End Lines: The Map - Excuse me, you're in my seat

Who gets to sit on the front row at a London Fashion Week show

It's London Fashion Week, when Britain's designers get to show their collections for spring/summer 1999 to buyers and press from the UK and around the world. These trade-only events are spectacular pieces of mini theatre, with supermodels on the catwalk and superstars in the audience. Andrew Groves is a young designer, showing for the first time as part of the official schedule. His show is this Tuesday at 8pm and he has invited 650 guests to see his work, but only a few will be given places on the all-important front row. Here he reveals who they are.

Block C Front Row

Andrew Groves has used Block C to seat all the buyers from the fashion stores, a few members of the international press, high-profile celebrities and guests of honour, Mum and Dad. Stars include singers Sharleen (above, left) and Saffron (above, centre), both Andrew's friends; actors Nicolas Cage (above, right) and John Woo from the movie Face/Off (the film company sponsored the show); actress Honor Blackman, ex-gangster Frankie Fraser, and JG Ballard, who Groves counts as inspirations for his collection. Then there are the buyers. People Groves needs to impress include Joan Burstein of the London shop Browns, the Harvey Nichols team, and the buyers from New York stores Saks, Berdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus - whether they place a clothes order or not can make or break a young designer's career.

1. Simon Melegari Collezoni Donna, Italy 2. Sarah Mower Harper's Bazaar, US 3. Andre Leon Talley Vogue, US 4. John Woo Face/Off 5. Nicolas Cage Face/Off 6. Saffron Republica 7. JG Ballard writer 8. Colin Groves Andrew's dad 9. Anne Groves Andrew's mum 11. "Mad" Frankie Fraser gangster turned celebrity 12. Trixie Lickengood drag queen 13. Sharleen Spiteri Texas 14. Honor Blackman actress 15. Charles Worthington hair stylist 16. Y Yoshie buyer, Takashimaya, Japan 17. Ms S Koyama buyer, Takashimaya, Japan 18. Geraldine James buyer, Harrods 19. Julie Gilhart buyer, Barney's, US 20. Milan buyer, Colette, Paris 21. Kris Pellicano buyer, Pellicano 22. Joan Burstein owner, Browns 23. Gayle Sackloff buyer, AMC/Saks, US 24. Maahiko Ito United Arrows, Japan 25. Joyce Ma owner, Joyce, Hong Kong 26. Damien Shaw buyer, Liberty 27. Angela Quaintrell buyer, Liberty 28. Ann Pitcher buyer, Harrods 29. Sue Whiteley buyer, Harvey Nichols 30. April Glassborow buyer, Harvey Nichols 31. Sue Gunn buyer, Harvey Nichols 32. Adriana Nappo buyer, Selfridges 33. Debbie Taylor buyer, Selfridges 34. Coco Chan buyer, Harvey Nichols 35. Bridget Cosgrave buyer, Matches 36. Bonnie Pressman buyer, Barneys, US 37. Dana Kress buyer, Saks, US 38. Dawn Mello vice president, Bergdorf Goodman, US 39. Lillian Wang buyer Bergdorf Goodman, US 40. Joan Kaner fashion director, Neiman Marcus, US

Block B Front Row

The smallest front-row section, but in many ways the most prestigious place to sit, because this is where the international press get to park their Prada-clad bottoms. Suzy Menkes (above, right), perhaps the world's most famous and respected fashion writer, gets the best seat in the house, in the very middle of the row. Sitting next to her is Isabella Blow (above, left) who usually turns up in some improbable outfit by one of her favourite designers of the moment and a hat by Philip Treacy. Also major league are Michael Roberts (above, centre), who does incredible sketches of the shows and James Fallon of the fashion-trade bible, Women's Wear Daily.

1. James Fallon W/WWD, US 2. Michael Roberts The New Yorker, US 3. Mimi Lombardo The New York Times, US 4. Anna Harvey Vogue, Russia 5. Isabella Blow The Sunday Times 6. Suzy Menkes The International Herald Tribune 7. Kaori Suro Gap, Japan 8. Fiona Ronaldson Joyce, Hong Kong 9. Myung Hee Lee Vogue, Korea 10 Nadko Seki High Fashion, Japan

It's the man himself: Andrew Groves, the young designer who is hoping to impress the world's press and buyers this Tuesday

Block A Front Row

Block A has been given over to representatives from the UK press, both writers who will cover the show in the next day's papers, and editors who may use the clothes in fashion shoots in the coming months. For a young designer like Andrew Groves, it's key to impress editors from the most directional, trendsetting magazines, such as Edward Enniful from i-D, Ashley Heath (above, centre) and Karina Givargisoff of The Face and Katie Grand of Dazed & Confused. Other influential editors include Iain R Webb of Elle, Tiina Laakkonen of Vogue, Harriet Quick of Frank and, of course, our very own Tamsin Blanchard. Colin McDowell (above, right), fashion's man of letters, gets seat 40. Also in Block A are a London celebrities including Vivienne Westwood muse and art promoter, Jibby Beane (whose every sentence begins "Darling ... "); artist Jonathan Goslan and the interior designer, Nicky Haslam (above, left), a close friend of Hilary Alexander of The Daily Telegraph (they get to sit next to each other).

1. Adrian Clarke Attitude 2. Bryony Toogood Cosmopolitan 3. Katie Grand Dazed & Confused 4. Alison Edmond Harper's & Queen 5. Iain R Webb Elle 6. Fiona McIntosh Elle 7. Edward Enniful i-D 8. Fiona Dallanegra i-D 9. Harriet Quick Frank 10. Sophie Dean Sky 11. Deborah Bee Scene 12. Kirsty Drury Mixmag 13. Juliet Warkentin Marie Claire 14. Tiffany Fraser Steele Marie Claire 15. Kathryn Brown Red 16. Liz Shirley Red 17. Harriet Mays Powell Tatler 18. Mary Eustace Tatler 19. Jonathan Goslan Artist 20. Jibby Beane art dealer 21. Nicky Haslam Interior designer 22. Hilary Alexander The Daily Telegraph 23. Damian Foxe Time Out 24. Lorna V Time Out 25. Tiina Laakkonen Vogue 26. Anne-Marie Curtis Wallpaper 27. Annabel Tollman Wallpaper 28. Mimi Spencer The Evening Standard 29. James Sherwood freelance 30. Ashley Heath The Face 31. Karina Givargisoff The Face 32. Tamsin Blanchard The Independent 33. Susannah Frankel The Guardian 34. Lulu Anderson The Telegraph Magazine 35. Samantha Murray Greenway The Express 36. Grace Bradbury The Times 37. Jo Adams The Observer 38. Daniela Paudice Sunday Times Style 39. John Davidson The Herald 40. Colin McDowell The Sunday Times Style section