Thanks to ShowStudio's live streaming loveliness, I have just finished watching Alexander McQueen's Spring-Summer 2010 show, from little old South London. Hardly
The overall feel of the collection, was of vicious, primal femininity, demonstrated with an image of sky-high hem-lines, smatterings of tulle and structured shoulders and hips which created tough alien-ballerina silhouette. Indeed, this was felt further through kaleidoscopic digital prints of both python, and stormy images, which looked not dissimilar to the fierce ice-maiden portrayed in Rodarte's Autumn-Winter 2009/10 collection.
As has been the case throughout the SS10 shows, ankle boots showed no sign of departure, which in this schizophrenic climate no matter what the season, I for one welcome whole-heartedly. McQueen's, with exaggeratedly rounded bridges, and vertiginous heels and platforms, not only nodded to fetishised Victoriana, but bore strong visual similarity to a ballerina on points, thus furthering the sense of Pavlova abducted by aliens and given a rock-chick make-over.
While the show was not draped in the dramatic pageantry that normally accompanies a McQueen show (glass boxes, parodied Dior and a bandaged Kate Moss), the giant mechanical cameras that prowled the stage alongside the models, more than hinted at the millions of beady eyes across the world, including my own, who were able to witness the show as it happened, which if you ask me, is quite the spectacle indeed!
Having neglected this blog for nearly a year, I have decided to once again sprinkle it with my ideas, inspirations and musings on the worlds of fashion and beauty, with no doubt a bit of music and food (dun dun dun) thrown in here and there for good measure, because you know, they're the same thing.
What really gave me the thigh-high boot to fire up this bad-boy again, was attending London Fashion Week, tweeting on behalf of Vice Magazine, and blogging on behalf of BitchBuzz. This season saw considerably more bloggers make their way into the forbidden tents, which has generated a fair bit of comment. Some have embraced the influx of guerrilla scribes, others feel their toes have been bruised.
Coming from both a professional and independent standpoint, I personally found it a good thing that everyone from Anna to myself were able to register as press (I wonder if Anna fills in the online application like the rest of us?!). Firstly, because registering as press is not the ticket to a week of swanky shows, for that you need actual tickets which must be gained through the shows' PRs. This does of course require you to prove you are more serious than a 14 year-old girl from Scunthorpe with a Tavi complex and a lap-top.
In which case, the fact that independent bloggers and multi-national publishing houses can register as press at London Fashion week is very positive. It recognises that just because you might do something online, doesn't make it unworthy, whilst still requiring you to prove your credentials, regardless of whether you are doing it professionally or for pleasure. Indeed, queen of independent fashion blogging Susie Bubble proclaims that 'I am not a fashion expert/insider, merely a fashion lover/consumer'. Does this mean she should not be able to register?
LFW coverage would be a more boring place without the musings of Bubble, and countless other bloggers, and at London particularly, where up-and-coming designers are given a platform onto the world fashion stage, shouldn't London's independent fashion media receive the same opportunity?
Of course, fashion week is about more than just the shows, and being registered as press provides the opportunity to attend the exhibition, where countless posting opportunities can be found.
Ultimately, with bloggers in tow, the media voice at fashion week is a whole lot richer, and if that means there will be a few jokers coming along solely for the Chambord, then it's a small price to pay. They'll get bored when the free stuff runs out anyway.
Image from Avsh Alom Gur presentation.