! It was so surreal!
As I made my way back to Somerset House I had some time to kill so thought i'd check my email in the 'blogger bar' - in saying that its crazy to see how far blogging has come and how recognised bloggers are in the fashion industry now - as i logged into my account I opened an email that was about to change my life. A few days prior to LFW had begun I had just started working with a fabulous new client Natalia Grace , a presenter for Nokia TV. A rising talent she's interviewed the likes of Rihanna, Pamela Anderson & Ed Westwick and it just so happened that one of her best friends was MTV Presenter Laura Whitmore. As Natalia & I had our first meeting over coffee , discussing where we lived , Natalia thought it was funny that I lived on the same road as her friend , when she told me it was Laura it made things seem slightly destined to be. I had met Laura before , at the Kylie Minogue Tous event & remembered being blown away by her stunning eyes and blonde bombshell effect she has. I remember saying to myself 'I would kill for a client like her' but convinced she had a stylist I didnt approach the situation. Natalia informed me she hadn't and then gave Laura a sterling recommendation on me following our meeting and so it was that I recieved the email from Laura saying she had seen my styling work with Natalia, was very impressed & would love for us to work together! As I read the email I could barely breathe & almost started to cry.
'This is it' I thought - the client I had been waiting for was about to become my official client. My hands went shaky & I made my way outside. As I did another life changing encounter accured. My friend , socialite Henry Conway , who I had bumped into a few times over LFW was around somerset house filming a pilot for a program being pitched as a behind the scenes of London Fashion Week. As we got talking his producer approached me 'Who are you young man?'
he asked , 'My Names Denis , I work in PR & am a Stylist' , 'You look like an interesting character, you should be on television' he replied. I laughed 'I dunno , I'm just little Deni' I replied embarrasingly. 'Do you mind If we mic you up & film you as you take a look at the fashion around somerset house, we could do you & henry looking about together?' , he askedI was quite overwhelmed but thought 'Hey why the hell not' and before I knew it a camera crew was in my face and Henry & I were walking through the exhibitions of somerset house in a very Paris&Nicole type of way. We chatted fashion & Henry interviewed me on the importance of British Fashion to the industry. 30mins later we wrapped the filming & the producer told me to give me his details & with a 'We'll be in touch...' they were off! I couldnt believe what had happened & I needed to stand by the terrace to take this all in! Before I could get over the headspin & how surreal it all was, my blackberry went off - it was my first text from Laura.
She had just arrived to attend a show & wanted to catch up for a pre-show drink so we could meet. Before I knew it I walked over the to laid-black yet glamorous Somerset
House Terrace Marquee Restaurant/Bar & as I made my way over there she was. In a gorgeous black dress & leather skirt , her trademark red lipstick & gorgeous blonde locks welcomed me with a big hug! "I saw you from a distance & hoped that you were you , you look so fabulous" were the first things she said to me & as we both sat down I felt as though we had met in another life 'as they say' as we just immediatley clicked. I've been lucky enough to meet some fabulous celebrities since I've been here , but when I sat opposite Laura is was suddenly evident that she had 'x-factor' her eyes glowed and she had an aura about her that just makes you want to be her friend. I kept myself contained & as we chatted clothing , her schedule and how funny it is that we both live literally a block down the road from each other , i just knew that this was going to be not only an amazing client to work with but something told me a beautiful friendship would soon follow. As we got up to head to the John Rocha show together , we had a quick banter about which brands we both like, as we approached the tents something happened to me that i'm not quite used to. It has to be said that yes during LFW there are hoards of photographers &
bloggers snapping the fashpack as they come in & out of shows and I myself have been snapped already a few times. However there is a difference between being snapped for your style and being papped because of who you are, now most of my clients are not as well known as Laura and as we began walking to the show together we were immediatley stopped by paparazzi 'Could we get a picture' they asked 'Of course' Laura replied and like a true star her arm was around my waist while the other placed tactfully on her hip and before I knew it we were both posing for the cameras. As we walked into the show two camera crews followed us in as we discussed our love for Sass & Bide. I didnt realise how well known she was in the UK , the fact that the girl is on MTV 5 days a week you'd think I would have clicked! To say my head was spinning is an understatement. How all of this is happening to little old me is beyond me. Suddenly I felt like maybe my hard work was paying off! As the clock struck 5.30 the John Rocha show begun (fashionably 20minutes late) and a collection of , what I call , a mixture of Gothic & Angelic Brides , strode down the runway as large hats, lace & black silk made up most of the collection!
