0:00:12 > 0:00:16I'm Susie Lau, but most people know me as Susie Bubble.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19My fashion blog has taken me around the world, but today I'm back home
0:00:19 > 0:00:23to see some of my favourite designers at London Fashion Week.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33This is my exclusive access-all-areas experience at the opening
0:00:33 > 0:00:35of London Fashion Week.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46So, here we are at Somerset House.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49It kind of feels a bit wrong going in this early.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I feel like I'm going to be told off.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Lots of guys going, "You can't do that, you can't do that". Yeah, see?
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Going to take you through into the runway.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Here we are.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06The first show that we're going to be seeing is JJS Lee.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10She's known for beautiful tailoring and a very unique take
0:01:10 > 0:01:12on pattern cuttings.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I think it's this way.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We're going to get a cheeky glimpse of the clothes.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21You can see here that's look number six. Emilie...
0:01:21 > 0:01:23is wearing look number six.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Really beautiful textures.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28This is kind of laminated sort of hessian.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Nice bit of colour.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Even comes with underwear. Oh, no, have I taken it out of order?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Hope not.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38THEY LAUGH
0:01:38 > 0:01:41What's up?
0:01:41 > 0:01:45This is Jackie. This is Jackie, designer JJS Lee.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48You're opening London Fashion Week again. How do you feel?
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Nervous, excited.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53You must be extra tired because first day, really, really early.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Are we allowed to take out...? We can't take out the clothes?
0:01:56 > 0:01:57- We can. - We can?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01It's like Christmas. Could I try it on?
0:02:01 > 0:02:02OK.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08So, yeah, this is kind of unheard of for someone to be
0:02:08 > 0:02:13grabbing clothes off a rail and trying things on before a show.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15But here I am doing it.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21This is a lovely texture.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23It's kind of delicious really.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25It's kind of weird.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29It's shiny on the outside and then inside it just feels like cotton.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I don't know, it's just... it's just different, isn't it?
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Without being loud and ostentatious.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Not a model. Just repeat.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Not a model.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Super-beautiful really. I love how the sleeves kind of
0:02:42 > 0:02:43- come up the arms. - Exactly.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Thank you so much, Jackie, for letting me try it on.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48OK.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Hectic.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01# Put some lipstick on
0:03:01 > 0:03:04# Perfume your neck and slip your high heels on
0:03:04 > 0:03:09# Rinse and curl your hair, loosen your hips
0:03:09 > 0:03:11# And get a dress to wear...#
0:03:11 > 0:03:14I actually really like steaming clothes.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17# I'm the one who's been coming around looking to loving you. #
0:03:17 > 0:03:18Look at these!
0:03:18 > 0:03:22# You're the medicine
0:03:22 > 0:03:25# I need to heal the way you make me feel
0:03:25 > 0:03:27# I'm gon' be manicured
0:03:27 > 0:03:29# You wanna be man cured
0:03:29 > 0:03:30# Ma-ma-ma-manicure
0:03:30 > 0:03:32# She wanna be man cured
0:03:32 > 0:03:34# Salon's enough for her
0:03:34 > 0:03:35# Not to feel so insecure
0:03:35 > 0:03:39# Serial killer, man is a goner
0:03:39 > 0:03:41# Manicure! #
0:03:52 > 0:03:55On day one I'm just basically trying to see as much as possible
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and there are lots of little presentations
0:03:58 > 0:04:00that are kind of dotted all around town,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and it's just about trying to get to see those
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and also see shows, which is always really, really tricky
0:04:05 > 0:04:09because the schedule is really tight.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11We're off to see Faustine Steinmetz, which does things
0:04:11 > 0:04:15like hand-woven denim and almost like a little cottage industry.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I'm so happy you made it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I just got back from New York, so this is like,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50just completely perked me up.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We're now on our way to Eudon Choi back at Somerset House.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03We are stuck in traffic.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Such short distances you could probably walk,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09but, for some reason, we like to torture ourselves with traffic.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13It's a lot fuller now, you can see.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16There's just loads of people with cameras in general.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- How are you? - I'm good.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- Hiya. - Hi.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Thanks.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Christopher Kane jacket.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29How are you?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- Can we see your bag? - Yeah, sure.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Christopher Kane jacket.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- Out of my shot, excuse me. - Christopher Kane coat.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Yeah. Cheers. - Thanks, bye.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Sometimes when I'm really busy, though,
0:05:49 > 0:05:50and you're walking through here,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52sometimes you have to go, "Sorry! I can't stop."
