South African accountant Shaista Hamdulay never imagined she would one day
mingle with fashionistas at London Fashion Week.
Yet on Saturday, Hamdulay got a taste of a world usually reserved for
fashion editors, buyers, bloggers and celebrities, with a coveted front row
seat at a catwalk show.
The 30-year-old was one of dozens of people at the industry event’s
inaugural public show, where for the first time anyone could buy a ticket for a
special presentation.
Once closed off to the fashion world, London is opening its doors, offering
six public shows over the weekend.
For tickets priced from 135 pounds ($169), audiences can watch models walk
the catwalk in outfits by designers Alexa Chung, Henry Holland and
self-portrait.
Also included are panel discussions with industry figures and an exhibition.
British Fashion Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush said“We’ve had a
really great pick up and interest not only from consumers but also from
industry insiders that are curious as to what the experience is going to be,”.
Chung was not present but greeted guests in a video saying the clothes were
“curated for this show especially”. These included printed dresses, chunky
coats and footwear from her autumn/winter 2019-2020 line.
The rise of social media influencers has forced the fashion industry to
open up to the digital world, with many brands live-streaming shows to younger
tech-savvy buyers.
London is the first of the four fashion capitals to directly invite the
public to purchase show tickets, organizers say. In New York, trend followers
can buy “experience” packages via a concierge-like service.
Endeavor Experiences offers what it calls “the official VIP experience” for
New York Fashion Week where guests can have hair and makeup done, eat canapés
in a lounge overlooking the runway and sit front row at certain shows.
Endeavor Experiences has worked with brands Rag and Bone and Chromat and
hopes even more designers will sign up and offer access to their shows next
year.
Though its Fashion Week is smaller, London hosts brands like Burberry and
Victoria Beckham and is known for emerging talent.