Despite the 4.30am call time, and subsequent grogginess, it was easy to locate the Trinity Fashion Society at Dublin airport on Friday morning. The group of thirty-two students was hard to miss, standing out in their leopard print coats, fishnet tights and Repeal jumpers. Every year, the Fashion Society jets off to London for a weekend full of glamour and fun, with the highly coveted spots typically selling out in minutes. The committee, with Carla King-Molina at the helm, crafted a busy and exciting itinerary which ensured that us lucky attendees could witness London Fashion Week in all its glory.
After a quick stop at Starbucks for an essential caffeine boost, we headed to the gate. The trip did not get off to a good start, when Ryanair refused to accommodate one student who required wheelchair access to the plane. As chairperson of the society, Carla spoke out against the airline's discriminatory behaviour, saying she was "truly ashamed, saddened and angry that this was the treatment the beautiful, clever and witty Niamh Herbert received". Things did begin to look brighter once the whole group had safely landed and arrived at our accommodation, the Horse & Stables hostel. What followed was pure fashion bliss.
Peacocking is a given during fashion week, so we headed straight for The Strand, the home of LFW. The style outside was loud, with plenty of colour. Our own airport style was slightly more demure in comparison, but stylish none the less. Following our flaunting in front of the cameras, we lunched at Bronte, the chic restaurant on Trafalgar Square. Full of good food, we moved on to the RSA, where we were dazzled by Ekaterina Kukhareva's mythical collection and Steventai's relaxed looks. Before heading for dinner and drinks at Wahaca, we snuck in an extra bit of culture at the National Gallery - taking in the impressive works of Da Vinci, Monet and Van Gogh.
Breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien was the least we could do to comfort our aching hearts on the last day. All stops were pulled on Sunday, when we dressed to impress for the Topshop Unique show. Granted, we couldn't get inside...but we peacocked to our hearts content, all while gazing longingly at the incredible street style shown by those lucky enough to attend the show. Somehow, I did not manage to spot Olivia Palermo or Leandra Medine - two icons in attendance. I did, however, spy Suzy Menkes, which will definitely suffice. We took in more art inside the Tate Modern, until the trip finally came to a close after stumbling across a delightful food market by the London Eye.
All in all, I'd say that my first trip to London Fashion Week was a total success. And I definitely will be back.
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| Ekaterina Kukhareva |
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| Steventai |
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| Trinity Fashion Society at the V&A |
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| Malan Breton - Vogue |
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| Malan Breton - Vogue |
Our second day began at the beautiful Victoria & Albert museum, where we caught a glimpse of Kate Moss' iconic sheer dress (this one) and stunning corsets at the History of Underwear exhibition. At the Freemason's hall, we saw our first official fashion show. Malan Breton's AW17 collection showcased perfectly tailored suits paired with dramatic hats and fur lined coats. We were further blown away that evening, by the Han Wen show. The show was powerful and rebellious, with perfect pleats and autumnal colours dominating the collection.
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| Han Wen - Vogue |
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| Han Wen - Vogue |
Breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien was the least we could do to comfort our aching hearts on the last day. All stops were pulled on Sunday, when we dressed to impress for the Topshop Unique show. Granted, we couldn't get inside...but we peacocked to our hearts content, all while gazing longingly at the incredible street style shown by those lucky enough to attend the show. Somehow, I did not manage to spot Olivia Palermo or Leandra Medine - two icons in attendance. I did, however, spy Suzy Menkes, which will definitely suffice. We took in more art inside the Tate Modern, until the trip finally came to a close after stumbling across a delightful food market by the London Eye.
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| Trinity Fashion Society at the Tate Modern |
