I am calling this basic Fashion Week Etiquette as, to be honest, I felt that this week perhaps somewhere along the way the basics were lost. Now, this does NOT apply to everyone, but I was really shocked at how some were behaving and seemed less concerned about the incredible designers whose work we were going to see, and more about where they would be sitting. It actually took a little away from the few days as I was genuinely only there to view some amazing collections and to see what the upcoming trends might be for the next season.
1. The staff are there to help, yelling will not make them help you first
This really surprised me, as at more than one event there was someone getting quite annoyed and loud at staff. Whether it was that they had to queue and didn’t expect to or that they weren’t personally handed the press release and had to request one. And some who didn’t have a ticket but still wanted to get in some thought that by being louder would mean that they would get in. This is something that I have never understood – being aggressive or loud with staff generally will not get you far, also, some of these staff would have been working event after event and on their feet all day so getting in their face will certainly not help.
A point to note on this is that I did not see any of the fashion editors I recognised doing this. They were respectful and waited to be shown to their seats or whatever information that they needed. And they also said thank you…. again, this sounds so simple. But at the main venue location, they were giving out free popcorn and Nivea Deodorant on the way in, so many people just took them without even looking at the staff and walked away. It just made me a little sad tbh, as a quick word of thanks and a smile costs nothing but can mean a lot to someone who is standing there for hours handing out free bits to people.
2. There will be queues, do not shove your way through
Okay, hands up I do not like queueing. Not even a teeny weeny little bit. BUT – would I ever shove someone in a queue – no. And this year, I saw grown adults pushing others to get into a venue. Sometimes some of the events are purposely overfilled so that if some people don’t show then the venue will still be full – that can lead to super long queues and not everyone will get in. I can understand the frustration at that but at the same time I don’t understand how someone further back the queue thinks that by pushing forward they will definitely get inside, there is still a head count that will be taken at the door.
3. Do not litter
Why in 2018, does this even have to be said? At most of the shows and presentations, there will be press releases and sometimes a small gift from the designer or brand that the British Council is working with. If you do not want the press release, then do not take it with you. If you do not want the gift, then leave it. If you do take one/both, and decide you don’t want/like it – don’t just throw is on the footpath outside or down the road. I saw 6 of these bags just thrown on the footpath following one of the Fashion Scout Shows. And I don’t blame the brands on this either, there are bins everywhere in London so you are never too far away from just dumping what you don’t want.
I apologise if this seemed like a bit of a rant, but it shocked me so much to see how people were treating each other at events which are a privilege to be invited to and the staff there are there to help. What are your thoughts? Am I just being daft? Or is this just the new norm.??
Also, all images were taken on my iPhone as haven’t had a chance to look at my DSLR imagery yet!
