London Fashion Week

February 20th started London Fashion Week. Buyers and fashion enthusiasts look at the upcoming trends for the season and London is among the biggest fashion weeks next to Milan, Paris, and New York City.As an MSN news intern, I was fortunate enough to preview the first show of the week.

Admittedly, my only experience with fashion is the copious episodes of “Project Runway” I watch each season back home in America. When I actually heard someone utter, “Make it work,” the slogan of guru Tim Gunn, I felt like I had stepped (with high heeled shoes of course) into Heidi Klum’s world.I was clueless for expectations. After wandering around before the show, I joined the queue going into the catwalk tent. Once inside, I found that the audience was just as impeccably dressed as the models. Fashion did not stop at the catwalk, especially for this front row viewer.

The London Fashion Week celebrated its 25th anniversary this February. Usually held at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, the show will move in September to Somerset House. The week is organised by the British Fashion Council and funded by sponsors. For the last seven seasons, Canon Europe has been the primary sponsor. According to the Fashion Week website, the show generates £20 million to the London economy with direct spending and £100m in orders for the region.

When the show was about to start, the audience was blacked out and the runway was lit up brighter than Parliament at night. The models started to walk down the catwalk towards a wall of photographers' flashes. The facial expression variety in the models I observed astounded me. Their faces matched the outfits, if that is possible to believe. This model looks mart and sassy with this pocket dress, but later elegant and aloof in an evening gown.

The designer I previewed was Paul Costelloe. Originally from Dublin, Costelloe has five stand-alone stores and has his lines in many other stores throughout the UK. Princess Diana as well as Liza Minelli have both worn Costelloe’s clothing. I felt like I had arrived in a potato sack with a camera as my only accessory.

Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” blasted from surround sound speakers for the first half of the show. Models came pouring out from behind a white stage and paraded down the catwalk. I discovered that unlike most other fashion shows I had seen on the TV, Costelloe’s clothing was much more down to earth than I had expected. Reading his bio, I discovered his goal was to clothe ‘real’ women, not just models.

Large hair that would have done any 80s rocker proud stayed completely still as models took over the catwalk. Clearly, neon is back in fashion as every eye shadow colour bordered Day Glo shorts. Dramatic eyes and bright red lips took away the need for extravagant jewellery.