Reflections on Fashion Press Week

Fashion Press week has come and gone and I have had time to reflect on this event.

For me, it probably has more significance than most designers showing, as I do not have a PR agency working on my behalf. It’s a long story but I had a major disagreement with a London PR agency back in February 2010 and it left such a bad taste in my mouth that I have not appointed another one since.

Anyway, this was the first time I had showed a collection in London since February 2010 so it was a bit of a novel experience for me. In all honesty, I would not have even considered showing at Fashion Press Week, purely down to cost, if it hadn’t been for a competition run by the organisers, sponsors, Mishcon de Reya and the Fahion Business Club. 8 lucky designers won a a free space within One Marylebone and I for one was mightily appreciative.

As I am not based in London, I used this opportunity to create a couple of SS12 sample pieces live on my stand along with Mary Benson, a fellow designer, who gives me a hand from time to time.

SS12 is a departure for me as the first three collections were all about exploring techniques and working with elastics. SS12 is the depiction of a single day in my life in the countryside. The two themes I wanted to explore were the “red sky at night” and the unstoppable advance of what I call “creeping vines” which are strangling mature trees around me.

Given that the first Fashion Press Week had attracted over one hundred exhibitors and the second one had dropped to below thirty, I didn’t have any real expectations for the event. For me, the chance of creating live samples was enough.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality of visitors including Harpers Bazaar, Vogue and You Magazine. It was really great to catch up with people who had supported me in the past such as Rachel Oku.

It was also really great to meet other designers such as Linnie Mclarty and the Hemyca duo. It was also good to show alongside my fashion “brother” Viking Wong and his enormous entourage.

I really enjoyed and in some respects, needed the feedback on my work as I have been away for such a long time. It gave me the reasurance that I am indeed doing something very unique.

The most interesting observation I made, however, is that in spite of me presenting techniques that had not been seen before and indeed creating entirely unrehearsed pieces live, there seemed to be a section of visitors who would glance quickly at my stand then be rush over in excitement to the t shirts in the stand opposite. How fashion is that?