Headed to the Tadashi Shoji show
NYFW is one of those things that is a mystery to the outside world, and there’s still things that remain a mystery to me now! I am always learning more and more about this intricate beast, that is forever changing and evolving like the rest of the industry. But, I thought I would get vulnerable and share with you some things that aren’t so public about attending fashion week from my own experiences. Here’s a little list, and some photos from my fashion week this past week!
1 – You will simultaneously feel so good and so bad about yourself all within a 5 minute span: I think this is the BIGGEST thing nobody really talks about – but when you get invited to fashion week shows (or when I do) I get so so excited. It feels a bit exclusive, or special to even be included, especially coming from my background as just a regular ole’ joe. I never envisioned I’d be getting invites to fashion designers’ shows, and now here I am. But very quickly, that feeling of being “important” or “special” goes away, because the second you show up to the shows, you realize just how small and unimportant you are compared to so many other people there. A lot of people are friendly, but a lot of others are not – they will make you feel less than, small or basically invisible. In the same 5 minute span I’ve been hugged and recognized by a follower, and been told I don’t have a seat and will have to stand. It’s a bit like high school, where extremely trivial things that DO NOT MATTER in the real world (like which row you’re seated in) can make you feel a bit bad. But then you look around, and realize you’re THERE, and you were INVITED, and at the end of the day that is so cool.
2 – Every show starts late, and you will wait in the cold for 30 minutes to get in for a 5 minute show: I think this is another one of those pieces that gets excluded from stories, because all you’re really seeing is footage from the shows itself. But if a show is at 1PM, you basically know it won’t start until 1:15 at the earliest, so showing up on time means a lot of waiting around. Once everyone walks in and is seated, the show usually takes another 15 minutes to start, and after all of that waiting, shows are usually only 5-10 minutes long. I personally think it’s worth the wait, because I love seeing the beautiful garments, hair and makeup and YES, I DRINK THE KOOL AID, but I know some bloggers who just think it isn’t worth it and skip shows.
3 – A lot of the pieces you see on your favorite models and bloggers are only borrowed: Another huge misconception is that bloggers go all out and buy a bunch of new pieces to style for NYFW, but the truth is a lot of it is only borrowed. There are some PR showrooms that host what’s calling a “gifting suite” and they’ll invite bloggers to pick pieces from brands they represent in hopes that the pieces are worn during NYFW and photographed, but a majority of the more expensive pieces are on loan, and have to be returned either the next day after the show, or at the end of the week.
4 – You will see celebrities right in the open! This one still catches me off guard sometimes, and I am truly not one of those people who is all goo goo ga ga over seeing celebrities, but it’s almost like you have these moments where you think “celebrities, they’re just like normal people!” because they’re attending the same show as you in the same room! I was sitting right behind Miss J from Americas Next Top Model at an evening show, which was so cool, but I just sat there and pretended like I didn’t notice because I’d hate to make someone feel uncomfortable, or fan girl too hard. But if you’re around the shows, you’ll see some of your favorite influencers, editors and celebs attending, just like you!
5 – Even if you live in NY or Brooklyn, it’s still not easy to attend, and you’ll probably need a hotel room – Even though I live in NY, I still had to get an airbnb for the day that I had the most back to back shows. If you’re planning on changing for each show (which I sometimes do and sometimes don’t) then you will need a spot to change and get ready in! Even the influencers or editors who live in and around NYC may get a hotel room closer to the venue to make outfit changes easier and more do-able. If you were wondering why someone may change, the main reason I do it is if I am planning on wearing the designer to the show. For one of the shows I attended to designer dressed me, so I had to wear one outfit in the morning, and then change into the second look.
One last thing I wanted to mention in this little “reveal” post is that attending NYFW, for bloggers at least, is entirely optional. It is NOT part of the job, although some bloggers do book campaigns revolving around NYFW to promote hair products, fashion brands, or even Lyft or Uber. For me, attending this NYFW was not paid, it was simply something I opted to do for the love of fashion, and the excitement and thrill of being a part of it all. The beauty of it is that I usually only chose to attend for 1-2 days, maybe 3 max. It may feel like a lot of pressure to go to every single show and event when you see other people you follow doing that, but I’ve never felt like I had to go to every single day of NYFW, because it can become a lot! At the end of the day, we all have the ability to choose to say yes or no to any and all opportunities.
My favorites from the Lela Rose show!
Some favorites from Badgley Mischka! They dressed me for the show, which was such an incredible experience!
Thanks for reading, and make sure to check my Youtube channel for a full NYFW vlog coming at the end of the week!