AUFS: March 2013

Twice a year London Fashion Week is responsible for the pilgrimage of fashion designers, models, celebrities, and socialites that crowd the bustling city. During this week, you are faced with the crème de la crème of fashion royalty, watching designer catwalk shows and seeing next years trends first in the world. After the most stylish of weeks ends, London Fashion Weekend begins. Instead of fashion designers and celebrities, Somerset House is filled with us mere commoners, including 14 members of the Aberdeen Uni Fashion Society. Set in the same venue, as the actual London Fashion Week, the Weekend is open for public and focuses more on trends for the spring and summer. Chanel catwalks are replaced by a mix between designer and high street, keeping in mind that a student loan doesn't exactly cover head to toe Versace.

Even though the Fashion Week and the Weekend are two entirely separate events, we were never painfully reminded of our nothingness. Wearing our Sunday best, we fit right into the chaotic venue located along the Thames. After a rummage of our goodie bags, we raced to explore the huge building that is Somerset House. Filled with room after room of designer pop-up shops, Levi's jean fittings, Benefit make-up stalls, and free massages, it was easy to forget about our student life of late night study sessions and three pound meal deals. However buried deep, the student in me went around to collect any and every freebie I could find, whether it be a plaster or a chocolate bar. We were also fortunate to attend a fashion show. After getting ushered in past the press, we proceeded to dig out our individual cameras. The risk of looking like a tourist was no longer a problem, since we could all be deemed bloggers. The show was styled by Hillary Alexander and portrayed the four major trends of S/S 2013, Graphic Art, Urban Lifestyle, Doll's House, and Eastern Promise. Just as any proper designer show, the looks were either amazing or hideous; the only difference was that half of the outfits could be found on any high street in Britain.

London Fashion Weekend was a great experience and appropriately mimicked the real Fashion Week. We saw designer clothes, skinny models, and the occasional crazily clad grandma, what more can you expect?