Fashion Week is finally here! In celebration of the behind the scenes work as well as the countless roles and industry insiders it takes to bring Lagos Fashion Week to life, we’re profiling inspiring people from across the industry and asking them to share their Fashion Week Prep routines, their tips and tricks, and productivity secrets. Consider this your sneak peek into the insider knowledge and a mini handbook into the business of fashion from your fave fashion insiders, From stylists to publicists, models to editors and more check out what the secret sauce for a successful fashion week is! Following our chat with  former Pulse Nigeria fashion editor, Ntianu Obiora and head of communications at AFA Sports, and Royce Samuels, Creative Director of Ceezys Styling, today we speak to Veronica Odeka of Vane Style and Vane Polish .

Veronica Odeka- Celebrity  & Fashion Stylist , CEO Vane Polish

BNS: Why do you go to fashion week ?

I attend shows mainly as a buyer for my clients .

BNS: Do you go to all three main fashion weeks (Lagos/GTB/Arise)?

No I don’t always attend all 3 fashion weeks.

BNS: How do you determine what shows you absolutely have to see?

Throughout the year , my team and I study trends, follow current and up coming designers and create a list of the ones we feel are most relatable to the client niche we serve, these are my main priority to see their newest collections as their showcased on the models during the fashion weeks,

BNS: Do you have clients attending shows this week?

Yes , many of my past, current and potential clients will be attending shows during all the fashion weeks.

BNS: How do you   prepare for fashion week beyond fittings and planning out your schedule?

I visit a few of the designers ateliers and showrooms to discuss their processes and i also consult with a few of them on editing their collections leading up to the fashion weeks.

BNS: How do you keep track of looks you might want  for celebrity clients in the future?

 I have a style notebook that is used to make notes, after images have been taken on the runway, then once the shows are over, and I’m back in the office we go over clients schedules for the upcoming months comparing looks we’ve seen that could potentially be a perfect fit and from there on we reach out to the designers to make it happen.

BNS: How quickly after a show do you let brands know you’re interested in their runway looks?

As soon as the show is over, usually the next day .

BNS: What do you think is the biggest misconception about what stylists do at fashion week?

That it’s easy breezy and fun and mainly about partying and front row seating . When in reality that’s a very tiny fraction of what a stylist does. Mostly you are working long days running around in traffic making pulls for shoots, returning clothes , editing collections with the designers &tailors , fitting your models as well as steaming racks and racks of clothes, going over running orders for the show and above all trying to stay sane.

BNS: What’s the first thing you do when fashion week is over?

Plan a photoshoot and create a list to begin client purchases .

BNS: What goes into styling a runway show ?

A lot of creative thinking and a whole lot more longer days on end of collection edits.

BNS: Are there any designers whose collections you’re particularly excited to see this season?

 I’m objective to them all and eagerly excited to view every designer that puts a collection together for the shows.

Check out the rest of our #FashionWeekPrep Series!