Southsea Fashion Week!

This is the article I wrote for Portsmouth Life Magazine, but unfortunately it hasn't been released on time, so I'm pushing it out on the old blog for everyone to see.  Come to Southsea Fashion Week - shows are taking place this weekend around the city.  Tonight I'll be watching from the front row at Portsmouth Cathedral!

Southsea Fashion Week is taking place at the end of August and will be something completely different for local people and visitors to Portsmouth to enjoy.

Intrigued to find out more, we interviewed Briar-Rose Kelleher, director of Southsea Fashion Week to inform us all further.

All photographs are of actual designers who will be headlining the shows.

1. What is Southsea Fashion Week all about?

Southsea Fashion Week is about giving recently graduated designers from

London and South of England a chance to showcase their work and build

their brand. Equally, to raise Southsea's profile within media, commerce

and the fashion industry.

2.  What inspired you to set up Southsea Fashion Week?

I am a Designer myself, I know how hard it can be to produce and showcase

a collection on limited funds. Also, historically, Southsea has aligned

itself with Portsmouth and its Naval heritage, it is only in more recent

years with the help of Love Albert Road, Southsea Fest and the regular

Boutique markets that the profile has been raised and branched in Arts &

culture, but not so much into high fashion.

Design by Briar-Rose Kelleher

3.  What can we expect to see happening during the week?

Friday and Saturday evening will unveil collections with a particular

focus: At Portsmouth Cathedral on the Friday, Ready to Wear and Demi

Couture collections will walk the runway, with Saturday's show at St

Peter's Church beginning with Haute Couture and ending in the adventurous

and sometimes shocking Avant- Garde. We have tried to cater for all areas

of runway fashion to enable a fluent yet exciting show.

Headliners include Carlotta Actis Barone, Dumpster Couture, MIMI.C and Sef

Farrugia.

The fashion week will end on a high with the SFW Closing party at the Wine

Vaults offering entertainement from live bands and DJs.

Carlotta Actis Barone

4.  Who are your hot recommendations for Southsea Fashion Week?

Oh, hard question! Carlotta Actis Barone is a London Fashion Week regular,

for SFW she has put together a capsule collection of her previous work

that I can't wait to see. Also, Boat Khajeenikorn, I didn't think menswear

could excite me so much it is simply stunning! Also, Kayleigh Norman,

Lesley De Freitas, Laura Jane Bailey and Mimi.c from Friday's show and

Melanie Austin, Gerli Liivamagi and Amber Hards from Saturday. Almost

mentioned everyone...

Boat Khajeenikorn

5.  How would you describe your own personal style?

Over the past year I have taken a 40 year leap from being a faithful

1940-50's vintage girl to reliving my 90's childhood with rainbow hair,

platform trainers and backpacks.

Carlotta Actis Barone

6.  Who are your fashion influences?

In personal style I take influence from 90's films and style, when

designing, my main influences are Alexander McQueen and Gustav Klimt.

Dumpster Avant Garde Headline

7.  How do you support local businesses involved in

fashion?

We have the high street fashion, we have great vintage shops but where is

all the high end fashion? There needs to be a market in Southsea for it

which is what local SFW designers such as myself, Dumpster Couture, Nicole

Ford, Jessie Potter, Katie Barrett and Mia Mai are showing.

Kayleigh Norman

To BUY TICKETS (which range from £13 standard to £40 all inclusive FRONT ROW)

purchase via our website www.southseafashionweek.co.uk