The truth about goody bags


I was asked to cover London Fashion Week for a website and one of the things they were interested in is the goody bags. A lot of people get very excited about goody bags and to them I say “calm down”. London Fashion Week is not the Oscars. You don’t get free phones, Jimmy Choos and diamonds, not even in the front row.

The most common component of most goody bags is the beauty product. This is because beauty companies have all the money while fashion companies are mostly poor. (I’ll never forget going to a Swarovski party and receiving in my goody bag a 4-inch square suedette pouch made from floor scraps with a crystal or two stuck on. I was not best pleased.)

I thought it would be interesting to spill the beans on who gave what in their goody bag at London Fashion Week.

Gavin Douglas – L’Oreal hair products, L’Oreal lipstick, L’Oreal T-shirt, L’Oreal mascara

Ben De Lisi – Bottle of water

PPQ – Shu Uemura bath product, skin purifier and eyeshadow

Diane Von Furstenburg – T-shirt, lipstick plus the carrier bag itself was a work of art

Markus Lupfer for Armand Basi – A bottle of Armand Basi fragrance

Spijkers En Spijkers – Dr Hauschka hand cream, mini lemon body moisturiser, mini lavender bath oil, sachet of foot balm

Of course, as with everything else Fashion Week-related, there is a strict goody bag hierarchy. If you’re a front row VIP you get the full works but as each row gets further back, the goody bag gets lighter. Those fairly low on the pecking order (i.e. row three) get the cheapest thing in the goody bag – hence the Ben De Lisi bottle of water I received as a lowly third-rower. Any further back than row three and you’re lucky if you get a press release.

When it comes to parties and events, the distribution of the goody bag is altogether different. There is a set number of goody bags and you need to time your departure perfectly. Leave too early and the bags won’t be ready, leave too late and they’re all gone. Never be shy about asking for your goody bag. It’s rightfully yours – it’s your bribe for supporting the brand – so either ask for one (don’t be embarrassed, we all do it – well I do) or just help yourself from the ones lined up by the door.

Whose goody bag is your favourite?