The pomp and ceremony of London Fashion Week occurs twice a year, once in January and then secondly in September. It follows New York with subsequent shows afterwards in Paris and finally Milan.Designers normally work at least 12 months ahead of current fashions so that they have time to design, make and promote their collection. The predictions for Winter 2008 currently in magazines and covered by the television and advertising media would have been conceptualised and born the previous year over the autumn months.
The beautiful creations we view on the runway are merely the ‘tip of a very large iceberg’ of a whole catalogue of careful planning that happens behind the scenes and backstage before a show.
Thanks to Elle Magazine and L’Oréal Paris, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to witness and experience the backstage preparation for designers Basso & Brooke’s Spring Collection, held at the Science Museum, on the 17th September 2008.
Entering backstage could be described as stepping into a dark tented circus. Like any theatrical production, the areas behind the scenes are blacked out. There were two sections backstage. The dressing room nearest to the runway consisted of furious activity. Tables with sewing machines had been set up and were angrily whirring away to make the final adjustments to the garments. Dress rails bowed elegantly underneath the weight of an array of heavenly silks, georgettes and satins. Boxes of skyscraper shoes were stacked into regimental groupings of size. The designers and their henchmen ran around with tape measures and pins whilst models where massaged into dresses and rehearsed their strut.The dividing curtain of the dressing room took you through into the sweatshop of hair and make-up. This room was a little calmer, but not much and was set up as a corridor of workstations with theatrical mirrors and lights surrounding them. It was easy to spot the hair stylists, as they were surrounded in a thick mist of hair spray and pins, which were constantly being showered around models heads. The clever architectural styles being created defied all conventional methods of gravity and were coaxed into clever precision ‘flat-top’s’ or ‘snooker que tip’s’.
The make-up side of the divide consisted of models being carefully escorted from hair before they could be side tracked by the designers, dressers or the more pr
essing call of caffeine and tobacco. Then precision brushwork then began. Base was applied as an artist might skilfully add the final touches to his canvas, the workstations were full of palates of soft beautiful skin tones to be blended and carefully worked into the skin. The look - ‘urban chaos’ was of natural glowing skin with the eyes being a little smokey using a stormy grey. The high point of the cheekbones and corners of the eyes where dusted with an iridescent white which picked out and framed the soft grey of the eyes.As with many of the shows, during a day at London Fashion Week there was the added time pressure. Models arriving late due to earlier catwalk bookings, some still with the previous designers hair and make-up on. Photographers and reporters vied and jostled with each other to get the first and most original magical backstage shots and also to pump as much information out of the designers and their entourage regarding new trends.
With about 5 minutes to spare, I was invited to take my seat on the runway aisle. Having worked in the theatre, I knew the lighting would be strong, but I had no idea that the bottom end of the runway would be basically a wall of arena strength ark lighting. It was absolutely blinding and hot. The models would not only be walking tall in their super gradient heels, but would also need a large helping of confidence and ‘Dutch Courage’. It set me wondering whether you could invent a Braille style catwalk floor, just for a little extra guidance!My thoughts where abruptly hushed as were the discussions of the many rows of gossiping buyers, press and VIP’s with the powerful base beat of dance music. Attention was caught and the audience fell silent and transfixed as the models started to glide down the runway.
The beautiful garments that I had seen on the dress rails where transformed into an array of soft billowing butterfly visions. The theme of Basso & Brookes collection was of ‘The Tale of Genji’ a story giving a glimpse into the Heian era of Japanese history. Less formal than the geisha silks, the dresses had bright but intricate oriental prints with origami like sashes taming the flowing fabric. For a contemporary twist the que tip hair styles had giant size hair pins, clips and fastenings attached at the back which added a rather quirky but brilliant finish to the ‘look’.
20 minutes later, with the crowd clamouring and drooling at the deliciousness of these clothes, the show ended. As did a year or more of hard work presented in a brief but explosive firework display of incredible flare style and colour.
