Fashion Week can seem like an endless stretch of beautiful people and glamorous catwalk collections. For a reporter like me, though, it’s an endless quagmire of running through airports at breakneck speed in high heels after spending an all-nighter filing stories, transcribing interviews, and sourcing photographs. Never mind trying to look somewhat presentable and arriving on time.
So any break I can get, to just sit back, relax, and chill – is golden.
The 6-foot (183 cm) fully flat bed with bedding on British Airways Club World was just what I needed. I prepped my skin with the provided amenities kit and facial moisturizer from The White Company and had a light appetizer of shrimp and tomatoes with cilantro and a glass of champagne.
It was time to put on my noise-canceling headphones to sleep for the rest of the 8-hour flight. I landed early, took the Heathrow Express into London’s Paddington Station, and checked in early (9 am!) to the W London in Soho, near Chinatown.
The hotel is a 5-star luxury property with a funky modern vibe, and when I checked in to the W’s “Wonderful Room,” – I opened the door to a very compact room with lots of chrome, wall-to-wall mirrors, edgy finishes, and a sink in the middle of the room.
I liked the long, sleek, modern countertop – the only thing is that I had so many toiletries that my entire countertop got really messy by the end. All 192 rooms and suites are equipped with Digivalet in-room iPads where you can order room service, adjust your mood lighting, and enjoy an in-room Mega Bar with a personal mixologist.
The W was right by Chinatown, and one of my favorite parts of the area was the late-night Chinese all-you-can-eat buffets for only GBP7.50 (R172) per person. With the South African rand exchange rate the way it is, that might be the only place left that’s affordable. My advice: stop converting everything into Rands, you’ll be depressed the whole trip!
Money aside, the London Fashion Week shows were truly fabulous… from Burberry to Erdem, Ashish, J E Cai, Ray Chu, Abigail Ajobi, Atelier Zuhra, Pam Hogg, and Film AlUla with Atelier Hekayat and ArAm Designs – it was a continuous fashion extravaganza.
Suki Waterhouse launched her exclusive Dreamed By Collection at the flagship Browns boutique on Brook Street. I met Suki at Milan Fashion Week some years ago when she modeled an iconic British Airways dress.
At Milan Fashion Week, designer Philipp Plein presented a festival collection of eccentric colors, bold energy, and dramatic mini-dresses in its “Plein Land” Spring Summer Collection.
Finally, Victoria Beckham’s Paris Fashion Week collection focused on the ephemeral grace of ballet in her Spring Summer 2024 collection – with her family and close friends Anna Wintour and Kim Kardashian cheering her on in the front row.
Looking forward to my next flight to fashion in February!