0:05:52 > 0:05:57You feel really like...a bit of a bitch but, you know.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Just...sometimes you're actually rushing, you know.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Hello!
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Hi!
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- How are you? - How are you?
0:06:09 > 0:06:10- I don't know, a bit dazed, I think. - Yeah?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13What are you looking at this season?
0:06:13 > 0:06:17The collection is inspired by the painter Georgia O'Keeffe.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Oh, I love Georgia O'Keeffe!
0:06:19 > 0:06:21This is a lot of black-and-white tailoring,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23combining masculinity and femininity.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- So everything is a bit softer? - Exactly.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28What is hair and make-up like?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31We referenced one of the Georgia O'Keeffe portraits.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Messy hair, but just straight back,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36petals, sort of matt finishing on the lips.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Cool.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- Great. - I just felt I just gave
0:06:39 > 0:06:42more clear sort of description of the hair and make-up
0:06:42 > 0:06:43than my collection, I think!
0:06:43 > 0:06:45So, you're on...?
0:06:45 > 0:06:46- Two. - Two o'clock, yeah.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Well, when Jackie did her show earlier, it was really calm.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49- Yeah? - Yeah.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But I think it's now a bit more frenetic.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54MUSIC: When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin
0:07:15 > 0:07:1712 minutes to the shoe run!
0:07:17 > 0:07:20They put on the shoes that they are going to be wearing in the show
0:07:20 > 0:07:22so that they can practise walking in them.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26When you get onto the catwalk, we're not stopping. Just centre yourself.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47That was the run-through.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Perfect. Thank you.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12# If it keeps on raining
0:08:12 > 0:08:14# Levee's gonna break
0:08:16 > 0:08:19# If it keeps on raining... #
0:08:19 > 0:08:22So, it's four minutes to two and the show is supposed to start at two
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and the girls are not fully dressed yet -
0:08:26 > 0:08:28some are still in hair and make-up.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Please!
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Serena? Serena?
0:08:34 > 0:08:38# Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan
0:08:41 > 0:08:43# Mean old levee... #
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Come here!
0:08:44 > 0:08:47But the short change is between...
0:08:47 > 0:08:52# Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home
0:08:52 > 0:08:56# Oh well, oh well, oh well... #
0:08:57 > 0:09:00There are too many people! Step back! You're blocking!
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Hello.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- High-five. - Good choice.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11Are all the girls through?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Something is happening, thank you.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Oh, no, they are with the BBC as well.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I've been told everybody out, those are the instructions by the designer.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19- All right. - And I've got a show to start,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21so as soon as you're out, I can start the show.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23OK, OK, we're going, we're going, we're going.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26There's one reason why I don't normally come backstage.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Everyone gets really agitated and you kind of, yeah,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33definitely feel like you're intruding when you're backstage.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36# Going down, going down
0:09:38 > 0:09:41# Whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo. #
0:09:52 > 0:09:58We are on our way to Trager Delaney, a really, really fun new design duo.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Now they're doing their first presentation
0:10:00 > 0:10:02on schedule at London Fashion Week.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It's very Kim and Lowell to do something like this.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Don't actually know where to go.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- Congratulations! - Thank you!
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Four shows in two hours. That's madness.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It pays to come backstage at any show
0:10:47 > 0:10:50because there are details that you totally miss.
0:10:57 > 0:11:04We are seeing Shrimps. Shrimps is basically a faux-fur label.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06I think Shrimps and Hannah
0:11:06 > 0:11:09definitely did kick off a bit of a furry Fraggle thing.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12All the autumn-winter collections are going into high-street stores now.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16We're seeing a lot, a lot of, you know, kind of fun fur.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18You would definitely attribute that
0:11:18 > 0:11:21to what Hannah has done with Shrimps.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- MAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah... - Ooh!
