London Fashion Week's biggest eco show: Behind the scenes from the bin to the catwalk

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work behind a London Fashion Week show then this is your sneak peak.

As a stylist, I’m used to a role dressing behind the scenes, but on this occasion, it was my turn to hit the catwalk, having been asked by eco design duo Vin + Omi to walk in their Spring/Summer 2019 show. Being 35, 5 foot 6 inches with large boobs, I initially insisted I didn’t fit the model type. Looking baffled, they said: "But we think you’re great!" and as that seemed to them all that mattered, I accepted the compliment, internally shouted “YOLO!", and took up their offer.

Vin + Omi are not your average designers. Much of their fabric is created using thread spun from melted-down single-use plastic bottles. This season, the bottles were collected by London College of Fashion students from the BFC Showspace during the men's shows in June as part of a project called Bin 2 Body. The collection also included vegan leather as well as latex dresses made from a rubber plantation in Malaysia.

To tie in with the eco theme, the show took place at St. Pancras Station to coincide with the reopening of its water fountain in a bid to reduce plastic bottle waste, and to mark the station’s 150^th anniversary.

So, at 11.45am last Thursday I joined nearly 60 models in a daunting walk-through, covering three quarters of the station, directed by a sleep-deprived but surprisingly on-the-ball Omi. He explained where the press photographers would be positioned for our all important close-ups, then ushered us to the Andaz Hotel near Liverpool Street, to start make-up and hair prep.

Being backstage at a fashion show is extraordinary. A dozen rows of about 50 make-up and hair stylists ushered us into chairs while background assistants hurriedly brushed giant curly pink, black and blonde wigs until they resembled candyfloss. The look created using ethical makeup brand Barefaced Beauty was a smokey eye, blocked-out eyebrows and a candy pink or orange red matte lip, depending on skin-tone. Nail technician Kristine Toce had assembled hundreds of two-inch fake nails using tiny individually painted pasta shapes – mine were little stars. In the background a black tulle skirt with a train of pink roses made from recycled polymer ribbon looped through mesh - was being sewn to its top half, destined (I later realised) to be the last high-drama gown of the show’s finale.

Vin + Omi’s shows are renowned for using models of many shapes, sizes, ages and skin-tones. Passionate environmental campaigner Jo Wood and her daughter Leah were two of them. Leah told me she’d had ‘butterflies’ the night before, while Jo said: “I can't wait! I really hope I get to wear a big fluffy wig…” pointing to one being styled by the Aveda team into a poodle head silhouette. I asked Jo why she was willing to model for free and she said: “I went to their last show and thought it was great. This is the way forward in fashion - thinking about the environment and not throwing tons of wasted clothing out. I really care about it.”

Looking round the room, I noticed a distinct lack of bottled plastic so the designers’ message had clearly reached the 150-odd crew, who were given out coconut water in recyclable cartons when thirsty. On the accessories table lay colourful clay-modelled pentagram necklaces. The designers explained that having been used as an emblem for various religions; with a ‘grounding in earth magic’; they wanted them to symbolise a growing wave of ‘eco religion’. “And the poodle hair?” I asked Vin, “Oh, why the hell not?!”, he said, adding “you can still dress like a show poodle and be responsible.”

An hour before the show’s 7pm start, I chatted with model Mike Shanti, a seriously ripped ex-marine tattoo shop owner from Bethnal Green - about his tattoos, muscles, two tours in Afghanistan and the Vin + Omi ‘organic cow-parsley’ jumpsuit he was wearing, which he’d decided ‘was an improvement on the Llama wool jockstrap’ he’d been asked to pull off last season. Just as I was about to hear about an app Shanti had modelled for: “It’s called Recon? …like Grinder…but for fetish”, I heard my name being shouted and realised I would have to miss out this golden opportunity. It was my time to get dressed…

After being told to “shut up and listen!” countless times from the designers, we finally obeyed, lined up in show order and all 56 of us - and our poodle hair - piled into our evening’s transport: a double decker route-master bus, bound for Kings Cross. Moments after arriving, the music started and my heart began pounding as I made last minute adjustments. Organic poodle wig – on; plastic cactus bikini – check; Brandy shot – if only! Here I go…

Click through the gallery at the top of the page to see photos from Vin + Omi's SS19 show.