The show was gorgeous but literally as soon as it finished I ran to a cab and made my way to my humble beginnings, Diesel New Bond Street for a Fashion Week event to Launch the Sophia Kokosolaki Diesel Black Gold range in conjuction with AnOther magazine. There was something really nice about being surrounded by my Diesel family after a day of fashion flurry!
However suddenly both my worlds collided and as various fashion editors from Glamour, Marie Claire & Harpers Bazaar strode in I was caught in this parallel universe of dancing with my Diesel family whilst partying on down with girls from LOOK magazine! The event was a success & as I made my way home I bumped into a gorgeous girl I had been eyeing up over the past few days. I'd seen her at all the same shows I had been too & loved her style. As I asked her for directions we got talking & again suddenly just clicked , before I could say another word the two of us and her friend were on our way to a LFW party were Joel Madden was the guest DJ!
Needless to say , the night concluded in dancing up a storm to an amazing set of tunes & making my glamorous way home at 4am! Only to be up the next morning to do it all over again! Even at 4am as I lay in bed my head drowning in the evenings over consumption of Grey Goose , I couldnt wipe the smile off my face. Sienna Miller, being filmed & landing a beautiful (and potentially life changin) client , all in 24 hours! I couldnt wait to wake up & see what Day 3 had in store! xoxo Deni
At the strike of 6 we left the office and made our way over the the old Waterloo terminal , the venue for all the TopShop Newgen designers' shows. As I jogged my way to the massively long queue , I queued patiently for a show I had been anticipating all week. Last London Fashion Week while interning at Goodley the Meadham Kirchoff show was one of the most emotional experience i've experienced. The build-up backstage , the tears, the last minute adjustments, trying to co-ordinate the masses of crowds eagerly awaiting to be seated. The collection itself last season was some what olverwhelming and there were mixed thought from everyone. People either loved it or hated it or didnt quite understand it. Once Meadham Kirchoff's pieces are broke down however & their vision is clear , you can see the beauty in their clothes. As I made my way towards the show I was already overwhelmed, first by the sheer impact the venue had, such a great location for a show and then the set. MK had literally built a set of a somewhat twisted fairytale land. Wizard of Oz meets Alice in Wonderland - on crack! As the show began 
with the narration 'I Fucking won Miss Congeniality dammit' , the first look was out. Meadham & Kirchoff's vision was clear , a punk princess , twisted beauty pageant that combined textures of silks lace , painted leathers and over the top layering & styling like only MK can! An explosion of colour and vibrance that made you want to banish all things black & bathe in crimson & fuschia!
My favorite piece was an acid yellow painted leather jacket with what appeared to be an egyptian symbol repeated various times across the body and sleeves of the jacket! Literally made me want to jump on the runway and take it off the models back & throw it on mine!
As each look made me squeal more than the previous the show soon drew to its end and the parade of models that exploded onto the runway at shows end overwhelmed me as I was presented with a techni color display of Meadham & Kirchoff at their best! Not only was it inspirational but in many ways moving , I felt as though I was truly watching fashion history unfold infront of my eyes! These boys are unique that's for sure , love them or hate them I feel like this collection was Paris Fashion Week worthy. Eccentric. Theatrical. Incredible! I DIED!
I think what I like most about Meadham Kirchoff is that they make people think. As my colleagues and I walked out of the Waterloo terminal we each had distinct opinions about the collection. We each saw it in a different way and some of us loved it (me) and some of us didnt understand it (them) however it got us talking and it will have the rest of the fashion world talking - which ultimately is what differentiates the good designers from the great. Anyone can slap up a few sparkly dresses that are easy to look at , will sell and be copied by the high street however its the truly talented that have vision and tell a story through the fashion they send down the runway. Meadham Kirchoff , ladies & gentleman are truly talented! xoxo Deni
The first show of the day was one I was really looking forward to - Basso & Brooke - a design duo who have a way with silks and prints. I went with my new LFW bestie Yety (who i partied with the night before) and as we both met , nursing our hangovers , we took our second row seats and once again we were graced by Amber Rose in the front row! Looking Fierce as ever!
The collection began & what a collection it was. Beautiful printed silk jersey dresses in tribal & animal print , it was all very Alexander McQueen esque but it worked & yety and I loved it!
