Hello!
This post has been long time coming because soon after Bristol Fashion Week, I got ill! I had an eye infection in both eyes, a throat infection and trouble with my ears so I was dosed up on a lot of antibiotics and painkillers. Thankfully I've only got the eye infections left to get rid of now, but that explains why I've been away from the blog for so long!
But anyway, this year I was invited to Bristol Fashion Week along with other local bloggers to view what is in fashion for Autumn/Winter. Bristol Fashion Week is always held at The Mall in Cribbs Causeway and this season was hosted by Denise Van Outen and Mark Heyes.
The Experience
Before the event I had to go get my ticket, where the lady asked me "Are you a blogger or press?". This surprised me as this was my first proper blogger event and I just assumed I was going to get a ticket like anyone else. However, my name was on a list and I was given a pass that said "Blogging Pass" on it. It felt weird having a pass for an event!
On entrance inside the Bristol Fashion Week tent you are greeted by areas in the tent where you are given free mocktails and popcorn which I thought was a nice touch. I had no idea what mocktail I drank, but it was lovely nevertheless.
I was nervous about going because I had never been to Bristol Fashion Week before. I was quickly introduced to someone who had also never been to Bristol Fashion Week before so we got to hang out together which made me feel less nervous as I wasn't the only new person there. There were lots of beautiful bloggers around with such lovely outfits on and it was intriguing to see different styles.
The Fashion
Denise Van Outen wore a vibrant red Ted Baker dress whilst Mark was looking smart in a suit.
Topshop and Topman showed us 'Suited & Booted' fashion for the colder weather. Their clothing was formal and I noted that they were wearing grey coats. The co-host Mark Heyes suggested that formal flared trousers could be worn with wedges.
Similarly, Marks and Spencer went for the colour grey with 'Nomadic' fashion with layers and winter hats for both males and females. Burgundy also seemed to be a statement colour and the women noticeably wore beautiful suede skirts. Mark touched on the suede skirts by explaining that they are a 'statement skirt' and that other statement skirts would be in fashion this season.
Animal and Timberland then showed us the ladies wearing checked shirts, which has definitely been seen for a long while now in fashion. I've seen these everywhere for both males and females and can be worn as a shirt or open as a light jacket. They also paired the models with backpacks which have also been around a lot this year. It seems that there are a lot more backpacks in the shops now and even being favoured over the handbag.
Likewise to the others, Oasis and River Island presented the colour grey a lot. Additionally, they had taken on the idea of patterned clothing for the females but in the form of dresses. What seemed interesting to me was that not only did they wear dresses but they were also wearing basic long sleeved shirts underneath, with the collar and arms being visible. This would be ideal for the colder weather as it means not only can you look stylish in a dress but can also keep warm with a top underneath. This can help you transition your dresses from the warmer months to the colder months. They also showed long trouser dungarees which surprised me. This summer has been full of dungarees and it seems dungarees won't be fading away any time soon with ones being on the market for Autumn.
As part of Bristol Fashion Week, a member of the public is chosen to undergo a complete makeover and then get to walk the catwalk. Her hair was crimped, matching the other models, which tells me that crimped hair might become favoured. Her outfit was styled by Jigsaw and she wore navy blue suede boots. These are a statement boot and supports suede becoming popular.
New Look and River Island then came together to show us how we can style bright and bold colours such as blue and red. The ladies wore bold coloured tights different to your usual black tights, along with bold coloured trousers which also suited the men. There was also a faux fur coat from Hobbs which we always see in fashion in Autumn/Winter as faux fur become desirable when you just want to feel warm and cosy.
For the seventh scene, Phase Eight and Austin Reed also promoted wearing patterned dresses with tops underneath. There were also a lot of fringing, including suede fringing, which is inspired by Burberry. There was also a fringed jumpsuit, another way in which you can transition the styles from the warmer months to the colder ones.
Crew Clothing, Gap Kids and Clark's Shoes then showed us bold colours again, this time in the form of red jeans on the males. The females wore denim skirts and cosy jumpers.
In my favourite scene, John Lewis did the 'Leading Lady', with fabulous trench coats, fur collars/hats and long-to-knee coats. They certainly showed us how we can stay warm and cosy whilst still looking fabulous.
Lastly, in my second favourite scene, Marks & Spencer did a 'Noir' scene with lots of sequins, black and sparkly biker jackets. I think the sparkly biker jackets are fantastic as it incorporates a statement in the alternative, rocker scene whilst making it sparkly and fantastic for a night out.
After Show Events
After the show, we were invited to two events in The Mall in John Lewis and Crew Clothing Co (a new addition to The Mall). First we went to John Lewis where we were greeted by a charming man in suit who gave us champagne. We then watched a demonstration of someone trying on different outfits from John Lewis and explaining to us how we can pair different items of clothing. Then, we went to Crew Clothing Co where we got to have a look around at their range with a free glass of prosecco. To finish off, we went back to John Lewis because they were doing a Bobbi Brown demonstration. I didn't get to see it all but I had never seen Bobbi Brown products up close before so it was interesting to see.
After the show we were also given goody bags in a Bristol Fashion week canvas tote bag (which I now use for shopping). The goody bag included various vouchers and hair/body products from brands like Neutrogena and Schwarzkopf.
Overall I really enjoyed Bristol Fashion Week. I nearly didn't go because I was nervous about being on my own but I made some lovely friends and I loved watching the show. I would definitely like to go to the next show and I am so glad I looked past my nerves.
Credit for the wonderful photography goes to Charlotte Stone and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. The only photos I had taken myself were of the after events and the blogging pass.
Did you go to Bristol Fashion Week? Let me know!
