The First UK Geek Fashion Show

One of the reasons I've always had such FOMO over San Diego Comic Con is the amazing fashion show that is put on by Her Universe every year. This is a slot filled with some of the most spectacular geek fashion known to womankind, and was something that was exclusive to US audiences - much to my chagrin.

However, it appears that someone has heard my wishes, as GeekEsque decided to bring the first ever geek fashion show to the UK.

If only I had legs long enough to pull off this maxi...

GeekEsque’s mission is to house stylish, fashion-forward merchandise for female fans of pop culture, sci-fi, gaming, comics, movies and TV, kawaii… well, anything geek-like (esque)! They work with established brands, independent designers as well as having an in house collection. Their clothes range from street wear and gym kits, to something you could slip on for a night out on the town - and it was a treat to see all the items on offer in this fashion show.

Debuting at EGX 2019 (who have now converted to the ExCeL convention centre, so I guess I should just buy a flat there for October months or SOMETHING) GeekEsque hosted a catwalk with some of their top items from their nerdy collection for women. Each collection had a distinctive style, and really gave some inspo for future purchases for my wardrobe (apologies in advance to my suffering bank account).

And it wasn't just one nerdy item that topped off the outfit - each look was carefully curated to dress the models head to toe in complete geekiness. It was bold, bright and I was obsessed.

One of my favourite outfits from the show - something I'm debating recreating for The Rise of Skywalker viewing

Prior to the show I caught up with current director of the company, who lamented to me how women's geek fashion is still something that's not quite mainstream just yet. Often getting our fandom fashion means compromising on fit and style, but things are changing now, and this is one of the brands that are shaking up the market and leaving us quaking. Baggy men's gaming tees get old fast, y'all.

It was also intriguing that none of the other geeky brands had jumped at the opportunity to do a fashion show at a con before - so GeekEsque have really taken the initiative here and set the bar high.

The lineup of clothes showcased included dresses, leggings, and of course absolutely incredible bodysuits that no joke I would wear everyday if it was socially acceptable. There was also an array of fandoms celebrated - including Pokemon, Harry Potter, Marvel and a whole host more. This show had it all - not forgetting the DJ who brought some serious tunes to the stage. There was even a section where one of the models burst into a spontaneous street dance, something you wouldn’t see on any traditional catwalk, let me tell you.

A great summer staple, and again apt for Sword and Shield coming out

The women on the catwalk were also a very fitting mix of traditional models (including Hellana) and social media stars/Twitch streamers (such as Juxto). It was great to see ladies who were confident in their geeky getups, as nerdy fashion is something that’s still seen as quite risky everyday wear, so it was a real boost of morale to female nerds such as myself.

For a very first fashion show, I was pretty impressed. I just hope that other con organisers (or EGX themselves) have seen the potential with this and can see how it can be expanded in years to come. We all remember the She-Ra costume transformation from SDCC, so I'd be stoked to see some more creatively challenging items on the runway to turn this into an even more spectacular event. If possible, it'd be ace to see this on a bigger section of the convention centre so they have a proper runway. Give the geek women ALL the stage.

Considering that a lot of the fandom outfits included film and TV, I would also say that other cons (like MCM Comic Con) should consider taking on this show as a feature. Cosplay is great and all, but it’s not something we can incorporate into everyday life. Let’s get fandom fashion celebrated for all other geeks besides gamers!

The final looks - that Venom bodysuit in the middle is AMAZING. Do you have a favourite look?