LFW: What Really Happens Behind The Scenes?
17-09-2016
London Fashion Week officially opened its doors on Friday 16th September, welcoming press, buyers, stylists, photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists, brands, designers and celebrities from all over the world to see what London has to showcase. Onlookers and fashion fans filled the streets surrounding the Brewer Street Car Park, LFW’s official venue, watching as the ever so stylish entered. Shows, showcases and after parties were the talk of the city, and everyone wanted to know who, what and why.
One of the main venues FashionCapital attended on LFW’s first day was the Freemason’s Hall, where Fashion Scout have set up base to showcase a wide range of talent under their wing. A personal favourite was Rocky Star, which our team were lucky enough to be granted backstage access too.
As the priority ticket holders (front row) filled their seats, we headed backstage where final hair and make-up preparations were being completed as well as last minute talks and schedules. The atmosphere of the backstage could not be any more different to that of the front of house; sitting calmly in their seats, talking to other stylists, celebrities and attendees, the audience awaited a 15-minute show as a low hum filled the room, whilst backstage models rushed around waiting to be dressed and hairstylists fiddled with hair ensuring each and every strand was perfectly in place.
To the audience the event and collection was a short time spent sitting and watching, to those working backstage this moment had been in preparation for months and would all be over in what seemed liked seconds. For the designer, event manager, creative director, models, make-up artists, hair stylists and volunteers working at the event their day would have started early to ensure that the running order was practiced and perfected more than once, to confirm that models knew where they needed to be and when, to guarantee the dressers knew what each model was wearing and to give the make-up and hair team time to perfect the look of each model as per the designer’s orders. The last hour of preparation is a blur that seems to go faster than you can say ‘showtime’ and as for the actual show, watched on a life screen from behind the scenes, is a nerve wracking time, where anything could go wrong.
As time is called, models lined up in their running order, minds racing with steps they had practiced earlier, knowing that as soon as they left the stage post-walk they would be stripped and put into another dress ready to repeat their walk. Creative directors and designers gave last minute prep talks and watched on as each model strode onto the catwalk.
As the show finished Rocky Star, the designer took his bow on the stage whilst the audience applauded his incredible designs. Dedication, sweat, tears and stress of putting a collection together was over and no doubt the next collection would already be at the front of Mr. Stars mind. The end of the show, quite possibly a relief to all of those backstage as they acknowledge that everything had gone according to plan.
As the audience fled the venue to attend their next show, press stayed on to re-visit backstage, which had a completely different aura about it considering just an hour ago what it had been like. Friends and VIP’s congratulated the designer whilst models took selfies with each other and photographers captured these moments.
Backstage tells a story, a story so different to what those sitting front of house see. A story of vision, determination, passion, love and emotion.
Images and text by Rebekah Litherland
To read more LFW show reviews click here
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