London Fashion Week: Behind The Scenes With Team Grazia

Ever wanted to know what team Grazia actually do in the lead up and during LFW? Well we're here to tell you, straight from the horse's mouth. (Sorry in advance if you thought it was all FROWS and parties...) Read what each team member gets up to below, from assistants to directors.

Laura Antonia Jordan, Fashion News & Features Director

Fashion Month has already started for me before London, as I kick off the season in New York. At the moment I’m here covering AW20, which means attending lots of shows (I always try to make sure I see what the city’s up and comers have got going on as well as the Big Names™, you get some really magic moments that way, like that epic Tomo Koizumi show at Marc Jacobs’ Madison Avenue store a year ago), as well as writing stories on the go, doing social for @graziauk, taking meetings and working on my report for the Big Fashion Issue, which is all about spotting a narrative: what are designers thinking about right now and why.

February in New York is cold; I make sure I pack some Uniqlo Heattech layers and Augustinus Bader Rich Cream. So that I am on top form for London, New York Fashion Week is all looking after myself. I can’t burnout at the first stop, so I stock up on Oil of Oregano, make sure I don’t run entirely on matcha and sugar (thankfully I love Sweetgreen salads), and get some early nights. Fashion Week is work, but it’s also fun – or at least it should be – and a privilege to attend, you don’t want to be that person whining through it because you’re too tired!

Sophie Henderson, Shopping Editor

In my role as Grazia’s Shopping Editor, Fashion Week is the opportunity to look ahead to how our wardrobes are going to be shaped for the season and work out how we can translate this information for the reader. Throughout the shows I make personal notes of everything from the little fashion details, street style trends to the models. The fashion team then get together, usually over snacks, to discuss how we can translate this information to the Grazia reader.

As a stylist it’s an opportunity to be up close and personal with the pieces and how we're going to be wearing them, whether that’s with new and exciting shapes or classic pieces designed and worn in new ways. Street style also shapes my shopping pages and online content. Show season is the perfect opportunity to see how editors and Influencers are interpreting the trends in real time.

Natalie Hammond, Fashion News & Features Editor

I spend a lot of time on the tube - ha! - whizzing between shows and presentations and more shows. Our team takes over Instagram for London Fashion Week, so I’m often racking my brain trying to think of captions/dream up posts that I think our followers would like, and we write news stories about particularly note-worthy happenings/fun street-style trends. On that note, one of the things I love most about fashion week is the people-watching. Whether you’re waiting for a show to start (for, like, 30 minutes!), trying to track down your car or scarfing down a Pret (the glamour), what people wear never ceases to pique my interest. It also sparks lots of ideas for future features and, with that in mind, I want to get into the habit of jotting down micro-trends like ‘sheer dresses over jeans’ and ‘orange polo neck with purple pants’ so that every weird and wonderful detail stays in my head.

Charlotte Pavitt, Fashion Assistant

Normally my London Fashion Week is a blur of tickets, spreadsheets and car bookings – however this season I have been blessed with the angel of show scheduling, Tim, who is supporting us with our ticket requests. Alas, this does not mean I’m twiddling my thumbs!

I will mainly be focusing on the looming deadline of our Big Fashion Issue (out 18th February) which is bursting with new season editorials, shopping and features. Then, in the days running up to the shows I will be prepping two shoots, overseeing the team’s ticket packs, at my desk working on pieces for graziadaily.co.uk and ensuring that everything runs smoothly while the team are out of office – and planning my show outfits out-of-hours. The first day of LFW, I will be on set shooting for an upcoming Grazia special, and come Saturday, I will head out with the rest of the team to attend shows and document our escapades for Grazia’s Instagram. Ain’t no rest for the wicked.

Tim Brooks, Fashion Assistant

My role in London Fashion Week is all about co-ordinating schedules for the team. It may seem like a glamorous weekend on Instagram but there’s a lot of organising in the lead up that people might not realise! This involves reaching out to different PRs representing the designers showing at LFW and requesting tickets for the team. Over the actual event, I will be making sure everyone is in the right place and has all the information they need for the weekend like seat number, timings, locations etc! There are a lot of tickets, a lot of people and a lot of cars to co-ordinate! I also think in general, we want to support British brands and British designers in any way we can across London Fashion Week.

Lillian Sesiguzel, Digital Assistant

When award season is on the out, fashion week is well and truly on the in! There's always a lot of forward planning to be done in the lead up, whether it's across social media or online content. I'm always on the look out for new and interesting ways to cover fashion week, and especially love being introduced to emerging brands. (Here's a couple to keep on your radar this season: Cinta The Label, APAYA and House Of Fluff.)

Attending shows, events and generally being out and about is a great way for me to see spikes on the runway and on the street, that will translate into trends. Keeping my eyes pealed means when it comes to curating a shopping gallery, I can include the best pieces for our readers, because who doesn't want to wear something that's, to quote Rihanna, 'phresh out the runway'. Well almost.

At times LFW can feel like you're running around like a headless chicken, just ask my LFW buddy Charlotte Pavitt, but it's important that everything get's covered. We love exploring the BFC showspace on the Strand, it's a great chance to talk to each stall and report back to the team. Last season we stumbled across Patrick McDowell, who designs for his own label, 'reinventing luxury through a sustainable mindset.'

SHOP: Grazia's Fashion Week Favourites