Pure London - A Fashion Buyer's Paradise!

Pure London Review by Emma Johnston, Images by Lin Vitali.

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

Fashion Event: Pure London

Pure London, WGSN catwalk featuring Viona Blu Honor Clutch in rich red.
Photo by Sirpa Kalliola.

So my phone vibrates; an email. I take a quick peek as I stroll (or more likely power walk) down the street and see I've been asked to take a visit to Pure London in the Kensington Olympia. My outfit at the time of receiving said email; baggy Elvis Costello t-shirt (circa 1994), black leggings and black slip on shoes (like the ones you used to wear for P.E). What do I know about fashion? Very little and I am the first one to admit it. Comfort is the ultimate chic quality in my eyes. However, I do look forward to a challenge. So I donned my blue shirt dress and some matching accessories and off I went!

What is it?

Pure Fashion is a massive fashion buying event held in London. Within this event hundreds of brands are on show representing womenswear, shoes, accessories and kids clothes. I've never seen so many fashion items in one place. Each stand has their own appealing trait and disregarding any of them is a near impossible task. The bright colours, the free tote bags, the pretty 7ft tall assistants and the free snacks are all contributing factors aside from the clothes.

What's Hot!

Despite most brands following suit with the fashion trends of spring/summer 12 (pastels, crotchets, neons, lace, floral prints, nautical, paisley prints, animal prints and high waists) the individuality of each designer was incredibly apparent. This applies to the 2012 autumn/winter trends which include lovely owl designs, trophy jumpers, glitter, variations of purple, Eastern designs and of course layering!

My Picks!

My own personal favourite collection was Yumi. Which favoured the combination of pastels with lace and had an incredibly eclectic collection of animal prints. I was also swayed by the overwhelming collection of sherbet sweets that I could smell a mile off. The staff were also incredibly friendly and helpful.

I'll tell you where to go for a fantastic dress! Get Cutie is a Brighton based company who create handmade dresses to fit the varying sizes of women, I.E they can change the bust size. Which for size 10 lady like me with a larger bust than most I found wonderful. Their designs shun most trends aside from floral prints. They focus on creating a retro looking brand that is distinct from your high street stores. I for one would love one of these dresses in my wardrobe.

My last favourite was new and upcoming British jewellery company Pasha Jewellery. This was their major launching event and they had most of their current collection on show. Their style focuses more on large statement costume pieces.

Pasha Jewellery on display at Pure London.

Fair for Everyone!

What was fascinating is how Eco friendly most companies are becoming. Quality in the working environments abroad, fair trade and all the rest of it! It was incredibly impressive. The fact that our economy is not is the best state and we still look out for the less fortunate is an admirable quality.

The most diverse company was People Tree. A British based brand who are dedicated to making the world a better place. Unlike other similar world friendly clotheslines, People Tree still try to be as fashionable as possible for all ages and sizes.

People Tree stand at Pure London.

What Else?

Not only is there a wide array of clothing examples available but there are regular catwalk performances, fashion talks and speeches. I attended two of the more high profile activities on offer. A performance with "10 Years Younger" Nicky Hambleton-Jones, where she showed us how to dress trendy and appropriately... Sound familiar? However it was incredibly fun to witness on the stage! I also attended the Michelle Mone O.B.E keynote speech. Which divulged her rise to fame along with the many pitfalls that she has experienced. Other seminars about media, fashion, internet, distribution and many more were also available.

For my first event in this field I was incredibly surprised. I had envisioned nasty mean girl-esque sales rep on every corner and a floor manager with the same qualities as Anna Wintour. Clearly my over-active imagination was let off its leash again. A thoroughly informative yet enjoyable day out which was also especially well organised for the masses!