Following Basso & Brooke , myself and Random Magazine Editor Rivkie Baum made our way over to Bloomsbury Square for the Charlie le Mindu show. I'd never heard of this designer & was going as Rivkie's plus 1 and was promised to be amazed! I petted my shaggy gilet to keep warm whilst freezing in the wind and as we made our way inside I noticed a very strong selection of key editors from various publications making their way in 'He must be good' I said to Rivkie & then yet again Amber Rose placed in front row , I was beginning to be increasingly impressed. Charlie le Mindu specialises in making clothing from hair , human hair , horse hair , goats hair , all in a very unique way , so I wasnt sure what to expect. Then suddenly the lights went black and a model holding spotlights from her chest shooted out on to the runway in a very GAGA way suddenly there was an unmistakable energy in the room i hadnt yet experienced at a show. 
Everyone was excited & cheering and as the first look came out you could literally feel the buzz in the room. The way Charlie combines his 'hair' approach with animal print and interesting cuts and silhouettes is truly amazing & the whole collection is completely up Lady GaGa's alley and something Rihanna would wear on stage. Most certainly not for the tame! 
When he came out at the end everyone was cheering (myself included) something about this show just felt special! It made me want to run backstage & give him a hug! Very well done!
As I left the show suddenly my day was about to turn into attending the 'up & coming' show to the fully fledged elitists of the London Fashion Week Calendar. I recieved a text from my friend Marta , here with the Italian Fashion Magazine BMM , telling me she couldnt attend any of her shows today , so I should meet her to come and collect her tickets & I could go in her place. Her tickets just happened to be for the Julien McDonald & Vivienne Westwood show. Before I knew it I was off to meet her & invites in hand made my way over to Julien McDonald pinching myself!
As I walked to Banqueting House (the venue for the show) just by Westminster , passing Big Ben & Westminster Abbey slight tears formed in my eyes I couldnt believe this was all happening to me , as I arrived to the grand venue I was breathtaken as I was ushered up the grand stair case surrounded by marble and white stone. Originally the property of the Archbishops of York The Banqueting House was used to provide entertainment for Charles I and was later the scene of his execution. This was a historic Royal property and today became a little piece of my history. As I entered the large space with its ornate ceilings & chandeliers I was breathtaken. Beethoven played through the speakers and gorgeous boys in black shirts handed me with a cocktail & walked me to my second row seat. Even the chairs were gorgeous , in old french-victorian style 
duchess satin cushioning. They looked like chairs that should be placed around the dining table of a royal function and here I was sitting on them in the second row. My head was spinning & not just from the cocktails-on-an-empty-stomach! Supermodel Janice Dickinson was infront of me charming camera men and switching from smiles for the lense to a frown for having to wait for the show begin. She was a true proffesional, the second the camera was in her face, smile was on!
The venue began to fill and I was surrounded by beautiful wealthy people. Royals. Top of the line magazine Editors. When Anna Dello Russo (editor of Japanese Vogue) walked in I lost my breath! Then the It-Girls made their way in. First Olivia Palermo star of MTV's 'The City'...
...and then Michelle Williams strode in. Glowing in a coral Julien McDonald dress. As soon as she walked in I thought 'this is my chance to right the wrong I did by calling her Kelly' and so I took a skull of my cocktail and made my way over to her front row seat. I crept down on my knee slightly to be at her eye level as she had already taken her seat. "Michelle, I know you must get this all the time, but I have been a Destiny's Child fan from day one, since the age of 12. I've seen you girls Live every time you've come to Melbourne and I love your solo album. You're incredible, I listen to your song 'We Break The Dawn' everytime I get ready to go out" and with that she got up and gave me a big hug "Aw you're gorgeous honey, what's your name?" , "Denis", I repeated. "Aw Denis thankyou, enjoy the show babe" and with that we kissed on each cheek and I made my way back to second row to do just that - enjoy the show. The dresses were beautiful. The style was very 60s inspired , baby doll meets Brigitte Bardot circa Valley of the 
Dolls. It was also the first show I'd seen a model go A over T and slip on the runway. With grace she picked herself up and kept on going while everyone gasped for air! When Julien came out for his final bow , greeted with applause , I couldnt help but giggle, I had asked this man for his name while doing the guest list on the door at the Kylie event to which he replied "You should know my name young man" (I genuinely didnt recognise him because of his hair , of course I knew Julian McDonald) and now here I was sitting second row at his show. It was a nice feeling.