0:11:23 > 0:11:25That was really close.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29There is already a queue of people.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33It's kind of like the hot ticket of today, I guess.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- Bring Susie through. - Hey! How are you?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I'm good. Thank you for coming.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- How are you? - How are you?
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Good. Welcome.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47MUSIC: Lights Out by Santigold
0:11:47 > 0:11:49# Lights out
0:11:49 > 0:11:51# Shoot up the station
0:11:51 > 0:11:54# TV's dead Where's there to run?
0:11:54 > 0:11:56# Watch everybody... #
0:11:56 > 0:11:59For some reason, I thought maybe she might do like a faux-fur bikini.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01I mean, how would it dry?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04# Won't let them see now how they had won
0:12:04 > 0:12:07# Still I wait another round... #
0:12:07 > 0:12:09And there's Alexa Chung.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14MUSIC: Lights Out by Santigold
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I'm now heading into the last show of the day
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and it's Christopher Raeburn.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38He's really known for reusing materials
0:12:38 > 0:12:40in a really innovative way
0:12:40 > 0:12:45and doing menswear and womenswear that is kind of useful.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- Aye, aye. - Friendly face. How you?
0:12:50 > 0:12:52I'm very well.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55As you can see, we're quiet before the storm.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Some highlights for me... This is something really cool.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01These are made from original parachutes.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05We deconstruct and rework and so we haven't even dyed this.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- This is the original colour. - Really?!
0:13:07 > 0:13:10And then some really different pieces for us as well.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14These are original MiG fighter jet suits deconstructed.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17They are compression suits originally used by pilots.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19They basically stop your body bursting.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I don't know if that's good for the BBC or not.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24You know, that's the truth of it.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I do, just for you, want to show you one more piece
0:13:26 > 0:13:29because I think you'll love it.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Yes, please. Ha-ha!
0:13:34 > 0:13:37I love how everything that I'm trying on today
0:13:37 > 0:13:40just sort of incidentally goes with my outfit.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Minutes before the show. - I know.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Maybe you can model for us.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47We are just waiting on two models.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Yeah, if one of them falls through, I'll just walk out there
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and give everyone a laugh.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55I could be your novelty casting.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59There we go.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06That is so cool. Shall I put the hood on as well?
0:14:08 > 0:14:10SHE MUTTERS
0:14:10 > 0:14:11Thank you, Susie.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24INDISTINCT
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Yeah, so it ends up a lot cleaner now.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40MUSIC: Oblivion by Grimes
0:14:42 > 0:14:46It's seven o'clock. The venue is looking pretty full.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I think we're going to be starting within the next five to ten minutes.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32# See you on a dark night
0:15:35 > 0:15:39# See you on a dark night
0:15:42 > 0:15:45# See you on a dark night
0:15:48 > 0:15:51# See you on a dark night
0:15:54 > 0:15:57# See you on a dark night
0:16:00 > 0:16:02# See you on a dark night
0:16:06 > 0:16:09# See you on a dark night
0:16:13 > 0:16:15# See you on a dark night
0:16:18 > 0:16:21# See you on a dark night... #
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Thank you. Thank you.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Thank you, thank you, thank you.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31Thank you.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33# See you on a dark night. #
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Thank you!
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Thank you, thank you, thank you, everybody. Thank you.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51- Thank you, thank you, thank you. - How was it?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Amazing. Everything, I think, went well.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55It looked good when it went out, so...
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Yeah. Very, very, very happy.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06It's been a really, really long day.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10There's so many things that is hidden away from front of house, like things
0:17:10 > 0:17:14we don't notice but they're super-important to the designer
0:17:14 > 0:17:17because it's their months and months and months of hard work
0:17:17 > 0:17:21being shown to critics, to buyers.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25It determines their next six months of business, basically.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30I thought I kind of had seen what it takes, you know,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34to do a fashion show, but, no,
0:17:34 > 0:17:40spending the day at length backstage definitely opens your eyes.