Not just for luvvies, London Fashion Week is serious business

Somerset House used to be the home of the Inland Revenue but these days it’s better known as home to London Fashion Week twice each year.

2015 is the event’s 61st year and over 250 designers, some very well-known and some less so, will send their models and autumn/winter creations down the catwalks for the whole world to see.

Front row at a show
Source: celebmafia.com

London Fashion Week is far more than celeb watching and wondering how the average person in the street could possibly afford, let alone be seen in, some of the more outlandish outfits – it’s key for the whole industry as it showcases the best of British fashion, and is a catalyst to increasing exports all over the world.

The industry plays a significant role in our economy, generating £26bn for the UK each year, bringing in £10.7bn from consumers and employs almost 800,000 people.

London Fashion Week gathers orders of some £100m during the five days and the shows are watched online by audiences in 190 countries worldwide, even if this time it’s gone head-to-head with the Oscars.

The spectacular outfits worn by some catwalk models can appear impractical, unaffordable and sometimes plain daft.

Traditionally, says the BBC website, the idea has been that the clothes and styles adopted by the richest in society eventually filter through and influence the rest of us, the so-called "trickle-down" theory - first put forward by the American economist and sociologist, Thorstein Veblen, in 1898.

This has changed over time but the high street is still influenced by what’s shown at London Fashion Week. Sometimes it’s the accessories used, sometimes colour palette, pattern or outfit shape, other times it can be the use of fabric or trim. Copies can appear in high street shops almost overnight, helped by retailers’ access to the internet.

In recent years designers have been collaborating with high street retailers to create affordable versions of their designs. That’s because they don’t only design for one or two special people, they want their designs to influence thousands.

Get Waisted’s owner and designer, Toni Pickles, attends London Fashion Week to take inspiration, gauge and forecast trends, and ultimately bring the latest fabrics, trends and designs through her own collections to her clients and customers in her boutique in Steyning, West Sussex.

Check out this video to see what happened at London Fashion Week Feb 2015

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on:

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk

Steyning boutique, 98aHigh Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

(with thanks to www.bbc.co.uk/news) 

Get Waisted watches London strut its stuff at LFW

So, here we are again! Valentine's is over, romance is dead...but London Fashion Week is here again!  And, dear readers, Get Waisted feels honour bound to let you know what (or who) is up. I even managed to get myself up there for the first day this year with all the attendant hullabaloo. I loved it. What an exciting atmosphere. London is really making its mark - perhaps even leaving traditional top tier events such as Milan Fashion Week trailing (London is expecting to attract over twice as many attendees to its catwalks - importantly including some of the top names who previously favoured Milan). Anyway, enough blowing our own trumpet. I enjoyed the shows from KTZ , PPQ and John Rocha all featured in the image below. The KTZ afterparty was pretty cool too - but hey ho, some of us had work to do so couldn't stay long.

KTZ, PPQ and John Rocha at LFW

As I have discussed here before, fashion is big business for the UK (estimated to be worth about £21billion!) and supporting some 816,000 jobs. Well, it seemed like nearly everyone of those people was in one queue or another on Friday - but it was certainly all worth it. It seems to me that London is getting back its (rightful?) crown that it held for fashion and creativity in the 1960's (and don't you dare go saying "I should know, I was there" - cheek!). With 'A' listers from Rihanna to Tom Ford choosing London this year we have to be doing something right.

Speaking of Tom Ford, who designed for Daniel Craig/James Bond and the Skyfall movie, I have one more piece of news for you. Get Waisted is delighted to again be working with Brighton College and the girls from Fenwick House to present a fashion show in aid of Chestnut Tree House children's hospice. Last year we raised more than £1500 and we aim to smash that record this year. The event is Bond themed and will be lots of fun. Check out the event on Facebook for more details and mark your diary for March 13th.

I think that's all for now fashion fiends. Of course, if you are inspired by something you see on the catwalks and would like your own interpretation don't hesitate to get in touch.

All you need to do is call me (Toni) on 07947 497342 or email Toni@getwaisted.co.uk and Get Waisted would be delighted to help.


Love Toni.

