Back from RAFW

Okay, I just got back from Rosemount fashion week which was just such an incredible experience! I think this is the one day when I bear witness to the fashion industry at its best complete with Vogue girls and aspiring fashion designers. I went to about 8 fashion shows today, which featured bold, futuristic and feminine styles which are just so hot for their Spring/Summer 08/09 collections.

Prior to attending to RAFW, I have to admit that I was incredibly nervous. Like seriously, picture it. Here you have Lisa sitting by herself in a Chanel black and white tweed jacket complete with matching quilted vintage handbag and a white anglaise broderie mini dress with a pair of too-hot-to-trot but utterly painful patent leather Pedro Garcia ankle boots and some vintage fur; seated on the benches in front of the Museum of Contemporary Arts just waiting...waiting...why? Because I was a tad excited and thus did not want to arrive late, so instead; I came a little too early. But nevermind that. As I was sitting there, flocks of fashionable people were coming in and out; some wearing the casual of all casual clothes and others wearing high end designer clothing. So think; a fashionable all black ensemble complete with black fingernails contrasted with a one shoulder top and jeans tucked into boots. Fortunately I didn't over or underdress so that was a thumbs up.

Anyways, I tend to have noticed that although fashion shows appear just fabulously glamorous and whatnot (which they still are), I realised that there is just so much effort put in to creating a 20 minute fashion show and its not just done by the designer. It is a combining effort of the designer, models but most importantly the effort of those who were attending the show. There were shows (like Talulah and Shakuhachi) where we would just stand outside waiting about 40 mins for the show to start (and the show was only about half an hour anyways) and by the time it did, it was either the following: a) a mediocre show with really bad music or b) we would be lucky enough to not break out heads by standing on these weird step things whilst others were lucky enough to ensure a plastic seat.

I have to admit that I did get a dose of "starstruckedness". I saw supermodel Catherine McNeil looking gorgeous backstage, and she was just so tall. It was amazing to see this Hugo Boss model in the flesh! In fact, Fashion weeks are always known to be star events where you can be lucky enough to rub shoulders with some local celebrity, and funny enough I think that was just what happened. I was at a show (which I think was Titch Ministry and Injury) and I was just lazily taking down some notes on the clothes being presented before I accidently, like literally accidently dropped my pen on the floor in front of me, and because I obviously didn't want to squat and retrieve it, I sort of just left it there and before I knew it; it was AXEL Whitehead turning around before handing me back MY biro!! Is that seriously a story or what?! Claudia and myself both agreed that he seemed to be such a 'Pretty boy' but anyways, that's beyond the point... Back to the fashion!

Well, I suppose I just loved the whole atmosphere of Fashion Week, it is a little weird I have to say because I generally envy a lot of already established people in the industry, when other people just tell me through the fact I was invited that (as they say in The Devil Wears Prada) "A million girls would kill for that job"...in my case, "A million girls would kill for this opportunity". Pretty lucky ay?

PS: A big thanks to Kath Purkis who made it possible.