Style File: London Fashion Week | Day 1

Day 1: LFW AW17

Enjoying some pampering at Ruuby Pop-Up Store

The first day of London Fashion Week is always a bit exciting, and it’s the day when you wear your most fashion-tastic outfit! It’s also the day of running around, trying to squeeze in as much as possible, and with LFW changing locations, also a day of finding your bearings and so this can play havoc with the old sartorial choices. 

Therefore I decided to try and find the balance, by wearing something I absolutly loved and something that was a little bit comfortable. Well, LFW comfortable anyway. You’ve got to keep the street style photographers happy after all! 

It’s not all glamour! Running around pre-shows and pre Hair & Makeup

I decided on a fabulous vintage dress I sourced from Wolf & Gypsy Vintage. As I run my own vintage brand, Courtois Concept,  I do tend to mix a lot of vintage with designer label pieces and high street heros. I do really love however, the experience of going to the Wolf & Gypsy store in Brighton and having my vintage all laid out beautifully in a fabulous store environment. The team always make me feel like I’m shopping with friends and I love having it all wrapped up in their polka dot tissue paper. (Sourcing vintage is thrilling but glamous it is not! 5am starts and rummaging through piles, mostly on the floor, for hidden gems before returning home to clean, mend and steam) so it’s nice to shop for vintage somewhere else now and then. Also Laura, the owner of Wolf & Gypsy is such a sweetheart and has an amazing eye, and her taste in vintage is quite different to my own which I love as it pushes me out of my usual ‘vintage buying bubble’ as I’m buying for myself rather then to sell on. Plus I love to support her independent business. 

How amazing is this dress?!

The dress is a sleeveless knitted piece in cream and brown yarns with tassle details across the bust and a drop waist that flares out into a crazy kitted frenzy! I also love the 1960s roll neckline. I call it my ‘Cookie Monster’dress. 

Leopard print always looks cool

I teamed this with a fitted, fabric Leopard print biker jacket I picked up in Zara over Xmas but this was it’s first outing as I’d been saving it for fashion week. The cut is just perfect as it finishes at the waist band, to show off the skirt and it kept my arms nice and toasty. I went with bare legs, and my favourite Jil Sander Black Suede heels which have a fabulous wrapped ankle look. Jewellery wise it didn’t need much but a big ol’ pair of gold hoops which I found in H & M as I was wearing my hair in an up do. I love the ball detail. Heavy on the earlobes but beauty is pain and all that, plus they look waaaay more expensive then their £7 price tag! And as a finishing touch a pair of gold metal, mirrored Quay sunglasses. 

Hair & Make-Up: 

Hair and makeup wise, I was a bit spoilt as during LFW there are a number of wonderful opportunities to enjoy some pampering at the pop up saloons reserved for Press and Buyers. 

As I was up at 6am, fully clothed in LFW worthy clobber in order to drop my brood off to their Nan in Essex (6 tubes, 2 trains, 3 suitcases, 4 kids and a bloody big coffee thanks for asking!)  I decided to forward plan this and leave it to the professionals to make me look half human again. 

First stop was to the Ruuby Pop-up store at Old Street tube Station for a braided style. I need to have my hair looking messy rather then slick to feel I look my best but I’ve been growing my hair and so was excited for it to be long enough for someone to actually be able to do a proper ‘Up-do’ for a change. I literally LOVED my hair and felt a million dollars and had a great time with the team here. I’ve a full review coming up next week so stay tuned…….

Next up I headed to the LFW Meitu X Make Up Plus lounge which was being hosted at Lights of Soho Art gallery and straight into make up with Emily who performed miracles using Clinique  make up. I was really pleasantly surprised as I don’t usually use Clinique but will defiantly be checking the range out, especially their chubby sticks. 

Danielle and I after Make-up feeling super glam!

The whole thing went down a treat, I had loads of compliments and plenty of moments being papped. However. In case the whole thing is sounding a little too glamorous I did have a MAJOR wardrobe malfunction!!!! 

Fashion Victim! My poor Jil Sanders 😭

 
One of my (£650!) Jil Sander heels snapped off while exiting a taxi, RIGHT OUTSIDE LFW designer showrooms and RIGHT IN FRONT of the street style photographers. As I was miles away from the hotel and waaay behind show schedules I had no choice but to spend the next 10 hours walking with one shoe without a heel!!!! Luckily I trained as a dancer so my balance is second to none and the champers kept the pain at bay for the most part. My BFF Danielle from Lady Loves Online  recorded me a few hours in if you want to see evidence of my skills! Lol

Notice how there is only one heel! Arghh

I finished the day at 1am after a post show dinner of healthy Sushi at Sexy Fish. 

Sushi time at Sexy Fish in Mayfair

Exhausted but full of excitement for day 2!  

The stunning Sexy Fish Restaurant

See what I wore on Day 2 LFW AW17

Natalie x