London Fashion Week - Feed the Beast

So, here we are again. New York Fashion Week is in full swing and London gets under way this week. I am really looking forward to seeing catwalk shows for Anya Hindmarch and Louise Gray as well sampling the 'Off-schedule' shows of Jena Theo and Sabina Bryntesson...and as for the after parties..well it would be rude not to wouldn't it?

And just in case you are thinking 'who really cares?', here's a few numbers. Fashion is worth between  £25 and £35 billion (yes billion) to the UK economy. London Fashion Week (LFW) alone contributes £20 million to the London economy and with over 25 years of history is one of the highest profile events in the world. So it is hardly surprising that some major brands want to get on board.

What may be a surprise is just who those brands are. Vodafone is an LFW headline sponsor, Mercedes uses fashion as part of its global marketing platform sponsoring events in over 30 countries and this year Kinder Bueno is heavily involved with the consumer facing London Fashion Weekend (rather than the trade oriented LFW). Marketing Week had a fascinating insight (if you're into these things) into the thinking behind these associations - essentially all are trying to reach out to their target audiences some of whom (women!) have been under-represented in previous deals (esp. Mercedes and Vodafone).

Enough of the business - what's hot? Well from the look of the collections presented for SS2013 in New York we are going to be seeing a lot of prints. I think this is great - you can indulge your inner girlie or go for a vibrant tribal (all the while staying 'on trend' - should you care to do so). Just take a look at this photomontage to see what I mean.

Perhaps the biggest surprise - FLAT SHOES EVERYWHERE. And I mean everywhere. Victoria Beckham, Marc Jacobs and Carolina Herrera were just a few all using catwalk models in flats - who knew? Perhaps we get to look good and feel comfortable too.

At Get Waisted we are really looking forward to picking this one up. There are some wonderful fabrics out there and you don't have to look like a Masai warrior (unless you want to) - just take a little inspiration. All you need to do is call Toni on 07947 497342 or email Toni@getwaisted.co.uk and Get Waisted would be delighted to help.

Lots of love,

Toni

Made in Britain

Do you remember when all sorts of manufacturers proudly displayed a 'Made in Britain' label on their goods? The answer is, if you are under 30, then probably not...but why...and are we seeing a reversal of the trend?

Back in 2011 we saw a campaign to adopt a new logo to proudly proclaim goods as British made (following a competition won by Cynthia Lee at Nottingham University). Since then all sorts of people from Ed Milliband to Mary Portas have been keen to show their support. More importantly over 600 manufacturers have now signed up.

Moving to my particular 'oevre', how is this being reflected in the fashion industry? It is clear that British fashion design and designers have a major place on the world stage yet it is increasingly difficult to find clothes exclusively made in Britain. Still Made In Britain is a site dedicated to promoting goods still manufactured in Britain. It is still possible to find a number of companies making clothes that are traditional or 'country' based - Original Montgomery is an example (and about as traditional as it gets - established in 1890 and chosen by the British Admiralty to make the first duffle coats). But you have to dig deeper to find many newer enterprises - especially of any scale.

In fact, at last there does seem to be something of a 'seachange' - to continue the metaphor. During the first of this years London Fashion Weeks there was a distinct focus on British manufacturing. Mulberry (right) has received £2.5mil to build a new factory in Somerset and Sir Philip Green argued for manufacturers to support Britain.

Research suggests this makes commercial sense. 67% of consumers want to see an 'official seal of approval' like the logo shown at the top of this blog and 52% want to see more manufacturing in the UK. As costs rise in China and other parts of the far east an increasing number of manufacturers both within and beyond clothing, are questioning the location of their manufacturing facilities.

For the sake of our young aspiring designers and entrepreneurs as well as the future of jobs for our young people and the economy in general, let's hope we can sustain this trend and create an environment where it is not just an emotional decision but a sound commercial one to locate manufacturing facilities in this country.

A Get Waisted creation - photography by Tristan at Apix Photography

At Get Waisted everything is made here in the UK. In fact even our suppliers of source fabrics and accessories are overwhelmingly UK based - often with a real heritage of their own. Your support is really appreciated. Of course, if you are thinking about a new, special dress why not go bespoke, buy British and Get Waisted!

Love,

Toni.

Fashion Weeks - Because they're worth it?

