With fashion week just a sashay and click of the heels away, I thought I’d take a moment to share a few tips about how to survive the jungle that is Malta Fashion Week and be front row ready (even if your feet and head are killing you).
■ It’s the venue that should dictate your footwear, not your outfit: I remember a time when I would roll up to the appointed venue and totter over to my seat in the kind of six-inch heels that would have made Naomi Campbell blush; those days are over. The reality is that while many of the venues chosen are objectively beautiful and offer the shows a stunning backdrop, they are very seldom easy on the feet. Unless your side job is being an Olympic walker and you’re able to climb steep stretches of polished limestone in the way that I consume a box of Godiva chocolates, I kindly suggest you try to either find a different shoe or a different outfit.
Sitting in the front row can sometimes be pretty sweaty work
■ A hairstyle that doesn’t need touch-ups every few minutes: Though it might not look like it, sitting in the front row can sometimes be pretty sweaty work. Some shows can go on for hours and since you’re sitting in the open air, you and your hair are literally at the mercy of the elements. If it’s windy, you wind up looking like Einstein’s second cousin and if it’s sunny, your sweating will take care of the rest (and let’s not even start discussing the Maltese humid air which could make Kate Middleton look like a royal bird’s nest). The trick here is to keep it as simple and natural as possible and please, please, please ditch the hair spray. Contrary to popular belief, your hair doesn’t need to look like it’s taking part in an origami folding competition for you to look put together.
■ Plan your outfit beforehand: Every year I say I should do this and every year without fail, I’m still pulling out dresses which may or may not fit me an hour or two before. I know that you can’t cater to your every mood and emergency, however, a little planning does go a long way in such situations.
■ Try to get enough sleep: While from the outside, attending fashion week can look like a dawdle, the truth is that while it’s a lot of fun, constantly having to look like a million dollars as you schlepp from one show to the next can take its toll. The trick here is to manage your time properly and try not to get sauced on cheap wine at the after parties. Many of us don’t have the luxury of taking the whole week off, which means that we have to find some way of balancing our jobs, our partners (or fashion week widowers as I like to refer to them), our writing, and sleep.
■ The best thing you can wear is a smile (be friendly and kind, or try to): I know that not everyone is naturally friendly and inclined to strike up conversations but it’s equally uncomfortable to have to sit next to someone who constantly acts like they have something wedged up their behind. The industry in Malta is very small and there’s little point in acting like you own the place when we’re all seated together. Sadly, you’ll probably eventually need to speak to me anyway when I’m the only one with an external battery and your tablet or phone is dead.