Hey ladies..
So as you might already know from my social media, I was in London over the weekend.
On Saturday morning, we had an early call time of 6.30am so we could catch our 8am flight to London. Canon Ireland had invited myself and a select few bloggers – Lauren Bejaoui, Love Lauren, and Damien Broderick – to attend London Fashion Week Weekend and photograph a couple of the shows.
We landed in London at around 9am and hopped on a Tube down to Sloane Square, which was an absolute hive of activity.
When we arrived, we grabbed a quick coffee, or in my case, a quick tea, and then we headed to a Canon fashion photography masterclass where a high fashion photographer by the name of Paul Cunnigham shared some tricks of the trade.
It was so amazing to hear from a fashion week pro and learn about some of the techniques they use.
Pic (c) Lauren’s Snapchat!
Paul explained to us how to capture the perfect image, factors of importance from a photographer’s perspective, the lighting, and how to photograph outfits on a runway when models are moving so fast.
It was really wonderful to listen to Paul and even though some of his tips were basic enough, it was information I’ve never been told before and having used some of his tips, it really paid off. As you will know being a blogger photography is a huge part of our game and I love learning new tricks and listening to how others photograph.
Here is a picture I took after listening to Paul… he explained how designers love you capturing the movement of their clothes and to focus on those elements rather than the model.
Following the workshop, we were given the loan of a Canon camera. I was using 750D which was an updated version of my own Canon camera, the 650D. It was wonderful to work with the newer camera, play around with the settings, and to see the difference between the two.
Shortly after the workshop, we headed to the fashion week venue off Sloane Square. Because we were there to ‘shoot the show’, we were allocated space in the photographers pit which is located at very end of catwalk, so we literally had the most PERFECT seats in the place!
For anyone who isn’t familiar with the fashion show set up, you basically have the front row, which is located to the side of the catwalk. This is always reserved for celebrities and VIP’s. If you’re not sitting in the front row, it can be pretty difficult to get a good view of the catwalk because everyone has their cameras and phones out trying to capture shots.
The photographers pit however is definitely equally as good as the front row as far as viewing is concerned, and the area itself is just electric.
Even though we were sitting on the floor, we really did have the most amazing view of the catwalk and there was a great opportunity to capture some amazing shots of the models walking down the catwalk towards you.
Of course sitting in a photographers pit is the ultimate selfie destination! As a group of bloggers we were snapping each other in the pit, taking selfies and runway shots before we even sat down! One thing I love about being with other bloggers is that you all learn so much from each other.
Yesterday for instance, Lauren Bejaoui explained to me how to get the white crisp image for Instagram that I had been struggling to create for some time now. She showed me exactly how to nail it and I’m delighted to finally know how.. so thanks again Lauren!
Once the lights dimmed, the music started pumping and the host of the first show, George Lamb, made his way on to the catwalk. George is a very well-known British TV personality so it was really nice to see him in the flesh.
After he introduced the first show – which was Temperley – the lights dimmed briefly once again and the models started to beam down the catwalk. I love that part of a fashion show!
As I wrote in my book, SoSueMe What Happened Next – about New York Fashion week – there is an unbelievable energy and buzz in the room just as lights go up and the speakers start pumping out the music. It’s such an exhilarating moment.
The models at the Temperley show took to the floor, and oh my God, each of the pieces on show was so stunningly beautiful!
Most of the time when you attend fashion week, the models are showcasing clothes that are very ‘out there’, the outrageous kind you wouldn’t wear in a million years, but every single outfit in the Temperley show was so wearable.
As I was looking at them, I could imagine me or one of my friends wearing them. The new collection was seriously beautiful. This first show was our prime time to put to use the tips and tricks Paul Cunningham had taught us earlier in the masterclass.
Once the show ended, we all vacated the top floor where the shows were being held. Even though the next show was taking place in the same space, it’s an unwritten rule that everyone has to leave while the next set is being organised.
While we were waiting to be called back in, we decided to have a look at the fashion that was on show on the other two floors. It was amazing to see the new contemporary designers as well as all the up-and-coming labels.
Afterwards a brief breather, it was time to go back in for the second show, the theme of which was trend-focused. In this show, they featured lots of different trends, one being pop art, the other being floral, etc.
From a bloggers perspective, this was a really interesting show because you could gauge the trends that were going to be ‘in’ this year. It definitely gave us a clear indication of what we could expect to be blogging about later this year!
I can tell you that you’ll be seeing a lot of bold colours, mixed prints, and masculine tailoring, to name but a few!
Once that show ended, so did our day at the Fashion Week Fashion Weekend.
The others were heading back to Ireland that night, but whenever I go to London I like to stay the night and soak up the city a little bit so Dylan and I decided to fly back on the Sunday evening instead.
Following the show, I went back to our hotel in Knightsbridge and met Dylan, we were staying in the Millennium – FAB hotel and SO central too. We had a bite to eat in the local cafe in the hotel, before taking a sneaky peek inside the flagship Louis Vuitton store that was just across the street from our hotel.
One thing I really noticed about Knightsbridge was the glamour! There were Lamborghini’s outside our hotel, Ferrari’s driving up and down the road, and designer shops practically lined the street! We had never been to Knightsbridge before so it was a very interesting experience to say the least! It was amazing to just sit back and people-watch, and basically, see how this side of London lives!
On Sunday, we headed down to Oxford Circus for a little bit of shopping and for some sightseeing too. It was really nice having the day to ourselves, I just love roaming London, it’s so busy and electric, I would love t live there but oh BOY it’s expensive.
Just before we headed back to your hotel to collect our luggage, we stopped off for some food in a place Love Lauren recommended as she used to live there. It’s called Vapiano and she was telling me they make the MOST amazing pasta dishes & pizza, which are my fave. It’s actually right beside Topshop on Oxford Circus so perfect destination.
We shopped in Topshop for a little bit and then went for some food. I can now confirm that Vapianos is UNBELIEVABLE and so affordable too, the only thing is – it’s self service and the Q’s in the place are so big. I waited in a Q for over 40 mins for my lunch, but to be honest it was WELL worth it. The food was amazing! SO next time you’re there, try it out, you will love it, especially if you love Italian food as much as me! The ONLY downfall – they don’t serve wine, only beer… but trust me on the food.
Lot’s of you were asking me where I got the dungarees I wore on the Saturday night, so I am going to do a blog post on that too..
Chat soon,
Pic credit: Vapianos
