London Fashion Week A/W 2005

This season, The British Fashion Council moved London Fashion Week's official home to a purpose-built complex in Battersea Park. For Fashion Week regulars, it felt very different. Those of us not deemed important enough by the Council to get a sponsored chauffer-driven car had to catch the LFW mini bus from Sloane Square. In contrast to the Kings Road venue which is ideally positioned for sandwich shops, bars, chemists, buses, taxis etc.. it felt a bit like we had been marooned in the middle of a strange fashion island. No matter how long a show was delayed, there was no where to go to escape the fashion pack. And after shows, the queue for taxis inside Battersea Park was at times ridiculous. Last season we had the fabbo Zingo taxis running a complimentary service to On/Off, this time we had to make our own way there.

But sack all this moaning. We wanted to experience Fashion Week as if it was our first time. So we commissioned Natalie Hines, a fashion lecturer and London Fashion Week virgin. Natalie shares her experiences in the Diary. We also enlisted a first-time Fashion Week photographer, Judith Erwes to record her visual impressions in a Photo Diary.

David Jones our snapper on a scooter, was on the case again. He zooted through the traffic loaded with his laptop and lenses - c'mon BFC, forget the big fat fuel-guzzling cars, get the fashion crew riding pillion on Vespas next season.

There were some fantastic shows. Our favourites include Basso & Brooke, Collado Garcia and Ashish's second showings, fab prints and 70s-style frocks at Eley Kishimoto, the highly theatrical Weardowney, those trousers at Jean-Pierre Braganza, cinched waists and belts at Tristan Webber and stripey men's blazers at PPQ.