Monday 9 March 2009

how to blag your way into any fashion week show at the british fashion council tents!

So today is the day I bestow on you my patented way of getting into any fashion-week show at the Natural History Museum, and if you're a natural blagger you can take this blueprint and reapply it to most of the other shows!!! And believe me, this works. I've been getting myself and friends into shows i didn't have tickets to like this for years.
Ok so to start with, this works a lot easier if you do your home work! Look up what shows are on at what times and pick the ones you really want to got to. Don't get greedy and abuse this by trying to go to them all. I would say 1-2 a day is fine. Less not more. Once you've worked out which of the shows you really want to see, find out as much as you can about them, who dose the makeup, what fashion pr their with. The more info you have the better you can blag.

Most important is who is styling the show i.e. for Gareth Pugh it would be Katie Shillingford, It's key that you find that out!
So the day of the show is here, dress the part, but don't go crazy. Look styled, not dressed. you don't want to draw too much attention to yourself!
Arrive 15 minutes before the show is due to start. This might seem like cutting it fine, but they always with out fail are at least half an hour late. You can do this in a small group or by yourself. I would say never more than four people.

So if your facing the entrance to the Natural History Museum there are normally two large tents- one to the left and one to the right. You can ignore the one to the right, that's just for press no show in that one!! So the left one you should be able to see the front entrance with people starting to arrive. Ignore that, stay outside of the gate on the street. Walk left along the side of the of the tent following the iron fence that is around the museum. Follow it all the way to the end of the street walking quickly almost jogging so when you get to the end your a little flustered. When you reach the end of the street turn right. Now start jogging as you turn the corner, just a head you should see a gate with a garden shed with a couple of security guards. As you jog up to the security guards, look flustered and concerned like you really late, before they can ask what you want or who you are say your full name and those of who ever your with and that you here to assist (insert the name of the stylist) dressing the models. Say it as if they should have been waiting for you to arrive. Most of the time they won't ask any questions and let you straight through, but if they question it say that you are running really late and that you spoke to (insert name of stylist) assistant and your names should have been left. If they ask you to call someone to get you, act like its not a problem. Make a call and tell the guard that they're not picking up. Explain the show is due to start in ten minuets, that there running 20 minutes late and it's manic down there! Say you'll grab someone to come and give them the ok when they're free, if they let you just go down and help! This will always work if you're on your own. If you're in a group and they're unsure about letting all of you down, send someone who hasn't spoke to go down. Walk down the path out of sight of the guards. Wait five minutes and call back to the group pretending to be (insert name of stylist). Ask to speak to the security guard in a stressed angry voice tell him that you don't have time to come and sort this out, that the show is running late, and that he needs to just let you in so you can come and help dress the models. Done well this will always work! I have never not got in with this technique.

Ok so now you're in the the compound. Walk down the path and you'll be at the back of the tent. You'll see some static toilets and people/ models smoking in front of the back entrance. Now you need to change from stressed and worried, to aloof and bored. Walk into the back stage. If you're in a group, only two of you should go in to see how it is inside. The others should go to the loo or smoke. Don't just stand there!! If it's really manic inside stay out of the way. You want to stay under the radar without looking like you're not meant to be there. Normally there will be two different designers getting ready and the large space will have a divide down the center. One side should be nearly ready to go and one should just be getting started. In between the two there is always a free bar giving out non-alcoholic Redbull smoothies. Grab some for you and your group if you think that there's still going to be a while until it starts, go back outside and stay out of the way. The last thing you want is to get under someone's feet as they're going to be really stressed!!

The next thing is that in the top left and right corners of the backstage is the entrance to the main room, where the catwalk and seating is. One person should go through the doors at the side and check out what's going on and see if they started letting people in to be seated yet. Again the key to this all is to stay under the radar, but look like your meant to be there. If they've begun seating go through and depending on how daring you feel, go and either take a seat or stand (I've once used this technique and then ended up sat on the front row!).

after the show has finished follow everyone out through the front entrance.

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