Check out their website: www.ellatino.com (20% off this week with code ELLAEFW)
The show was set in a beautiful marquee on the grounds of Woolston Manor, Chigwell. There were two separate 'rooms' within the marquee- the main function room with the catwalk, and then at the back, the VIP area. On arrival Sheila and I donned our VIP wristbands and headed in to get ourselves a drink.
Scheduled was 'drinks reception and canapés for VIP guests'. In Essex, this means, a glass of Lambrini and bitesize cupcakes. Not really what I was expecting, but I suppose it is always telling if anyone can buy a VIP ticket to an event.
Now, Sheila and I had been worried about what to wear, in terms of being too dressed up etc. However, we needn't have worried. Sheila was dressed in a python print wrap dress from inlovewithfashion.com, and I was wearing a black jersey maxi dress; which, as it turns out, was significantly understated, as the scene that greeted us in the VIP section was somewhat of a cross between The Only Way Is Essex and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. - Lots of polyester and hair extensions. And I didn't think that it would actually be the case, but pretty much everyone was orange.
I guess I never really believed the stereotype of the 'Essex Girl', but this event completely affirmed it for me. I was awestruck.
We bumped into Sophie and Danielle from inlovewithfashion.com in the VIP area and introduced ourselves. We then joined them to watch the first part of the catwalk shows.
Luckily Ella-Tino had the second catwalk slot- so we didn't have to wait long to see their collection. Here are a few shots of my favourite looks:
It was good that we were able to see Ella-Tino's range early on, as I have to say, some of the 'fashion' did get a bit tedious. Now, without even a hint of biase, Ella-Tino's show was definitely the best for me. They had the best models (of those available), great clothes; and Jemma had picked Crave by Flight Facilities as the song, which was a great tempo and exactly the right amount of time.Boo-hoo also put on a good show, but it was somewhat tainted by an unfortunate electrical hitch, which happened periodically through the night. This seemed rather amateur for a show that came with so much hype.
Another problem that occurred during the day was that after the first set of catwalk shows, there was no running water in the toilets. So for the rest of the night, everyone was unable to wash their hands- which upset me quite a lot. We were fortunate in that we had brought antibacterial hand gel with us; but for me, it is no substitute for an actual wash. The whole event was trying to be glamorous, but there is nothing glamorous about having dirty hands.
The catwalks continued, and the more clothes that went downt the catwalk, the less style there seemed to be. Velour track suits? Halloween underwear? Caution tape? Only in Essex. Take a look:
This all being said, we managed to have a lot of fun. On our table we had a bottle of Grey Goose, plus a bottle of promotional vodka which saw us through the evening. We caught up with a couple of the members of The Only Way Is Essex, and spread the word of Ella-Tino.
Here's some photos of us:
Sheila and I
Jemma and I
Jemma and I with Lauren Goodger from The Only Way Is Essex
Jemma and I with Lauren and Chloe from The Only Way Is Essex
Jemma and I after a couple of vodkas...
We were also joined by Jemma's sister Steph and friend Roisin, who were A LOT of fun and both very good photographers.
For more pictures, please see ROPIX's Facebook page by clicking here.
Just a quick question: Why is it that famous people always complain about being famous? Not mentioning any names (LG), but I don't really care if you're annoyed with everyone asking to take your picture all the time- you chose to be on TV. I don't want to waste 5 minutes of my vodka time, let alone 10, listening to you going on about it.
Essex was almost a mythical place to me before I went. I didn't really know what to expect. The stereotype was completely confirmed at this event, although I can't imagine that it is the case that all of Essex is the same- it is a wide area after all (and one would hate to generalise). You have to love it though, because even though I didn't entirely fit in (in fact, when the electrics went, I blurted out 'I bet they don't even have a backup generator!?'- apparently not a normal Essex thing to worry about), the charm of Essex is certainly there. I'm not sure that it's the only way, but actually, I was enlightened to the fact that it certainly is a way.
L.
For more pictures, please see ROPIX's Facebook page by clicking here.
Just a quick question: Why is it that famous people always complain about being famous? Not mentioning any names (LG), but I don't really care if you're annoyed with everyone asking to take your picture all the time- you chose to be on TV. I don't want to waste 5 minutes of my vodka time, let alone 10, listening to you going on about it.
Essex was almost a mythical place to me before I went. I didn't really know what to expect. The stereotype was completely confirmed at this event, although I can't imagine that it is the case that all of Essex is the same- it is a wide area after all (and one would hate to generalise). You have to love it though, because even though I didn't entirely fit in (in fact, when the electrics went, I blurted out 'I bet they don't even have a backup generator!?'- apparently not a normal Essex thing to worry about), the charm of Essex is certainly there. I'm not sure that it's the only way, but actually, I was enlightened to the fact that it certainly is a way.
L.
p.s. Please take a look at my disclaimer, which is most definitely relevant for this post!
