There is fashion week etiquette which even the most seasoned fashionistas tend to overlook. Having attended fashion weeks over the last decade, I have always seen editors and socialites bringing their plus ones and sitting with them on the front row much to the chagrin of other guests. Also, what has always baffled me is why anyone would want to sit on somebody else's seat and not on the one assigned to them? It's for a reason that seats are name-tagged or bear the tags of one's publication or blog.

Besides, most fashion week goers don't really value the importance of arriving on time. I get the clichéd notion of being 'fashionably late' but you can't get so late that you reach after the first model has already walked out and then expect the organisers to make space for you. Often designers get angry text messages from the guests after the show saying, how they weren't seated properly. Having gone through several front row-specific nightmares over the years myself, I thought of penning the lowdown on the front row dos and don'ts.
 

Arrive on time

Arrive on time

I have often seen individuals arrive very late and then expect to be escorted to their seats, which has already been taken by somebody else. If you've reached the venue late then watch the show standing on the side. There's no shame in that. More than anything else, it's crucial to soak in the creativity and the effort the designer has put into the clothes. Focus on the clothes—their cuts, colour and silhouettes rather than pondering over, “I never got a decent seat”. Perhaps you can always take a closer look at the outfits the next day at the stalls or if you request a 're-see' appointment. It's rather unfair to the designers and organisers to interrupt a show by creating a fuss over the seating.

Don't chew gum

Fashion week is a serious platform where buyers asses the collections and buy them for their respective stores and editors critique them. It's not a movie theatre and hence one can't be chewing gum or anything else, which shows that either you are way too casual or completely disinterested. It's rather disrespectful to the designer.

 

Don't go clickety-click

Don't go clickety-click

It's fine if you want to take pictures for your social media handles but don't watch the entire show through your phone! Give your mobile phone a break and learn to admire and understand the beauty of it all. Also, take a picture in a way so as not to block the view of the individual seating next to you. Often one sees individuals craning their necks and phones to take better images and they don't realise they are blocking someone else’s view. Also, stop fiddling with your phone all the time. Besides, it's sad to take selfies on the front row or anywhere else for that matter because…quite frankly… selfies are so 2014!

Dress appropriately

This one's a no-brainer. You can't come for a Gucci show dressed in Prada. Try and wear something from the designer who's showcasing his/her collection as a mark of respect. In case, you don't own anything from the brand then wear anything generic, which doesn't mean 'a competing or a rival brand'. Usually the front row attendees are photographed and you certainly don't want to be photographed in an Anamika Khanna at Manish Malhotra's show.

 

Smile, don't scowl

Smile, don't scowl

You may not have left your house in a very good mood but don't let that dampen things at the fashion week. As a front row regular, you should be able to smile and exude some kind of enthusiasm which says “I'm happy to be here”.

Sit on your own seat

Cat fights aren't an uncommon occurrence during the fashion week and it usually happens when individuals trot in with a plus one when they only have one front row seat assigned to them. Avoid all the drama by sitting on the seat allotted to you and don't squeeze in your date or friend by taking another person's seat, which is usually a cause for unpleasant scenes. Such individuals always expect other front row-ers to “squeeze in” causing discomfort to everyone.