London Fashion Week isn’t just about the shows (although you can read about them here) – there’s plenty to get up to at Somerset House and nearby. Here’s a little look at what I did while I was there…

These shots are from Monday, my final day at Fashion Week. By then I just wanted to be comfortable so wore Zara jeans, an American Apparel jumper, Gap blazer, River Island shoes, F21 necklace, H&M ring and Mulberry clutch.

Going backstage for the House of Evolution show was such an amazing experience. It was utterly hectic, with models, clothing and glitter flying everywhere and for the first 10 mins, I was totally overwhelmed. I soon found my feet though, and captured some of the amazing hair and makeup looks (I just LOVE that wispy beehive and the smoky eyes) created by The Body Shop and Toni & Guy.

Somerset House is awash with beautiful, stylish people and these were my three favourite looks. You might recognise Pearl from Fashion Pearls of Wisdom at the top there – I loved her candy-coloured outfit and furry Prada scarf. Another strong trend was neutrals with flashes of neon – so easy to recreate and something I’ll definitely be wearing for SS12.

If you’re the lucky owner of a LFW Press Pass you have access to the Press Lounge, which boasts a Toni & Guy hair salon and a MAC makeover space. I managed to squeeze myself in for a 10 minute makeover and came out with amazing orange lips and a very generous goodie bag… which I promptly left on the tube on my way home. So, so sad.

And all of a sudden, Fashion Week is over for another season. I had a very different experience to previous years as this time round I was working, so felt the pressure of spotting trends/taking decent photos/wearing comfortable shoes much more. But it was such an exciting time – I saw a lot, learnt a lot and enjoyed every minute. Well, apart from losing that goodie bag…

Were you at London Fashion Week? Let me know if you’ve written about your own experiences – I love to see different perspectives!

PS – Don’t forget to check out my mini show reports here.

My time at London Fashion Week is over and life feels very ordinary once again. There was no Premier Inn breakfast this morning, no banana in my bed courtesy of Gem Fatale, no Kanye West within touching distance… sigh.

Luckily I have lots (and LOTS – be warned) of photos to remind me of all the things I got up to. Because I got so snap happy, I’ve split my coverage into two posts, starting with the shows. You can see what I got up to outside the shows in this post.

Zoe Jordan AW12

My first show of Fashion Week was Zoe Jordan, where I watched sporty silhouettes with cinched in waists, heavy wool with embroidered detailing and rich rustic colours come down the catwalk. The dip-dye grey maxi dress was a particular favourite.

Felder Felder AW12

At Felder Felder the collection had a real rock star feel, with leathers, feathers, galaxy-print leggings and metallic heels. I loved the laidback, ready-to-wear pieces but if I had to choose, the red maxi dress was my favourite.

Orla Kiely AW12

Orla Kiely was a far more civilised affair, with ballroom dancing, afternoon tea and a live band. I spotted lots of ruffle detailing, statement collars and T-Bar heels with socks – easily adaptable trends I’m sure I’ll be wearing come September!

Hi Sharleen Spiteri!

Kinder Aguggini AW12

My favourite show of the week was Kinder Aguggini, possibly for the brilliant early-noughties soundtrack which featured Nelly, 50 Cent, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah and even a bit of Kid Rock. Of course, the playful Cowboys and Indians prints were adorable and I loved the glittering rose gold lips.

Todd Lynn AW12

I ended up watching the Todd Lynn show from the Canon Cinema inside the Courtyard show space, which wasn’t quite as atmospheric as the real thing but still great for seeing the collection coming down the catwalk. All very ladylike and elegant, I particularly like the Mad Men-esque silhouettes.

Zeynep Tosun AW12 at House of Evolution

Nadine Merabi AW12 at House of Evolution

I was lucky enough to go backstage for the House of Evolution show – an amazing experience thanks to lovely Amy from Wolf Whistle, and one I wrote about in my second post. The show itself featured collections from three designers – Delada, Zeynep Tosun and Nadine Merabi – which were all stunning, but my favourite was definitely the very last look – a beautiful white floral creation.

Mark Fast AW12

Hi Kanye!

My final show of the week was Mark Fast – a close contender for the best show of the week, not only because the draped knits and embellished dresses were to die for, but because I was seated within touching distance of Kanye West. His ear features in all my shots and I even got a sneaky close-up – hi Kanye!

I was very lucky to see such a great collection of shows – watching a collection come down the catwalk never fails to inspire and excite me. Of course, there was lots going on between shows too – find out what I got up to during the downtime in my second post.

Did you see any LFW shows? Which collections caught your eye?