Click on any of the photos to view a gallery of the event

The Clothes Show at Excel London was well attended by scores of young women from all over the capital hoping to view the latest trends modelled on the catwalk and to find special bargains on both beauty and fashion items only available at the event. It took me a year and a day to get to the venue because of train delays but the sunny weather made the journey there a bit more pleasant.

Hosted by top model Erin O' Connor and co-presenter of ITV2's "The Fashion Show" George Lamb, the catwalk element of the event was a riot. The stage was lit with a variety of special effects and provided a back drop against the upbeat music of artists like Lady GaGa, Dizzee Rascal and New Young Pony Club. The show opened with dancers practicing everything from ballet to hip hop and ballroom dancing.  The interchange between the models and the dancers on stage was so seamless that at times it seemed as if everyone were models. 

The true models gave a good show modelling a host of items of which many were glam rock inspired and in tune with the eighties vibe which is so in right now. It featured evening wear, party wear and street styles in various segments. Kate Price, Jordan, also managed to make an appearance alongside the fashion wonderman, Anthony Lowther where she played a beauty queen "Miss London" It was enough to create a frenzy as the girls behind me hyperventilated and screamed her name while the photographers made every effort to get the first pictures of Jordan on the catwalk since her break up with Peter Andre. The fashion show was entertaining however while I recognised some of the designer's work showcased on stage it would have been nice to have some material "in hand" at the event which indicated what pieces belong to which designer as it was easy to get carried away in the "circus" of events happening around us.

The market did have quite a few good finds, however the time we attended it meant a swarm of teenage girls had covered the complex and the resulting million queues meant you could be put off.

Steve Madden's shoes were extremely sexy and were sold like hot cakes at the reduced "Clothes Show" price. Much of the trendy clothing on sale had a "nautical" feel to them using navy blues with streaks of gold. There were some standout lines such as Chi Chi, which features some cute dresses with bold colour, Strawberry Kats, which had some beautiful shirts complete with romantic and whimsical frills and Meteor Shower at which I bought a really cute 50s inspired purse.

Click here for a gallery of pictures from the Clothes Show or click below to continue readng

The designer swimwear pieces featured by Figleaves were great and I loved their artificial beach, complete with hot models and sand. Ahh! If only I could get a Martini and relax! But the lines were too long and after all I was here to work!

Of interest at the event were a brand called Life's not fair but my knickers are! The name alone made me look. They are a brand of underwear made of fair-trade materials only for young people and they aim to be affordable too! I am all for fashion promoting good causes! However the stand out boutique for me would have to be Limb Clothing. I absolutely adore their retro frocks and gothic corsets that seem to embody the personas of Amy Winehouse and Dita von Teese all at once. I could easily see someone like Rihanna rocking one on these creations.  They were also wise enough to have a model on hand highlighting their creations which many companies did not think of.

We also got a chance to hear from the interesting celebrity stylist Zoe Lem at the Style Stage, who discussed what is needed to be successful in the industry.  She stated that a person must an "eye for fashion" (which is not something that everyone has), understand the brands, be organised, network and get to know the right people, possess a good business mind and finally have the ability to "blag it" when necessary. LOL.

There were many some good giveaways at the event including handy cosmetics, some cool discounts at high street stores plus the chance to win modelling contacts for various brands  and I got a copy of Company (love it)  and More magazine!  My hands were filled with items upon leaving (Although I was a bit fazed by the "Lenor" in my goody bag….hahaha ).

Overall the event was a good showing for the first year in London and even though my feet were sore after walking around for so long  ( Thank God I didn't wear heels!)I hope they will be back again next year, and will up their game.