V Festival 2013 (The V Stands for Vogue)

Vogue. The very word conjures images of glamour, high couture and lavish photo
spreads. Condé Nast’s most successful and famous magazine is judged by many
to be the cosmopolitan woman’s fashion bible and absolutely essential reading for
women of a certain age and income with an awareness of the fashion world. The
concept and magazine inspired a hugely successful Madonna number and continues
to play an influential role on the purchasing patterns of millions of women around the
world.

So the idea of holding a Vogue festival in London seems to be little more than a
walk in the park for the biggest name in fashion. The event is in its second year and
will feature several big names in the fashion industry speaking about their lives,
influences and advice for budding photographers, models and designers. The line-up
last year was a veritable who’s who of the fashion world; Domenico Dolce, Stefano
Gabbana, Stella McCartney, Christolpher Bailey, Diane von Furstenberg and Tom
Ford are merely a few of the names who made an appearance.

As to be expected, the fashion powerhouse has done it again this year. The sheer
accessibility of the event is practically unique; anyone can buy a ticket and hear
fashion VIPs talk about their experiences and take questions from the audience, on
any aspect of their careers in fashion and the public eye. Having said that, it’s going
to cost you; the speakers are split into separate ticketed events, priced at either £30
or £40 depending on the speaker.

The biggest names at the event are; Victoria Beckham, who will be discussing her
hugely successful line and infamous pout; Mario Testino, revealing the secrets of his
work with every VIP of the past forty years; and Donatella Versace, discussing what
it’s like to be at the helm of one of the world’s most successful fashion empires. Also
appearing at the event will be possibly the hottest male model alive, David Gandy, as
well as successful and personable handbag designer Anya Hindmarch.

Many whose homepage isn’t Vogue.com or don’t look forward to the latest issue will
be wondering whether this two-day event is nothing more than a chance for fashion
VIPs to admire themselves in the reflections of so many adoring fans. Quite the
contrary; the opportunity for a budding designer or fashion entrepreneur to listen to
some of the most successful people in the business is something to relish.

It’s a rare opportunity for readers, who can often feel detached and alienated
from the bright lights of haute couture, to get up close and personal with some of
the industry’s biggest names. From a career-orientated point of view, the chance
to ‘mingle’ with other like-minded hopefuls and make those all-important contacts is
not to be passed over lightly.

For many of us, the timing couldn’t be worse; the festival runs on Saturday 27th and
Sunday 28th April, the all-important final weekend before many dissertations are
due on Monday 29th. I cursed every God I could think of when I heard this news.
However, despite the fact that I have not one but two dissertations due on Monday
29th April, I find my mouse dangerously hovering over the ‘buy now’ button on the
ticket site. The line-up seems too good to miss, a day in London surely won’t make
that much difference to my essay and surely I deserve it after the marathon of writing
18,000 words.

Whether I make it to the Vogue Festival or not, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for
such events in the future. Being a student doesn’t mean you can’t immerse yourself
in the world of high fashion and get involved in events that can inspire and uplift
you in more ways than you may think. Perhaps most importantly of all, if you have
anything more than a fleeting interest in fashion, the Vogue Festival is sure to be
incredibly interesting, engrossing and fun and I have no doubt it will become as
much of a London stalwart as Fashion Week itself.