How to Survive: London Fashion Week
As former fashion and current events correspondents turned digital marketers, we've witnessed our fair share of runways, press days and events. Thrown into the industry in our formative years, we appreciate how daunting a task visiting your first fashion week can be. Fear not, runway newbies, we've composed the Scottish Bitches guide on how to survive London Fashion Week.
Pick Up Your Press Pass Early
All the best things at London Fashion Week are usually on a first-come-first-serve basis. Make sure to pick up your press pass early on - apart from allowing you access to the press facilities, you may also nab some exclusive promotional goodies given out at the same time.
Make a Timetable
It can be tempting to just wing it, but generally speaking it's good practice to try and attend as many shows as you've been invited to. If this is your first London Fashion Week, then it's an even better opportunity to introduce yourself in person to the PR agency that so kindly invited you. If you're late for a show, you may not be let in, so prior to attending fashion week, consolidate all your invites into a timetable so you know when and where you need to be. Take into account logistics - some shows take place off of Somerset House, so consider if you can realistically make it to the show on time. Be sure to bring all your invites with you on the day - if you can't prove you have an invitation then you will not be let in.
Mark-Up Your Spot
If you're going along to shoot photography from the press pit, find out in advance of London Fashion Week when mark up will be taking place. It usually takes place the day before or morning of, however, it's a first-come-first-serve basis for photographers, so head on down early for a great spot. Using somebody else's mark-up is a big no-no, so if you're asked to move, move immediately or you'll be swiftly escorted out of the runway by security. Note that the press pit is primarily for photographers.
Carry Emergency Snacks
Early starts and late finishes at London Fashion Week make for hungry journalists and bloggers! No doubt there will be some sort of food in the form of a seaweed-themed buffet, however, to avoid losing valuable time between shows, pack some emergency on-the-go snacks you can nibble on throughout the day.
Don't Bother with Photos at the Exhibition
It sounds counter intuitive for any blogger not to take photos, but many designers that are exhibiting their new collections at London Fashion Week prefer if you use the photos they have had professionally commissioned on your blog. Seek out the brand's exhibition representative and ask for the lookbook and campaign photos to be forwarded on to your e-mail. Try to snaffle their business card with their contact details - fashion week can be hectic and you may be forgotten about in and among the chaos.
How to Survive: London Fashion Week - Final Tips
London Fashion Week is an experience to cherish for any fashion fan. Late nights and early mornings, as well as pressing deadlines can mean you end up quite run down by the end of the week (colloquially known as fashion-week-flu.) Sleep plenty, keep hydrated and network like crazy. Remember, manners don't cost a thing and being co-operative with PRs will open many doors in the future.
How do you survive London Fashion Week? What are your top tips for surviving the chaos? Share them with us in the comments below!
