It's fashion, it's live, it's the Clothes Show Live (2011)

With the Clothes Show Live 2011 near approaching, there has recently been a lot of hype in the fashion world. The show is set to appear at the NEC in Birmingham on the 2^nd - 7^th of December, with celebrities including George Lamb, Alexandra Burke, Grace Woodward, Jeff Brazier, and many others expected to be at the huge event.

Fashion is a part of society which may not be well recognised by everyone, but is an extremely important part of our world, as it affects our everyday decisions and most importantly, how we look. With the Clothes Show presenting the slogan “Keep Fashion Live” on t-shirts and banners, the idea that fashion is important cannot be ignored.

Fashion is about expressing your individuality and being whoever you want to be. Who has the right to tell you what you can and cannot wear; which colours clash and which ones look good together; which clothes are 'normal'? At the Clothes Show Live, well known fashion brands such as Lipsy London and E-Vintage all come together to showcase their unique qualities and promote their styles to their target audience.

For some people, fashion is everything. They read about fashion, work in fashion, start trends and follow everything to do with fashion.

The Clothes Show is a chance for people's passion for fashion to be recognised and for talents to be discovered. With over a hundred models performing on the catwalk, each one will be representing a designer who has been lucky enough to showcase their collection at one of the biggest UK fashion events.

Furthermore, The Dance Winners from Talent 2011, Pressurize, will be performing at the Clothes Show Live this year. This is a huge opportunity for their talent to be recognised and to be seen by thousands.

A website that has recently come to my attention is www.lookbook.nu where pictures are posted of outfits considered to be “in fashion.” Looking through the hundreds of pictures, some of the outfits look quite mainstream, whereas some are more absurd and have crazy concepts that some people may find questionable. Each person who posts an outfit on the website has a different idea of what fashion is; from capes to floral designs, or from skinny jeans to long skirts. Some of these clothes are by top designers such as Ralph Lauren, Alexander McQueen and Prada, who have their brands showcased at the Clothes Show Live.

From looking in to the different designers that are at the event, it caused me to research who were voted the 'best dressed' celebrities in 2011. Votes showed that the best dressed women were Emma Watson and Victoria Beckham, and the best dressed men included Taylor Lautner and Justin Timberlake. These are all celebrities who follow the most recent and up to date trends, therefore they are voted as the 'best dressed.'

However, what about people who step out of the box and create their own fashion trends?

Lady Gaga, a worldwide singer and songwriter, is also well-known for her outrageous outfits and fashion taste. The celebrity has her own fashion site (www.gagafashionland) and although she is often noticed for what she is wearing, she isn't listed as 'fashionable' or the 'best dressed.' Is this because she isn't wearing typically mainstream clothes? She is known to step out the box; to wear clothes which people wouldn't normally wear. There have been debates about whether she wears outfits for attention, and to promote her role as a singer. However, I believe that she is just being herself and showing the youth of today that you don't have to wear what everyone else wears, and that you can be yourself. Let's face it, were not necessarily going to go out and buy her 'headless priest' dress or do our hair in the same style she does, but she is putting her own stamp on fashion and creating a new trend of being whoever you want to be and not worrying about what people say. In fact, most coverage of Lady Gaga's outfits have been positive, with people admiring the risks and new crazy ideas that she comes up with.

With the Clothes Show Live beginning in two days, fashion is becoming more widely recognised as an important part of society and a major part of who we are.

Annabel Monkhouse, 18, gave her own opinion that, “I think fashion is important, because in a sense it helps define who you are. However I think people are judged too much on what they wear.”

Fashion is all about being confident with who you are and not hiding that confidence underneath the same clothes that everyone else wears.