This week I registered to attend London Fashion Week and took a look at what was on offer closer to home at Brighton Fashion Week . However, rather than review the wonders of creativity on show (I am a fan, have run my own catwalk at Brighton Fashion Week and just LOVE London) I set to musing on the value of these events. It's all great fun - but is it important and to whom? Perhaps it is just a navel gazing exercise for fashionistas with little real relevance to the 'real world'.

So, I thought I would try and find out some facts and figures - not normally my forte but, hey, variety is the spice of life (apparently). This is easier for the big events - so let's take a look at London first. Apparently LFW contributes over £20mil to the London economy and generates orders in the region of £100mil. There are visitors from over 25 countries. So, you don't have to care about fashion to appreciate the value.

London is one of the 'Big 4' - the others being New York, Milan and Paris all of which run in the same order each year and each of which has its own character. New York is 'sporty', London edgy, Milan just totally OTT and Paris the home of Haute Couture. However, that doesn't mean that these are the only places vying for a place on the fashion ladder of fame. Indeed there are over 40 Fashion weeks around the world in places as varied as Medellin, Colombia (the mind boggles) to Dubai, Hong Kong, Little Rock Arkansas and Berlin...and Brighton, Sussex of course.

Dubai Fashion Week

Milan Fashion Week

Clearly, there a lot of people trying to get a piece of the action. Good luck to them say I. It is good to see challenges to the big four - especially where they encourage local talent and provide a platform for success and access to world markets for talented people who otherwise may not get a look-in.

Our Spring Summer Key Trends

Spring Summer '12 sees a wealth of trends for us lucky girls to choose from. With fashion runways in full bloom across London, New York, Paris and Milan, floral's play a big part in what we'll be wearing this season, as shown here on the catwalk at Dolce & Gabbana.

At Get Waisted, we've our own range of floral dress delights, with these knock out red numbers, shown with or without over skirt, giving a day to night transformation using a simple layering effect.

Provocative and ultra sophisticated, flash the flesh looks are big news this season too. Here's (left to right) Alice Temperley, Get Waisted and Valentino, all showing what a sheer delight this trend can be.

The beauty of Get Waisted is that we're able to combine personal style with new season trends to create a look that's both unique and just right for you. Whether for a special occasion, big event, or simply to stand out from the crowd, drop us a line and schedule your free SS12 consultation.

Fashion Week to Oscars World

After the fever of London Fashion Week, our spike heels barely touched the ground before we were catapulted into the delirium of up all night, full on, Oscars glamour. With this speedy turnaround, it was comforting to find a link between these major events in the form of peplums. Very popular at both New York and London Fashion Week, here's a few examples Burberry's AW12 'Town and Field' collection.

Providing good structure and hiding a multitude of sins, peplums are a gift for adding curves and defining waists. Here at Get Waisted we have all the skills to create a silhouette that's right for you.

Crossing over to the Oscars, both actress Michelle Williams, and comedienne Tina Fey, sported this trend with elegance and style. Tina wears a custom made, midnight blue, Carolina Herrera, gown complimented with a slick up-do and statement drop earrings. Michelle opts for orange, tiered, Louis Vuitton, perfectly complimented with her modern crop, 30 carats of stunning choker necklace and a bow brooch pinned to her waist. 

Other stand out looks for us on the night were the curve accentuating dresses worn by these two voluptuous ladies. J-Lo, shimmered in a very daring Zuhair Marad gown with a plunging neckline. Dressing to all her strengths is Octavia Spencer in a Tadashi Shoji, sunray, beaded oyster gown, all feminine elegance and classic style.

Harder for mere mortals to pull of is this Gwyneth Paltrows look, an all towering column of blondness in this caped Tom Ford number. Our other bronzed babe of the night, Cameron Diaz, looked effortless in Gucci with fire-flash sequins rising from the hem, she manages to pull off subtle and sexy all at the same time.

Keeping with the metallic theme, Meryl Streep sparkled in a Lanvin, draped gold lame gown, with earrings to match, while George Clooney's date, Stacy Keibler, looked striking in this sculptured, off the shoulder, Marchesa number.

Our final mention must go to Glenn Close. We salute her choice of colour, dark green being an unusual red carpet choice. Her hour glass Zac Posen, gown with a tuxedo style jacket manages to be bold, sultry and sophisticated. 

If you have an occasion in mind, or just want a stand out look, just drop us a line to discuss all your dramatic dressing needs.