STARS OF ALL AGES, SIZES & ABILITIES STYLING IT OUT

Surrey Fashion Week co-founder - our Celebrity Cover Journalist

Angela Sara West @angela_sara_west - gives the lowdown on her latest inclusive ‘celebrity fashion show for charity’ concept events, spills on partying with Prince Zylinski at his palatial White House London home for Hospices of Hope’s Ukraine campaign and enlightens us on her exciting first-of-their-kind celebrity ‘Escape’ TV ventures with a Hollywood star and pioneering TV director, hitting our screens soon!

Think you’re too old to model? think again! You CAN shimmy down that catwalk, whatever your age or ability, even if you’re wheelchair-bound like our shining ‘star of Surrey Fashion Week 2022’, two-time Paralympian London Fashion Week model and world-class tennis player Louise Hunt.

Words | Angela Sara West

With Hollywood and high-profile TV and soap stars strutting their stuff on the runway, too, last September’s Surrey Fashion Week UK’s Celebrity Charity Catwalk Show saw a plethora of famous faces walk an inclusive Fashion Week.

From a ‘Bond’ star making his modelling debut, an Emmy Award-winning teen and fashionista babies, to a former Miss Great Britain and Miss World runner-up showing she’s still got it at the grand ‘young’ age of 78, we also saw a world-famous toddler and even debonair dogs dashing down our diverse catwalk!

Our star studded event featured a vast array of brands, models and musicians, all uniting for Surrey Fashion Week UK (SFW) at fabulous Great Fosters in Egham, a mere stone’s throw away from royal residence Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world…

Tennis Champ Andy Murray from Surrey Supports SFW

What’s more, Louise wasn’t the only well-known tennis player on board our philanthropic event - former World no.1 tennis player, Surrey-based Andy Murray, is also a supporter of SFWand signed one of his coveted luxury AMC x Castore sports shirts exclusively for us to auction off in aid of Mind mental health, our chosen charity for SFW22, in our accompanying silent auction. Surrey born, bred and based, I was proud to co-found Surrey Fashion Week @surreyfashionweekuk in 2022, following the success of the first celebrity charity catwalk show I brought to my stunning home county during London Fashion Week (LFW) in September 2021 with a LFW designer and all-singing, all-dancing American Pussycat Doll, Kimberly Wyatt, as featured in Stately last year.

Showcasing Sustainable Fashion with a Surrey-based Pussycat Doll

Our SFW22 concept show, combining fashion with music and dance (plus a spot of VIP shopping for our second instalment last September) stemmed from the success of the starry fashion and music event I’d brought to my home county the previous year with Surrey-based Kim and her pro model husband Max Rogers.

That inaugural celebrity charity fashion event kicked off with a phenomenal promo photoshoot with former all-girl band member Kim and her hubby Max Rogers to promote our first 2021 celebrity charity catwalk show during London Fashion Week that September. Striking a pose in beautiful ethical outfits, Kim & Max inspired fans with a passion for fashion to start taking it slow and say ‘no’ to fast fashion in our multi-page shoot and video at the photogenic fairy-tale castle venue, Horsley Towers, close to the sprawling picturesque Surrey Hills.

Our exclusive 2021 event was fittingly held in aid of late fashion royalty, Dame Vivienne Westwood’s Cool Earth charity, raising not only awareness of the issues caused by ‘fast fashion’ and the importance of shopping sustainably, but also seeing all profits from ticket sales and the accompanying silent auction go to the world-famous fashion designer’s fundraiser, which strives to keep the rainforest standing and help halt climate change.

Set amidst acres of Surrey parkland, complete with a terrace, lawn and lake, Surrey’s sprawling De Vere Horsley Estate was designed and built in 1820 by Sir Charles Barry, architect of London’s Houses of Parliamentand it’s no wonder its spectacular estate’s spiralling towers have starred in Netflix’s hit show ‘The Crown’. Horsley Towers oozes history and heritage at every turn… plus a panoramic terrace with picture-perfect views over its extensive grounds.

“I LOVED doing this shoot!” Kim told me. “I love living in Surrey and discovering gorgeous places like this in Horsley!” she said of the jaw-dropping estate. “What a gem… just dripping in elegance and history…”

Star-studded SFW22 Inclusive & Diverse Catwalk for Mind

From fast fashion to mental health, SFW 2022’s theme illustrated the importance of inclusivity and diversity in fashionand yet again showed that Surrey ROCKS when it comes to style!

