Is it just us, or does fashion month seem to come around quicker each season? Whether it's our social media editor updating Instagram with live-from-the-catwalk coverage, our street style photographer capturing the best dressed outside the venues, or our fashion director running between shows before filing her reports, it takes a hardy team to create our fashion week content.
With London Fashion Week fast approaching, it's high time team Refinery29 got organised and planned our essentials for the five-day schedule. From the snacks and coffee that keep energy levels high to day-to-night makeup switch-ups via emergency-situation back-ups (think phone chargers and spare shoes), there are some trusty items we rely on to see us through.
Click on to see what gets our team through London Fashion Week. The show(s) must go on!
Anna Jay, Art Director
"Fashion week isn't glamorous for me; instead of pounding the streets in my Sunday best, it looks a lot more like hiding behind the screen of my laptop at all hours of the day. When show reports drop, I'll skim the collection on Getty Images and select some of the most standout looks to include in the story. I'll then spend around 30 minutes designing a custom collage of these looks which always accompany show reports during fashion week. I'll always let the social team know when these are done, so they can post on Instagram.
Between shows, I'll usually paint my nails, lounge around watching highbrow shows like Dinner Date and possibly even some archive Grand Designs while eating satsumas and cheese on toast. Then it's waiting for the latest drop of street style photographs to come through from our photographer around 11pm, which I upload to our story to keep it fresh with each day's looks."
Photographed by Eeva Rinne
Alice Casely-Hayford, Fashion & Beauty Director
"Doing fashion week properly is all about being prepared for any eventuality. For that reason, I cram my bag to bursting with a trusty kit that makes running between shows as easy and pain-free as possible. Depending on the size of my bag each day, I tend to keep a change of shoes or an evening clutch inside (this studded bucket bag is from Aurora London) in case I have a nighttime event and don't have time to pop home. Today's party piece is my mini Simon Miller bag, which brightens up a lowkey outfit.
I always carry snacks, as living off popcorn and coconut water – which are handed out at the shows – tends to get a bit tedious (and nutrient-deficient) by day three. It also gets hot and sweaty in the show spaces so I always have a compact for any speedy touch-ups. This Hourglass palette has everything from pore-diffusing powder and bronzer to blusher and highlight, and you can fake eight hours' sleep by quickly sweeping this all over your face.
I've been wearing Glossier 'You' for a couple of months now but this new solid perfume version is my go-to and so dinky it fits perfectly into even the smallest bag. If there's space left, I'll squeeze in sunglasses in case the sun decides to make a rare appearance. Not pictured are, of course, all the show invites, and the most important thing of all: plasters, as you never know when a blister will rear its ugly head."
Photographed by Eeva Rinne
Natasha Slee, Social Media Manager
"Social media timeliness is crucial during fashion month, and London Fashion Week. I need to be ready to post a photo or show review the moment it comes in. For Saturday and Sunday’s shows (always the busiest days) that means parking myself in my armchair, with copious cups of tea and enough biscuits to see me through the day. (I need at least four cups of tea in quick succession in the morning to get going.) I have my schedule and notes to hand, so I know where our editors are and when roughly to expect content.
The influx of video and images means my phone fills up quickly, so I’m usually running off of two iPhones – my personal for calls and emails, and a social phone for photo editing and publishing. This prevents me accidentally posting on the wrong Instagram account, which can happen when you’re switching between several all day.
If I need to leave the flat, I take my portable charger and MiFi dongle with me, so I can be reached wherever I am. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself on 1% battery during fashion week!"
Photographed by Eeva Rinne
Joanna Totolici, Photographer
"For photographing street style, I rely on comfortable, fashionably professional clothes that are durable (because camera straps will destroy delicate fabrics), dark (because camera straps will discolour lighter fabrics), have lots of pockets, are roomy enough for layers (see the arm warmers!), and effortlessly chic yet utilitarian. It’s so difficult to actually find clothes that fit this bill...
My main uniform this season will most likely be the Phillip Lim long vest coat, these super comfortable Zara combat boots, and proper thick wool socks – these are Urban Outfitters – because the cheap synthetic ones will kill you. I like this backpack by Matt & Nat; it’s just large enough to carry only what I absolutely need, but slim and light enough that it doesn’t hinder my shooting performance. Bonus: it’s a handsome-looking bag! I'm addicted to lip balm, so I always have that handy. The Chanel compact is for touch-ups through the day.
Of course, I wouldn't be anywhere without my Nikon D810. I've always been a Nikon girl. I shoot with a range of lenses depending on the light and crowds. Every time I shoot, I feel like I'm getting a full body workout because you are in constant motion, lifting and squatting."
Photographed by Eeva Rinne
Georgia Murray, Fashion & Beauty Writer
"Fashion week is a test of stamina – albeit a fabulous one – with five days of running between shows, early starts, late finishes, sweltering backstage areas and a rush to get all your content up on socials and onsite ASAP. This requires an efficiently packed bag full of the essentials that keep me going.
First up, the practical bits: a reusable coffee cup, because I'll be drinking copious amounts of the stuff and no one likes plastic waste. My phone charger is an obvious one, because if I run out of battery while interviewing the lead makeup artist backstage at a show, I've got no content. Plus, does anyone actually get around London without CityMapper? Probably. Not me, though.
I pack a book as there will be the odd gap between shows where I sit in a café and try to avoid Instagram – I'm glued to my laptop and phone all day, so it's important to have a break. Shoe-wise, it's always, always flats. I made the mistake of wearing heeled boots at my first LFW, which I paid for in blisters for weeks to come. Never again. This studded brogue is from Charles & Keith.
I have a small selection of makeup to stop me looking as haggard as I feel by whichever evening event is planned – Glossier's Balm Dotcom to keep lips hydrated (it's still freezing in February, guys); Fenty's Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick in Candy Venom, because the shade makes me feel more confident walking into a room of beautiful models; Chloé for a last-minute refresh; and Kat Von D's Lock It Setting Powder to keep the inevitable shine at bay. These earrings by Milktooth x Maria-Ines Gul are so cute, so I'll pop them on come 9pm, too."
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