London Runway was present at the latest Handle Your Heels event, run by The Model Workshops London and led by Maxine Griffiths. Here’s what happened on the day.

A group of women gather, some chatting quietly, others waiting in silence. We’re all here to take part in an event which has been set up exclusively for women, in tribute to International Women’s Day.

‘Walk like a woman, feel like a boss’ is the tagline we were enticed with, and we soon kick off with a quick round of bingo designed to get us talking. We learn about each other quickly, and soon start to feel like a more closely-knit group.

Our first exercise of the day involves targeted personal advice on how to walk better in heels. It’s not just about saving your feet and learning to beat the pain – it’s about confidence.

“I noticed that when I walk into a room, I have my head down,” one of the attendees admits.

There are murmurs of sympathy and agreement around the group. As Maxine informs us, we learn collectively to hold our heads high.

Over the course of the day, we hear about massage techniques designed to improve your health from Yaah Fumanti; we watch Krishna Makeovers demonstrate a bright pink look, giving advice on makeup brushes and techniques along the way; Anna McKay tells us about an invention which could help everyone to sleep better; and Aura tells us about all of the ingredients required to live a healthy lifestyle – and the ones that we should be avoiding.
We gathered once more to walk again in the afternoon, forming our own catwalk and walking with confidence and pride. The transformation in everyone was clear – the atmosphere of the day was helping us to embrace our bodies and our heels.

Then it was time for our own Chief Editor to take the floor, talking about the journey of launching London Runway and the fact that many women allow themselves to be held back from pursuing their dreams – whether from self-doubt or from the doubting words of others.

We were finally treated to some live entertainment, including dancing by Project Seven, a cappella performances by Corene Campbell and Voices with Soul, and even a spoken word performance.

Throughout the day, we also browsed a number of stalls, not least of which was our very own magazine stand. We nibbled on cupcakes from Truly Cupcakes, couldn’t stop Instagramming the punch sold by Posh Nosh, and admired plenty more brands from artist Angela Manderson to event planners.

Before we were even out of the door, we were all calling for a repeat event next year. There’s something so very empowering about coming together as women to focus on the ways in which we can improve our minds, bodies, relationships, and lives.

We can’t wait for 2020 – in fact, we might just have to lobby for a sooner date!