Our chosen charity for our first official Surrey Fashion Week (SFW) show in September 2022 in collaboration with Surrey Rocks was Mind mental health charity and, on a mission to make it an inclusive show, our mix of celebrity and pro models came in all shapes and sizes, as well as ages and abilities, too. Aged from just 14 to almost 80and with pooches and a Paralympian whizzing along the runway in her wheelchair too, our diverse show really was inclusive to all.

With sustainability still very much a buzzword, we ensured there was a touch of sustainability too, with a nod to what needs to continue as a trend to help save our planet.

Hosting the stars, SFW22 saw not only a celebrity catwalk show take place, but also a premium ‘Bond Street’ shopping experience at the stunning Surrey venue. And what a fab night of fashion, shopping, music and dancing we had…

Going Glam at Great Fosters

The shining setting for our second SFW philanthropic show? Great Fosters in Egham, Surrey, just a short catwalk hop away from the wonderful Windsor Castle. The perfect luxury setting for this fab high-fashion event, where better for the best of Surrey’s clothing collections to grace a glittering runway than Great Fosters…

Set in 50 acres of stunning gardens and parkland, including a listed topiary garden and Saxon moat, this endlessly charming Tudor estate is steeped in royal history… the instantly recognisable red-brick façade and chimney tops a true sight to behold.

Boasting an outdoor pool and Utopia Spa, where you can enjoy a range of holistic beauty and wellbeing therapies from the Temple Spa product line, inspired by the sunny shores of the Mediterranean, the Great Fosters

Estate is the flagship establishment in the famous Alexander Hotel Group.

With Windsor Castle nearby, this 5-star retreat is a fitting venue for fans of fashion, food and royalty, boasting a much-revered Michelin-starred restaurant, too. Great Fosters offers plenty of real log fires and fantastic festive décor during winter, owith private rooms dressed up to the nines, plus glorious outdoor space to enjoy during the spring and summer months.

Listed parterres, a fountain, Saxon moat, Japanese bridge… there’s even a sundial gifted to the Estate by Sir Francis Drake himself.

This regal five-star boutique country house also boasts a magnificent outdoor pool and hot tub for the mansion’s guests to lounge around or take a dip in.

Strictly’s Oti Mabuse & Marius Iepure & Other Celebs Grace The Red Carpet

Our star-studded show, sponsored by Hampton Court Gin and our ‘Made In Chelsea’ TV star model Amelia Mist’s off-screen workplace London Cru’s newly-launched wine spritzer LDN SPRITZ, was a truly exclusive red-carpet affair. The exquisite venue saw our glitzy guests greeted with a glass of artisan gin or bubbly before rubbing shoulders with the stars of Surrey and beyond.

SFW22’s coveted VIP guest list boasted two-time BBC ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ (the UK’s equivalent of ‘Dancing with The Stars’) glitter-ball winner, professional dance champion Oti Mabuse (now a respected judge on reality TV shows ‘Dancing On Ice’ and ‘The Masked Dancer’) and her ‘Strictly’ pro dancer husband Marius Iepure, who modelled that evening, proudly supported by his two-time ‘Strictly’ pro champion wife on front row, along with numerous other showbiz names.

‘Bond’ stars, ‘Strictly’ stars, ‘Made In Chelsea’ stars, Sky Sports presenters and BBC Football commentators, BAFTA-winning singers, Emmy Award-winning actors, racing drivers, famous Emmy Award-winning actors and more gathered at Great Fosters that night…

Also rocking up to our venue for the evening was the glamorous Goddess Jessica Monaco, an internationally published cover model and philanthropic actress who has represented Kingston in Miss Great Britain, jaw-droppingly dressed in a sparkly LBD complete with a super-stylish hood.

Our dress code? ‘Glam’, of course! And there were more requisite sequins than you could shake a designer skirt at as well-known and well-heeled red-carpet arrivals posed for photographers and our videographers to the strains of Surrey’s super cool jazz singer Mikey JC - who does a mean ‘Michael Bublé’!serenading guests already inside our glittering venue.

With our theme of mental health and making fashion and modelling accessible for all in mind, we secured stars including two-time Paralympian Louise Hunt (modelling in her wheelchair), former Miss Great Britain and Miss World runner-up Kathleen Rightron (now 78)and Victoria Feathersone Pearce, founder of dog charity K-9, rocking the runway and representing the fabulous over-50’s.

