PA
Ever got to a party, feeling great in your new pricey outfit and matching heels, strutted confidently into the main room, and then discovered it's a fancy dress theme?
That was my visit to London Fashion Week.
There I was, my first time, thinking I'd created a cool yet respectable look in my pleated skirt and long embellished top, only to quickly realise that I was way off. Gazing at the feather collars, fur wraps, studded belts, innovative hairstyles, skyscraper heels - worn by both women and men - and what must have been painted on skinny jeans on those tiny spindly legs, I realised I really had just entered the glamorous world of the fashion elite - and couldn't have been more out of my depth.
And yet I was quite content to disappear into the shadows and observe the sparkles above, for their audacity and originality is the spirit of London Fashion Week, and though somewhat intimidating for an amateur like me, there is also something undeniably fascinating about the whole affair.
It is as the editor of The New York Times Style Magazine, Stefano Tonchi says: 'British art and design have taken the place... that fashion once occupied.' Fashion is no longer about what looks good in a colour-matching, figure-flattering sense; it's now exploitation of this walking canvas to showcase the imaginings and ingenuity of these striving fashion victims.
As Glastonbury is to music lovers (or Pride London to those that way inclined), London Fashion Week is the time for designers, models, fashion students and other wannabe fashionistas to come together and be at one in this accepted world of eccentricity and egos. The game is to be noticed, and as long as it's designer, daring or bizarre, it can never be wrong.
Who cares if it's not Gucci or Prada darling, when its handmade from bin liners topped with a felt hat? Does it matter that a mere piece of fabric is covering your person when there's a mask covering your face? Surely that spiked head-to-toe ensemble is almost attractive in a particular light?
The point is what is "normal society" and who are they to define all the rules? As most say, edginess and raw talent is what makes London Fashion Week so unique; it's an opportunity for everyone to dress in what they want, how they want, and to leave any reservations at home. Creativity and courage are applauded, and bashfulness and self-consciousness dismissed - and who is anyone to make a judgement on that?
So, as I sat sipping my gin and tonic, wafting away the thick cloud of cigarette smoke, and noting that skimmed milk was the only choice for your latte, I began to appreciate that there really was something rather remarkable about this fashion world and the outlandish characters it allures.
Yet it was admiration from afar. In this tight-knit community of fashion know-alls, garden salads and macchiato (an espresso with a dash of milk), it can still be difficult to always see past the almost cultish obsession with making an impact, and the certain coolness towards any novices like me.
However fabulous this artistic and somewhat rebellious world may be, it was clear by the end that the best decision for me was to stick to what I'm comfortable in, and head to a different party.
See the celebs at London Fashion Week
