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Cycling shorts, sequins and champagne: Lilah Parsons' London Fashion Week
20 September 2019, 14:17 | Updated: 20 September 2019, 14:30
Heart's Lilah Parsons was a guest at some of London Fashion Week's hottest shows and parties - here's what went down when the Fash Pack descended on the capital...
Twice a year London is the hub of the fashion world - and it's as exhausting as it is exhilarating.
This week just gone was the turn of the world's top designers and up and coming homegrown labels to showcase their wares for spring/summer 2020.
But while London Fashion Week is great for future outfit planning, and gives plenty of inspiration for forward thinking thrift and eBay shopping, it definitely felt weird to be told what we'll all be wearing when the temperature heats up just as we head into tights and woolly jumper season.
As well as giving hints about what trends are on their way to the red carpet and high street, LFW is also an excuse for th "fash pack" to just have a good party - or ten.
It never fails to amaze me how they seem to look remarkably fresh and immaculate considering all the late nights and champagne floating around – although perhaps that explains the sunglasses you spot being worn on the front row.
It all kicked off on Thursday night with a party thrown by saucy lingerie label Agent Provocateur at decadent members only club Annabel’s.
It's one of those places where you just have to take a selfie in the loos - they really are very snazzy, and yes, I did take a picture in there, but the artwork on the walls makes it NSFW and NSFH... not suitable for Heart!
Unsurprisingly there was a lot of underwear being worn as outerwear by the famous guests like Ella Eyre and Lily Allen.
There was also a photobooth, lots of vodka cocktails on offer and a pretty impressive performance from camp party starters Sink the Pink. Let's just say I won't be able to listen to The Pussycat Dolls' When I Grow Up without thinking of nipple tassels.
We even got a DJ set from a Spice Girl when Mel C took to the decks.
The next day it was down to business on the catwalks, and I went to watch the Roberta Einer show. It was an array of neon, pastels and sparkles delivered by some seriously sassy models strutting in some VERY high heels.
One girl even had to stop and take her shoes off and carry them- very sensible.
Maybe it was the late night, or perhaps just the flowing of colour and texture sashaying past me, but I was inspired to try out the ‘sunglasses on the front row’ thing.
It made me feel quite cool for about five minutes until I realised I had to take them off to actually SEE the clothes.
Some of the models were also rocking sunglasses, but the kind that look like you’re going cycling. They can pull them off but I’m not sure it’s a trend I’m going to copy.
The wearing of cycling shorts in daily life also seems to be becoming a thing, but I'm still not on board, even if Roberta’s take on the unforgiving sportswear were diamante-encrusted which made them a bit more glamorous.
I'm also not sure I’m ready to wear see through trousers just yet - even though the model looked amazing, I just think I might get some odd looks on the Tube.
On Saturday I took a trip back to the seventies with Rixo, who transformed an old postal sorting office into an homage to Woodstock festival. A big, grassy platform saw girls in clashing, psychedelic 70s prints dancing, lounging and blowing bubbles to the Hippy Hippy Shake. They even gave a bus a flower power makeover.
On Sunday I headed to the Royal Opera House for the Gareth Pugh x Virgin party where I’d heard that a VERY special performance was taking place - and wasn't disappointed as Christina Aguilera burst onto stage in a red leotard and red PVC thigh high boots.
She performed Lady Marmalade and my teenage self was in absolute heaven.
On Monday, Olivia Rubin’s presentation was another pastel dream world that felt like the set of a Taylor Swift video.
More seventies themes popped up as the models swanned about in Olivia’s ice cream parlour, wearing clothes that looked practically edible.
Olivia very kindly lent me a dress with a big rainbow bow on the back, but I couldn't head off to my final show of LFW wearing it, so I had to have a quick change in the loo - where I bumped into Made in Chelsea’s Rosie Fortescue doing the same thing.
Who said London Fashion Week wasn’t glamorous?
Rounding off my busy LFW was Julien Macdonald. His shows are always everything you’d expect a fashion show to be with a heavy dose of glamour, supermodels and sparkle - and the hauntingly beautiful atmospherics of Southwark Cathedral.
We sipped on vodka cocktails while the show waited to start, and as photographer’s cameras flashed getting their front row snaps.
When the show finally started the cathedral was plunged into darkness before the models started to strut down the aisle.
It reminded me of something out of Harry Potter, but with much better clothes.
The dresses were incredible, the sort of thing Beyonce would wear on stage - and definitely plenty of inspo for the NEXT party season... Christmas!