Vegan influencer Victoria co-founded her incredible dog rescue charity @ thek9angels over a decade ago and won ‘Influencer of the Year’ at last year’s London Lifestyle Awards. Walking her Romanian rescue dogs on our runway, another couple of K-9 Angels were there, too, including sizzling singer Pola Pospieszalska and our world-famous headline performer that night, Jo O’Meara, who bravely carried out a ‘wing walk’ last year in aid of the canine cause. “To raise awareness and be a voice for the voiceless is something I’m very passionate about”, she told me.

Making A Fashion Statement

Showing off signature styles and more, our fab brands’ showstopping garments, interspersed with other new hot-off-the-press numbers being displayed for the first time to our fashion- hungry crowd of onlookers, also starred top jewellery brands, milliners, requisite pre-loved and footwear brands showcasing their wares at this all-inclusive show.

To shout about our strong ‘support local’ message, we invited the cream of our county’s crop of fashion brands to showcase at SFW…

Multi-brand Boutique Sale boasts luxury designer womenswear, footwear and accessories in a vast selection of styles at cut-down prices. Find luxury womenswear & menswear designer clothing, footwear & accessories with up to 70% off the original price! Weybridge-based Nettie Knows, meanwhile, showcases a stunning range of womenswear, kidswear & accessories at their beautiful Weybridge boutique.

Surrey Hills-based Haus of Paint use eco inks and fabrics to create a bespoke range of art-inspired garments from Gina, all hand sewn by a local team of talented seamstresses. Her famous fans include TV presenter Angellica Bell.

The dream and inspiration of Amanda Warren, whose passion is to bring trending styles alongside unique and distinct pieces, Ruby La La boutique in Farnham brought sparkle aplenty to our show. Rosella Style chooses clothes that will suit all ages and shapes. At fantastic value, you’ll find wardrobe essentials with timeless functionality, smoothly taking you from season to season!

Exciting fashion & lifestyle brand Eluroom inspires women to radiate JOY through effortless style & mindset, to live a full spirited life with confidence. The Interior Edit, meanwhile, is a stunning lifestyle store stocking a range of beautiful artefacts, clothing, gifts, jewellery, furniture & more, with all of their products carefully chosen from different suppliers from all around the globe.

Love from Betty matches dog outfits with the same clothing for their owners, meaning they can twin!

Male brand and Horley-based Lonesome is an independent streetwear collective that produces handcrafted prints on different garments, drawing elements of urban art, streetwear and skateboarding culture to create unique and impactful designs.

Serving Surrey too, dapper Kent-based men’s attire brand Howard & Co. is a super smart brand and THE go-to menswear brand for the very finest of handcrafted attire and handmade shoes. With a HUGE celebrity following, whatever the occasion, the team will suitably suit’n’boot you from top-to-toe!

Honoura is an earth-friendly conscious jewellery brand founded in 2020, with an aim to deliver sensational style and sustainability.

While Lily & Grace’s unique makes offer you jewellery as unique as you are, to brighten up your world of accessories!

Walking for Ukraine

Our Ukrainian model, ‘Little Lady in Big Business’ Tetiana Doronina, is a Surrey-based TV presenter and certified luxury brand strategist. She’s also a finalist in Mrs Ukraine International 2022, but the event was cancelled due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The then-pregnant Tetiana walked with her famous fashion-donning toddler son David in tow. The Britain-based Ukrainian is also a social activist, so I invited the high-profile businesswoman to give a brief talk about the crisis in her homelandand she thanked us all profusely for Britain’s support for Ukraine since the war began.

Born in Kyiv, his model mum Tetiana is also co-founder of the British-Ukrainian Business Women Association (BUBWA) which supports Ukrainian businesswomen temporarily in the UK through its specifically-developed programme.

Wrapping up the Runway

The final round finished flamboyantly with a full-on finale. Everyone put their hands together as our male models lined up on the ramp, along with our token lady model Lottie, all suitably suited’n’booted in high-profile men’s fashion brand Howard & Co. showcasing its finest handcrafted attire teamed with gorgeous handmade shoes.

Love Islander-turned-boxing-pro. ‘The One & Only’ Idris Virgo, who has starred on ‘The Challenge’ & ‘Catfish’, looked dashingly dapper donning his go-to fashion brand, making a smart and stylish statement alongside ‘Strictly’ stars Marius and Leandro, ‘Bond’ star Jason Burrill and TV soap actor Matt Lapinskas, actor/model Craig Mearing, Richard Colvill and the brand’s founder Darran, not forgetting the lovely Lottie, all looking SHARP AS in smart suits and shoes on our star-studded catwalk.

