Fashion Victim: Forget about the clothes, where were the stars?

Sep 18 2008 by Emma Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

WOO hoo, it’s London Fashion Week, in case you haven’t noticed. Mind you, from what I have seen so far, there’s been little focus on the fashion.

First, what is meant to be the highlight of the UK fashion calendar was overshadowed by New York Fashion Week threatening to push London out of the world schedule by deciding to extend its dates next year.

There were fears that, if our American cousins extend their run, London Fashion Week could find itself squeezed out of the market as fashion-fatigued buyers and magazine editors could decide to skip our capital completely and head straight from the Big Apple to Italy, for Milan Fashion Week.

Some 48 hours and what must have been one very stylish confer- ence call later, and London Fashion Week was saved. Albeit reduced to five days from next February.

Then there was the party at Downing Street as Sarah Brown put aside the fact her husband is probably the most unpopular man in the country right now and invited a gaggle of couturiers and clotheshorses to Number 10 to celebrate 25 years of the British Fashion Council. I am sure, given the miserable state of the economy (how many of us are thinking of buying high fashion right now – I can barely afford high street) and her other half’s current predicament, Mrs Brown would rather have spent the evening watching Coronation Street with a glass of Pinot than standing next to Size Zero models. But kudos to the mother-of-two for refusing to be intimidated by the beautiful people: “When you are standing next to a supermodel, nobody pays much attention to you,” she told one reporter.

Then, and only then, did the headlines turn to the clothes in the shows. Except . . . well, they didn’t really. Because these days, while the fashion editors at Vogue, Harpers, Elle et al may have their eyes glued to the runways, the rest of us are more interested in what is going on in the front rows.

And I have to say, if London is serious about squaring up to its transatlantic and Continental rivals, then it needs to up its game when it comes to the profile of its guests.

Because while the most coveted seats in the house in New York hosted the honed and toned bottoms of the likes of Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Richie, Lauren Hutton and P Diddy what did London have to offer?

Peaches and Pixie Geldof, Jenni Falconer, Jaime Winstone and Mischa Barton.

Hmmm. The phrase “usual suspects” doesn’t really cover it.

Daddy’s girls and TV presenters vs music moguls, A-list actresses and vintage supermodels. Sorry to say it, guys, but NYC 1-London 0.

Although, I must admit, the dresses at Temperley did look to die for.