Nottingham Fashion Week 2016

Having had my first taste of a fashion show back in January, I was very much looking forward to being part of another. This time though, I had the chance to be part of a fashion week! It may not be Milan or London, but being part of Nottingham Fashion Week was certainly an experience I will not forget in a hurry.

Held at Sneinton Market – part of Nottingham’s Creative Quarter – all was calm as preparations for the evening’s Spotlight on Independent Fashion show was in full swing. Little did I know what was to come!

The independent designers were getting their outfits ready, while our models were having their hair and make-up done. Since there was still quite a bit of time, our photographer José took the chance to get some shots of our models for their portfolios. This was a good opportunity for our newer models, like Caleb, Liam and Josh, to show-off their talents in front of the camera, and it’s safe to say they didn’t disappoint, looking great even in casual shots!

With the evening’s start drawing closer the buzz around the place was certainly more palpable as everyone gradually ramped up their preparations. As some of our newer models were not present at the morning’s rehearsals, we tried to gather them to have a run-through down the catwalks at both showcases. The sheer size of Sneinton Market made it pretty difficult to find and gather all of our rather elusive models!

Maddie from Thrift Generation gave some direction for our male models. But once all were in place, our models looked like naturals strutting down the runway, and it was easy to see why they required minimal practice for this show.

Shortly after, we found ourselves at the first showcase, this time rehearsing the show for Sarah Clifford’s Designs. This show featured two of our female models, Mara and Shani, who had joined us only recently!

A couple of moments later, the band kicked things off on the secondary stage in front of the catwalk. All the models, especially the newer ones, looked so poised and confident as Sarah Clifford’s show went off without a hitch.

You could really feel the intensity of the fashion show at the second showcase, where our models hit the catwalk wearing designs from Thrift Generation, followed by Cow and then Laura Worthington. With a mass of people gathered inside the relatively small space of showcase two, the atmosphere was simply electric!

With so many things going on at any given moment, plus the loud music playing in the background, it felt pretty overwhelming! Even as the shows at both showcases drew to a close, there was still so much going on, with many other independent designers exhibiting their outfits and designs in the individual units scattered within Sneinton Market.

It was definitely a great experience to be at this independent fashion show and be part of my first ever fashion week. As always, I can’t wait for the next one!