Considering it was a day where politicians couldn’t keep their feet out of their mouths, WA Premier Colin Barnett and Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi put their feet (fashionably) forward as the bloggers made a bee line for the front row, the suits sipped the free Chandon and the pretty people posed after arriving fashionably late to see One Fell Swoop’s show at the Perth Town Hall.

Here’s how night one went down, blow-by-bubbly-blow:

6.24pm: Less than an hour to kick off and I still have no outfit.

6.42pm: Decided on a mash up of Betts leopard print, karen walker polka dots and a sass & bide sequin number, cab driver seems offended by the sensory and sparkly overload – mission: accomplished.

7.22pm: International ambassador – Singaporean socialite Marie Choo, Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi (sporting a new short and honey blonde hair style) and Perth Fashion Festival director Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan wearing a red Akira Isogawa gown mill about the small front row.

7.30pm: Thirty minutes late. The all white runway is gleaming and the crowd has realised it’s a stand up show – an installation set up where the models walk amongst the mortals to show off a selection of One Fell Swoop’s autumn/winter and spring/summer collections.

7.45pm: Ten News journalist Rebecca Munro looks like a seasoned fashion reporter, she’s wearing studded epaulettes on camera. Her boss may not “get it” but between those and her neon heels she’s “nailing it” in the fashion world.

8.06pm: PFF director Ms Harvey-Hanrahan takes to the stage to welcome everyone including her friend and Festival ambassador Lord Mayor Scaffidi.

“She must be sick of me by now as I’m always running in there telling her to change her hair and spruik this designer!” she says.

8.10pm: As the Lord Mayor takes to the stage WAtoday.com.au recognises the man sitting behind her in the second row - he’s the strapping young “hand bag” the she had on her arm at the 2011 opening.

8.11pm: Ms Scaffidi has cut her hair into an Alexa Chung/Reese Witherspoon style bob and is wearing One Fell Swoop. She reveals she is being styled this year by Ivanna Fontana.

While working as a style consultant for five years Fontana has also worked with Miranda Kerr and Megan Gale. She'll be in charge of the Lord Mayor's wardrobe for the entire Festival.

8.15pm: Have I mentioned the show hasn’t started yet?

8.22pm: Premier Colin Barnett takes to the stage, he thanks Mariella for being the “heroine of the Festival” and tells owner Tony Sage to “just keep signing the cheques mate”.

8.25pm: “While we are known for our bogans and billionaires, let’s hope Perth becomes famous for our models, designers, photographers and stylists,” he said as he officially opens PFF 2012.

8.26pm: We still haven’t seen a model on the catwalk but the Premier is in good spirits and so he should be - the Ketel One vodka is being mistaken for water.

8.31pm: One hour and 31 minutes since doors opened and we have fashion lift off! Even though the chatter hasn’t minimised in the crowd there is a lot of minimalistic design and neutral colour palettes on the catwalk.

8.35pm: The chatter still hasn’t died down but that’s only because people can’t see the catwalk – it’s essentially a triangle on the floor.

8.40pm: The sheer blouses in ivory, black and khaki are making the Hollywood Tape work harder than a struggling actress in Hollywood and the exquisite draping on the evening gowns and blouses is so elegant it puts the “Draper” in “Don Draper”.

8.45pm: L’Oreal Professional hair director Brad Ngata is in town from Sydney calling the shots when it comes to styling the strands and his Hunger Games meets milkmaid braids are drawing gasps of jealously.

8.50pm: That’s a wrap. Soon after designers Nikolina Ergic and Daniel Romanin took their bow the booze was back out and being quickly soaked up by Heyder and Shears popular mini meat pies.

9pm: The crowd has dwindled as the after party at The Quarter on Wesley is calling. There is a different vibe to 2011’s opening night – everyone is a little bit more relaxed and not so polaxed on day one this year.

10.10pm: Time to make a dash for the goodie bags. Day one gifts have set the bar high – Estee Lauder lip gloss, a sachet called “24 Hour Face Lift”, hair product, movie tickets and fancy French soap and mints.

Tonight WAtoday.com.au will be f-row (that’s fashion for “front row”) inside Fashion Paramount at the WA Museum for Morrison’s sold out show followed by Designer Capsule #1 featuring Daniella Caputi, ZSADAR, Lisa Marjanovich and The Butcher + The Crow.