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London Calling

Categories: Fashion,

July 17, 2015,

By Jordan Staggs

As I boarded the plane, it finally started to settle in. We were on our way to London Fashion Week! I joined VIE’s owner/publisher Lisa Burwell and owner/editor-in-chief Gerald Burwell, as well as photographers Abigail Ryan and Devan Watkins, for a whirlwind adventure Across the Pond this past February. We made our way to the charming and historicRubens at the Palace hotel, owned and managed by the luxurious Red Carnation Hotel Collection group—right across the street from Buckingham Palace. With the world’s friendliest staff, on-site dining and bars, beautifully appointed rooms, and a superb location, the Rubens is definitely the place to stay if you want to feel like royalty.

The Rubens Hotel | Photo courtesy of The Rubens Hotel

Our next stop was picking up our London Fashion Week press badges and checking out the event’s headquarters at Somerset House, one of the city’s art and cultural meccas located on the Strand. Outside, the cameras clicked endlessly, capturing unique street styles, passing celebrities, and more.

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London Fashion Week at Somerset House | Photo courtesy of British Fashion Council

The shows at London Fashion Week were phenomenal! From popular global fashion houses such as Burberry to some of our new favorites including Paul Costelloe and Jasper Conran, every second of the runway presentations was exhilarating. Walking along the busy Strand and through the city’s theatre district offered many opportunities to enjoy the beauty of London’s architecture and history.

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Emilia Wickstead Presentation | Photo courtesy of British Fashion Council

We also did some sightseeing and enjoyed the view from the top of the London Eye, visited 221b Baker Street (home of detective Sherlock Holmes), and went for a morning jog through Hyde Park. Delicious meals were had at the Rubens’ Cavalry Bar and Palace Lounge, the Strand Dining Rooms, Cafe Royal, the whimsical Sketch (my personal favorite), and the thirty-second-floor Oblix restaurant and lounge at London’s tallest building, the Shard.

SLIDESHOW: London Fashion Week and Sightseeing – The VIE Team

: Parliament and Big Ben

: Parliament and Big Ben

: Jordan Staggs with VIE’s 2015 Travel Issue

: Lisa and Gerald Burwell at Parliament and Big Ben

: Devan, Abigail, and Jordan with the Travel Issue

: Delicious sweets at Hotel Cafe Royal

: VIE’s Travel Issue visits Buckingham Palace

: The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace | Photo by Gerald Burwell

: Abigail, Devan, Jordan, and Lisa outside Harrod’s London | Photo by Gerald Burwell

: Harrod’s London

: Gerald Burwell at Paul Costelloe AW15 presentation at the Waldorf Hilton Ballroom

: Devan and Abigail | Photo by Gerald Burwell

: Jordan Staggs and Lisa Burwell front row at London Fashion Week | Photo by Gerald Burwell

: Devan Watkins and Abigail Ryan in the media pit for Jasper Conran AW15 at London Fashion Week

: Abigail Ryan, Devan Watkins, and Jordan Staggs at the Tower of London with the Shard in background | Photo by Gerald Burwell

: Lisa Burwell, Jordan Staggs, Devan Watkins

: VIE’s Travel Issue takes a ride on the London Eye

: The London Eye

: 221b Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes Museum

: Bathrooms at Sketch bar London

: The Glassblower Pub

While a long weekend is just not enough time to truly enjoy all that amazing London has to offer, we made the most of every minute and hope to return for London Fashion Week’s spring/summer 2016 collections this fall. The British Fashion Council, host and producer of these fantastic events, recently announced a change of venue for this next season, with LFW headquarters moving from Somerset House to the iconic art deco Brewer Street Car Park in the heart of Soho, home of countless fashion, art, and cultural exhibitions since 1929.