Fashion Week - The dos and donts

Hello kids,

Today, Grandma Robot is going to give you a little Fashion Week etiquette lesson...

Only joking. Actually, only half joking. After last season's free for all at London Fashion Week, I thought I'd step in and say what I had to say about the state of affairs in Blogland, but I needed to digest what I had seen first and by the time I did, it was old news, so I kept it tucked away in my brain... Till now.

London Fashion Week is around the corner and invitations will soon be allocated. There is a frisson of anticipation on Twitter and the excitement is getting higher in the blogosphere - rightly so: fashion weeks are possibly the most defining times of the year and the fact that bloggers are now authorized to join in is an amazing step forward. This is precisely why it is important for us to show that we haven't been let in just because we are a media gimmick. It is primordial to show we have the skills to give interesting and professional coverage and that we are not just a bunch of inadequate fame hungry idiots.

I thought I'd put together a few tips for fashion week newbies and for those of you who went last time but didn't get what they expected in terms of coverage.

❤ Arrive early
I know the shows always start late, but it is not a reason to be late. If you arrive early you will have plenty of time to get your bearings and find your way. Somerset House is BIG.

❤ Bring a good camera.

This sounds like common sense, but you wouldn't believe how many phone camera photos/videos have been posted last season. If you want to post photos/videos of an event, use good quality ones. If you can't, then it is better to try and write a really good analysis of the show. If you don't have a good camera, borrow one.

❤ Have your business cards with you.

I can't stress enough the importance of always carrying business cards. I don't think this even needs an explanation!

❤ Remember your chargers.

Phone charger, camera charger, laptop charger. You don't want to miss an opportunity because of a dead phone/camera/laptop.

❤ Hang around aimlessly.

I assume you are going to Somerset House to work. So don't just hang around looking pretty (or not). Do something. And if you have nothing to do, go sit in a café and write. Don't just wait for the street style photographers to snap you, that's just sad.

❤ Stalk fashion editors and celebrities.

You are not 12 anymore. Stop gawking and get back to work. If you are there it means you belong as much as them, so stop following them around and tweeting about who is where. We all know who is there and what they are doing (working their butts off, as should you).

❤ Tweet during the shows.

Show some respect to the designer and if you are at a show, watch it rather than brag about it on Twitter or say how amazing it is. Instead, make sure you watch, take notes, take photos and write a great post afterwards. Sometimes 140 characters just don't cut it.

❤ Wait 3 weeks before posting your coverage.

Blog coverage of such events has to be quick, if not what's the point? Think of your readers who are not at Fashion week. If they don't see coverage on your blog, they will go to Style.com. Is that what you want? I didn't think so. Excuses such as "my laptop didn't work" or "I didn't have time" are - pardon my French - bullshit. If you have time to ask for invites, go to the shows and chat about it on Twitter, then you have time to give something back and write about what you saw. It is your main duty as a blogger. You owe it to your readers.

That's all I have to say to you. I know this is a very specific post that won't really speak to you if you are not a fashion blogger about to embark on a fashion week adventure, but it actually applies to a lot of professional situations.

Also, and this is my very selfish reason to write this, I don't want to spend the whole of fashion week getting angry at other bloggers like last time. 

In case you missed it back in September, this article is also useful: Did Bloggers have a negative impact on Fashion Week - BitchBuzz.