The After-Party

Following a fab fashion-filled evening, it was time to partyand our supercool DJ duo, Stan & Jack Mitchell, The Mitchell Brothers of ‘Love Puppy’, Ministry of Sound and Blue Marlin Ibiza fame, who have played alongside industry legends at Pacha, Egg and The Cross (London) too, made sure everyone did just that.

As top tunes span on the decks, the dancefloor filled with fashionistas and a whole host of famous party guests, while others tucked into mouth-watering delights and tantalising treats from the bar, where I’d also arranged for an innovative 360 video booth to offer a special spot of amusement. A popular hotspot for fun videos by the 360videobooth team, whose cutting-edge technology is very much en vogue, this 360-degree tech was enjoyed throughout the eventful evening by both our stars and guests alike!

Silent Auction of Star Experiences

Our hugely-successful fashion event over, the spotlight then shone on our sizzling silent auction accompanying our star-studded show, also in aid of Mind mental health charity and supporting the Surrey fashion brands who showcased.

Our celebrity charity silent auction featured fantastic prizes of VIP experiences and premium products from select Surrey and London businesses and beyond, including a signed AMC x Castore sports top from Surrey’s tennis champ Andy Murray, a signed album by SFW22 show headliner Jo O’Meara and so much more!

That’s a Wrap!

And just like that… that was a wrap for Surrey Fashion Week 2022. It was great to have so many fantastic fashion brands on board and the Surrey Rocks Editor Samand I are really pleased to be able to give back something to Surrey fashion from this unique night with the stars, by helping our county’s incredibly talented fashion scene.

Proceeds from our accompanying celebrity silent auction fundraising also went directly to our participating local fashion boutiques. With such boutiques fast disappearing from our high streets, we were SO proud to have brought another spectacular unique fashion and music show to our stunning home county of Surrey.

Ukraine Fundraiser at Prince Zylinski’s White House London

Our subsequent collaborative fundraising gala took place this February at Polish Prince Zylinski’s unique palatial home, The White House London. Marking the anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, Surrey Rocks and I assisted our aforementioned Ukrainian SFW model, Tetiana, to raise funds to help Ukrainian children and adults through her BUBWA Association (which works with the Medway charity) as well as international charity Hospices of Hope, with whom I work closely. The charity, which has a US & Canada office in New York, is currently fundraising to build a much-needed new hospice in war-torn Ukraine.

My glitzy VIP guestlist included Hollywood actor River Hawkins, who has starred in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, ‘C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia’ and ‘Manolo, The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards’and also directed and produced ‘The Humen’ series featuring Hollywood heavyweight and Surrey resident Bill Nighy, along with ‘Big Brother’ winner-turned-‘Bond’ star Jason Burrill and actress/social media sensation Chloe Khan.

The evening also raised funds for the Prince’s campaign to build a memorial in central London to commemorate the RAF Polish pilots who helped win the Battle of Britainand featured an exciting live auction. Phenomenal prizes included a signed t-shirt from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy (the one he wore at the beginning of the war), along with signed boxing gloves from high-profile Ukrainian boxer Oleksandrovych Usyk up for grabs in aid of the first lady of Ukraine’s charity, the Olena Zelenska Foundation. Our justlaunched silent auction for Hospices of Hope also offers fantastic prizes of celebrity experiences and signed items live, as well as kindly donated luxury prizes.

Jo O’Meara Thrills - S Club Star’s New Music Launch Party

The glamourous evening at Great Fosters was also the launch party for BRIT Award-winning S Club 7 star & solo artist Jo O’Meara’s new music, seeing her first live performance of her Halloween track, a cover of Michael Jackson’s hit ‘Thriller’ to mark the 40th anniversary of the song’s release.

Follow Surrey Fashion Week on Instagram: @surreyfashionweekuk

Great Fosters: www.alexanderhotels.co.uk

Hospices of Hope: www.hospicesofhope.co.uk

Follow Alfie’s adventures on Fite TV: https://www.fite.tv/watch/escape-uk/2pcvf/

Please support Alfie’s celebrity charity trek for Hospices of Hope’s fundraiser for Ukraine on Instagram

@long_walk_home2023

Bid on our silent auction in aid of Ukraine: www.jumblebee.co.uk/ ukraine2023

© Angela Sara West 2023 Insta: @angela_sara_west

Photo Credit: Wackpaper17 Earl Santos

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