As everyone made there way out , I thought I had to go ask Michelle for a photo , the cheesy DC fan in me needed to take this opportunity. "Michelle Honey would you mind If I got a photo with you" , "Of course Denis come here" (she remembered my name - impressive) and just like that , we posed like two buds. She gave me another warm hug and kiss on the cheek & I was off!
After my brush with a child of Destiny I rushed off home for an outfit change as I had a very special event to attend in an hour - the VIVIENNE WESTWOOD show & I felt the need to change into something more Vivienne appropriate. I decided on a pair of vintage striped trousers I purchased in Brick Lane when I first moved to London. I've only worn them once as they are quite a piece but they're very Westwood and the one time I did wear them I was constantly asked if they were Westwoods. When I bought the vintage wonders there was no longer a tag attached only remaining thread where the label would've been sewn on so I guess i'll just never know. I decided to pair them with my H&M white shirt (fast becoming my LFW staple piece) an amazing vintage velvet blazer I bought for 1 quid and a checked Peckham & Rye bow tie I was gifted with. Ready for this once in a lifetime opportunity , invite in hand I headed to the location.
...within half an hour the A-Listers began to arrive and arrive they did! Everyone from Cat Deeley to Nicola Roberts , The Saturdays and Tolula Adeyemi . However when Pamela Andersons car pulled up I thought the paparazzi were going to kill her. As I stood behind the railing all I could feel was literally a roar of flashes and the railing plummet down to the ground as they all pushed each other out of the way to get the money shot of Pammy entering the show. Her big burly security guard protected her as best he could and she truly did make an entrance. 
Once the A-Listers , Editors and VIP's entered the PR woman at the door announced (to the probably 200metre queue behind me) "Ok guys we're over capacity in there and only the first 10 people in the standing line are getting in" , I literally stopped breathing , thank god I got there when I did. As the rope was let down I made a mad dash up the stairs of the Grand Conaught Rooms (a swanky hotel in Covent Garden) and as I entered the Grand Hall , the chandelier adorned ceiling and elevated runway took my breath away , there were people everywhere she really wasnt joking about the over capacity. Adamant to have the best view possible I jumped into the caged off Paparazzi pit and was leaning against the railing with a perfect view. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing this show and as the first look came out I couldnt believe here I was at Westwood and she didnt dissapoint. From her signature tartans, stripes , check, houndstooth , corsets and fab dresses - everything was pure Westwood and truly amazing. 
As the last look strode the runway suddenly the lights went low and a really sad song started playing by Elvis - the title or even the lyrics escape me - and then the lights came back on and there she was Dame Vivienne Westwood with her army of models behind her , lead super Jacquetta Wheeler embracing her with a bunch of flowers. As the music played Vivenne sashayed down the runway and looked so happy to be doing what she was doing. I was beside myself , I did my oral presentation on Vivenne Westwood at Fashion School and the fact that this iconic woman was walking here before me was so surreal before I knew it my goosebumps turned into tears and the emotion overwhelmed me. She is the face of british fashion & it has always been a dream of mind to attend her show and suddenly here I was. I'll never forget that moment! Why this was all happening to me is beyond me I cant believe it how lucky I am
As the show concluded and we all made our way out I bumped into Cat Deeley, wiping my tears we both caught each others eye and concluded the show was amazing & then before I knew it we were talking So You Think You Can Dance & the camera was out for a quick snap before exiting!
Recapping my amazing Westwood experience I made a dash over to Somerset House for the last show of the day , another great up and comer Kinder Aggugini and took my place in the second row with my LFW buddy Yety. Telling her all about Westwood we were suddenly captivated by the amazing Anna Dello Russo , italian editor-at-large of Japanese Vogue. Ever the fashion icon I saw her earlier in the day at Julien's show. She was now sporting a sexy black frock (different to her fur gilet of the day) and a massive cherry headband , she looked fabulous in the front row!
Kinder's show was a very nice collection of what I call 'Lady Like Tribal' the beat of african drums kept everyone bopping in their seats from start to finish and as the press release stated he was influenced by travels through Africa and the history of the continent. 
It was a nice way to end the evening and as I parted ways with somerset for another day I walked home recapping on the days events. I genuinely cant believe this is all happening to me at times , I feel genuinely blessed and it seems that for now this fashion world is right where I belong! xoxo Deni