Forest Hill Fashion Week

22nd-25th September is Forest Hill Fashion Week. FHFW showcases local talent in a festival of fashion, design and craft.
Featuring established and up-and-coming designers, the fashion week is organised by Forest Hill Arts — a group of volunteers. Along with local shops, cafés, bars, and other venues and community interest groups, everyone joins forces to fund and host an exciting line-up of fashion-themed events. FHFW illustrates Forest Hill’s community spirit, creativity, love of sharing and commitment to high street regeneration. Find out more at http://fhfw.co.uk/

Forest Hill Fashion Week - 24-27 September 2015

Forest Hill Fashion Week showcases local talent in a festival of fashion, design and craft. It is a family-friendly, inclusive, community festival with something to offer for people of all ages; and celebrates South East London’s wonderful creative buzz. Founded in 2013 by South East London local Louise Brooks, this traditionally bi-annual event builds on the momentum created by the SEE3 Portas Pilot investment to regenerate local high streets in the area.

Featuring established and up-and-coming designers, the fashion week is organised by a group of volunteers with local shops, cafés, bars, other venues and community interest groups all joining forces to fund and host an exciting line-up of fashion-themed events — illustrating Forest Hill’s community spirit, creativity, love of sharing and commitment to high street regeneration.
The 2015 theme is ‘Creativity, Community and Culture’ — three things that definitely make Forest Hill such a vibrant and unique part of London. This year’s FHFW will focus on the community cohesion that exists in Forest Hill. There are several themed events planned for the week to involve the whole community. The catwalk event will close with a very special show from ‘Pavement to Catwalk’, an inspiring organisation dedicated to involving people with mental health problems, addiction issues and disabilities in creative projects using fashion and design. The Pavement2catwalk section of the show will focus on homelessness, addiction disability, mental health and also the elderly.

FHFW 2015 is coordinated by Pauline Wright, who runs Forest Hill’s iconic Sugar Mountain sweet and ice cream shop; Donald Waugh, a noted actor, singer/dancer who founded the social enterprise Pavement2catwalk; and Emma Drysdale, who runs locally-based Gems Performing Arts, offering classes in dance, acting and signing for ages 3-16.

Pauline told us that, initially, only £1,500 in funding was available from SEE3 to put the event together. “I knew there wouldn’t be much funding when I decided to take the event on, but I could never have made it possible without my friends Donald and Emma, and my customers getting behind me to make FHFW possible this year. Many of my local customers are lending equipment and another customer is printing flyers — advertising the events — for free. Just by chatting to my customers, many offered to help — which shows amazing community spirit in Forest Hill.”






 FOREST HILL FASHION WEEK EVENTS

• Thu 24th, 3pm: Pavement2catwalk workshop
• Fri 25th, 4.30pm: Kids’ fashionable face painting workshop
• Fri 25th, 4.30pm: Kids’ fashion cupcake decorating workshop
• Fri 25th, 6.30pm: Youth performance workshop
• Fri 25th, 8pm: Drop Dead Gorgeous salsa night
• Sat 26th, 12pm: Kids’ balloon modeling workshop
• Sat 26th, 12pm: Crepe Records catwalk warm-up show
• Sat 26th, 2pm: Main catwalk show
• Sat 26th, 8pm: Catwalk after party
• Sun 27th, 2.30pm: Mad Hatters Tea Party. Look out for a flashmob!
• Sun 27th, 4.30pm: Kids’ catwalk show

 Up-to-date details of all events, including ‘Warm up’ events between 19th-20th September, can be found at fhfw.co.uk

Forest Hill Fashion Week

As London Fashion Week tails off, the local community of Forest Hill pick up the fashion baton and provide South London and it’s visitors with their local take on fashion, craft and style.

Founded in 2013 by South East London local Louise Brooks, this bi-annual event was born from the SEE3 Portas Pilot investment to regenerate local high streets in the area. Originally conceived to support the Pop-Up shops scheme, Forest Hill Fashion Week (FHFW) was such a local success that the team have kept it going.

Previous FHFW events have seen live catwalks and a local craft market take over the Horniman Museum & Gardens. Keen to keep each year fresh, new and interesting, this year will see a host of events that will allow innovative and original designers the opportunity to present their work locally in and around Forest Hill.

Festival highlights will include; catwalk shows, markets, children’s events, and designers showcasing their work in local shops. It will end with a grand finale closing concert staged by Forest Hill Society in the station car park on Sunday, 21st September.

Local Forest Hill craft store Stag & Bow will be organising a Big Knit. It’s an unofficial record attempt to knit as many items as possible. They will be inviting participation in the preceding weeks at a number of events, with the items going on sale during FHFW and all proceeds going to the One Girl charity for the education and empowerment of girls and women in Sierra Leone (www.onegirl.org.au)

Louise Brooks, FHFW founder told us "We're looking forward to delivering the biggest and best Forest Hill Fashion Week to date. We’re aiming to highlight Forest Hill's strong arts identity, as well as providing a platform for the growing crafts and makers community. We have some really talented creatives in Forest Hill and this event will be a celebration of their talent."

Forest Hill Fashion Week is a family-friendly, inviting, community festival with something for all ages, celebrating the wonderful craft, design and creative buzz of South East London.

For all the latest up-to-date Forest Hill Fashion news, please visit www.foresthillfashion.com

Forest Hill Fashion Week Spring 2014

Forest Hill Fashion Week Mini kicks off on Tuesday 25 February, running for five days and culminating in a vintage themed closing party on Sunday 2 March at All Inn One, where attendees are invited to get their vintage glad rags on and dance to some classic jazz and Motown. There will also be a fashion exhibition showing at Forest Hill Library from Sat 22 Feb – Sat 1 Mar. This season’s FHFW is on a smaller scale than previous seasons. It is however perfectly formed with cherry picked events for fashionistas and families alike. Highlights include talks by industry experts, kids catwalk show and a pop up fashion market.

Tuesday, 25th Feb

• Recycle your Wardrobe
• Ups and Downs of Modelling

Wednesday, 26th Feb

• All you knit is Love
• Walk Tall! Posture Clinic
• African Plaited Necklace Workshop
• Running a Fashion Pop Up Shop

 
Thursday, 27th Feb

• Vintage Chic Makeovers
• Bracelet Making Workshop
• Short Fashion Movie Bash

Saturday, 1st March

• Fashion Market
• Rio Carnival Mark Making
• Kids' Catwalk
• Clothes Swap

Sunday, 2nd March

• Kids' T-Shirt Printing
• Kid's Fancy Dress Competition
• Working in Fashion Talk
• FHFW Vintage Closing Party

Forest Hill Fashion Week - 20-25 September

Forest Hill Fashion Week 15-19 February

Explore pop-up boutiques, learn how to upcycle your faded favourites, watch catwalk shows and enjoy fabulously fashionable parties in some of Forest Hill’s best bars and restaurants.

There’s plenty to see, make, buy and get involved with – including dress-up fashion shows for children, and a chance to master the art of creating unique hand-made accessories on a budget.

Events start on Friday, 15th February at the pop-up SEE BOUTIQUE at 10a Dartmouth Road

View all the events at www.see3.co.uk/fhfwevents